"and I'm certainly not as smart as many." that is true of almost all of us
"I'm no more intelligent than anyone,"
that is easily proven by any 5 minute conversation with most people in a street
most people have very little idea of much at all. most are not open to ideas and concepts and many can't even recognise what a concept is
it's the problem with humans and it's the problem with democracy - at least half the mob are as thick as whipped cream, easily duped and couldn't save their life if they had to use a conscious thought process to do it
I don't blame humans for that - they are what they are - but, allowing everyone to be involved in decision making when half the mob can't even understand the problems ----------- is, to me, a real issue
