Do you find that you intimidate others because you study physics?

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An exceptionally talented high school physics student expresses concerns about unintentionally intimidating classmates with his academic prowess. Despite being friendly and eager to help, he feels that his ability to grasp complex physics concepts quickly makes peers hesitant to seek his assistance. He acknowledges that while he excels academically, he struggles with accepting compliments and often redirects praise to others. The discussion reveals a broader theme of the pressures and challenges faced by high-achieving students, including the fear of future academic struggles in university. Participants emphasize the importance of humility, empathy, and the reality that high school experiences can create a skewed perception of one's abilities. They suggest focusing on helping others without diminishing their struggles and highlight the need for hard work and passion in the pursuit of science. The conversation also touches on the value of self-studying advanced topics and the potential shift in perspective that comes with higher education.
  • #31
This thread is hilarious! Even though I don't understand some of the humor (yet)(a little comprehension about the complex plain; not much) you people are awesome! Thanks again for all the help!
 
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  • #32
AnTiFreeze3 said:
But where's Waldo?


Waldo's momentum will be more uncertain the more precisely you measure his position, he might run away faster :biggrin:
 
  • #33
I am merely an aspiring physics student--I'm not in university yet--but whenever I tell people that I want to study astrophysics, I always get weird responses that make me uncomfortable. I either get astonishment or, sometimes, I feel that people don't really take me seriously. This bothers me because I don't think physics is nearly as esoteric as a lot of people think. I understand that there is a maths barrier, but I often liken it to learning a new language: it's certainly tricky for most, but once you've learned the fundamentals, everything else comes much more quickly. Perhaps I'm over-simplifying it, but that's just what I've learned from personal experience. Part of the problem also seems to be that when people think of physics they immediately think of Einstein or Newton, who are indeed intimidating, but who are also outliers.

To answer your question more directly, no, I've never sensed that I have intimidated others. Maybe that's because I have yet to actually prove anything. The physics that I want to study intimidates others, though.
 
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