<p>I doubt most people “judge you” based on if you’re better than them in math or history or whatnot. (If they do, avoid those individuals!) My friends are worse than me in some subjects, better in others. I don’t “look down” on them if they do poorly on a test or flunk a class. If some kid in my class is worse than me, I feel bad for him–but I don’t sit there and gloat over his failure or think that he’s worthless. If another kid is doing better than me, great–maybe I can arrange to study with him sometime.</p>
<p>You seem very obsessed with this idea of competition, like if you have a higher grade than someone it makes you a better person than them, or vice versa. Well, there is certainly nothing wrong with striving academically. But ultimately how you use your talents (not how talented you are), how you relate to others, and how you treat others is going to make more of a difference in how people perceive you. </p>
<p>Who do you think people think of as being “inferior”: Mother Teresa or Dr. Amy Bishop, the biology teacher who went on a shooting spree? Amy Bishop clearly had more “intellectual” accomplishments, more schooling (at Harvard, no less), and by all accounts was a brilliant researcher. But she also called the police on her neighbors’ kids for stupid reasons, threw hissy fits over an ice cream truck going down her street, and, of course, shot a bunch of people. Whereas Mother Teresa (though she did have some schooling) is best known for helping the poor and dying in ways that “anyone” could have–if they chose to. She was a thoughtful, compassionate person. Not “thoughtful” in the sense that she could hold technical conversations about neuroscience, but thoughtful in that she thought and cared about other people. That’s why people admire Mother Teresa and think Amy Bishop is a crazy, selfish nutcase.</p>
<p>OP, stop obsessing about people “looking down” on you and get out of your rut. Go volunteer somewhere or join a club . . . Meet some new people, go to a study group, take the bus and practice making small talk.</p>