 "Dumbing yourself down" around your peers?
lallysingh: Find people smart in things you know little about.  I had years of fun with a group deep in political theory.  Then I left school and now I have to find a new group.But, there's a large percentage of people who just aren't intellectually motivated.  Which is fine: family, friends, and/or fun are all equally valid motivators.  When you're with them, focus on what you enjoy about what they enjoy.  E.g. if they're socially focused, focus on the social interactions you also enjoy.  Don't screw it up with geekishness.With all that said, this is completely wrong: "The problem is that part of trying to fit in is emulating the behaviour of your peers."  NO.  It's about finding a way for all of you to get along being yourselves.  I'll happily drop some random geeky-but-mainstream jokes with my non-computer friends.Also, you're probably going to have to hang out with multiple types of people to get all your bases covered to get balance.