(GPT-4 also suggested there is a “social” motivation of “fitting in”, but I think it is hardly the case: is there any society where people are ostracised for not possessing difficult skills? I doubt so. This is especially so in the social groups of children, where, if anything, the opposite is the case: kids may be ostracised for trying to become “too smart”, or “learning too much”.)
I disagree about children. I’ve seen classrooms where competition is on having good grades, and the guys with good grades are the bullies/they are socially on top. In general there are many social contexts in which you have to be good at something difficult to fit in. I’ve seen it both in selective schools, where you could expect it, but also in ghettos.
I have only anecdotal evidence. I studied in one of the “top” middle schools in Moscow, Russia. Children (for example, myself) weren’t ostracised for being too nerdy or too curious in their studies, but also being relatively bad at studies wasn’t a factor that lowered someone’s status in that social group at all. I think there was almost no correlation between social status and classroom success. However, in ordinary schools, I know for sure that there is a negative correlation between social status and classroom success.
I disagree about children. I’ve seen classrooms where competition is on having good grades, and the guys with good grades are the bullies/they are socially on top. In general there are many social contexts in which you have to be good at something difficult to fit in. I’ve seen it both in selective schools, where you could expect it, but also in ghettos.
I have only anecdotal evidence. I studied in one of the “top” middle schools in Moscow, Russia. Children (for example, myself) weren’t ostracised for being too nerdy or too curious in their studies, but also being relatively bad at studies wasn’t a factor that lowered someone’s status in that social group at all. I think there was almost no correlation between social status and classroom success. However, in ordinary schools, I know for sure that there is a negative correlation between social status and classroom success.
Maybe in the US, it’s very different.