My apologies-- after I posted, I realized that what I'd said sounded unfriendly, but I wasn't sure what to change. I didn't think you wanted to be more intelligent for reasons of status. That literally never occurred to me-- I tend to think of being intelligent as fun and useful, and probably tend to underestimate the status aspect. What I had in mind was that "being intelligent" is a vague goal, and it might be useful for you to be more clear about the details so that you could pursue it more effectively. It also seemed to me that the other posters, though they came off as friendlier than me, were guessing about what you meant, and you could get better advice if you asked a less general question. And part of being intelligent is knowing what you mean, so it seemed as though asking you for more precision might lead to good practice. Here's one of Eliezer's essays that might be useful-- you don't need to be a magical person to have great achievements. Two possible angles on your situation: Refuse to Choose by Barbara Sher-- I've just started reading this, but it looks promising. The premise is that the whole culture is oriented towards having single specialties, but some people's minds don't work that way, and they're happier and more effective pursuing the interests they've got. I haven't gotten to the parts about how not to be paralyzed by indecision and how to make a living, though. Another possibility is that you're mildly depressed, and should be looking at getting more sunlight and exercise and such. Please note that I'm guessing from not very much information. I don't think inventors start by learning huge amounts. They mix tinkering and learning.