u/the_ultimate0

I’m a male freshman in college studying engineering and have always struggled with being seen as gifted. I was always labeled as “smart” by my teachers or other adults as a kid, yet I feel like many of my peers fail to recognize my abilities. As someone with ADHD who is also very outgoing and charismatic, I’m often loud and the center of attention. I don’t carry myself in ways that non gifted people deem to be signs of giftedness. I’m not the “quiet and calculated” type that people think intelligent people must be. I’m loud and impulsive and unserious in social settings and most of the time I make myself the butt of the joke to get arise out of people. Lots of people around me, even people somewhat close to me, are thus surprised when they learn about my SAT score or where I go to college or see my grades. They immediately brush off my abilities without even really knowing me. I know at the end of the day it doesn’t matter how people perceive me and I am now at a point where I am content with my own abilities and rarely let peoples’ opinions sway me, however there was a time where this wasn’t the case. I’m wondering if anybody else, even people who aren’t ND like me have had similar experiences.