(Before I start, I should state that much of the following is liable to make me sound like an insufferably arrogant brat. In my defence I'd like to make clear that these days I'm a significantly humbler variety of brat.)

This story is oddly relevant to me - primarily because I'd actually say that you were the cause of my first real realisation along similar lines. (After you (and perhaps others - was tombee a year below you?) left LP I was pretty much dropped into the "top mathematician" post for my final year. That this was even remotely believable should tell people exactly how much the competition had dropped off...)

I spent most of my early school life being given the impression (by a combination of teachers, parents and test results) that I was the brightest kid in the class. Secondary school didn't really change that much to start with, although it did dispel the naive notion that "intelligence" and/or "a desire to work hard" were in any way correlated with "having rich parents". (All I can say is that I was shy, nerdy and about ten years old - I had to take my self-esteem where I could find it.)

As far as I can remember, you were the first person I got to know (adults included) who I could clearly tell was significantly smarter than I was. Definitely an interesting and useful experience. (In fact, there's only been one other person since who's given me quite that feeling of running-to-keep-up, and given the nature of Cambridge I have this nagging feeling that if I asked it'd turn out that you know him. ;)

Fortunately, the intervening years have allowed me to calibrate things rather more accurately on that particular spectrum.


And wow, that lot really does sound shockingly arrogant. Ick.