Miss Manners: Graduate dodges ‘smart’ comments

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I attended a selective technical school for my undergraduate degree and have encountered the same problem over and over again, ever since I graduated. Whenever someone finds out that I went to MIT, there is a good chance that they will say something like “Oh! You must be really smart, huh?”

I have no idea how to respond to this question!

“That’s a common misconception, haha” is my usual reply, but even then, they are sometimes insistent with, “No, but really, I bet you’re very smart.”

What should I do? Many a conversation has turned weird because of this question.

It’s gotten to the point that I try to hide where I went to school and only mention it if I’m directly asked because I don’t want to deal with it. Is there anything I can do to diffuse these awkward interactions?

GENTLE READER: Surely you must be tempted to say something along the lines of, “Oh, no, I’m not at all smart. It’s just that my parents donated a building.”

Miss Manners would be, although, for the record, she is not advising this.

A less provocative response, which nevertheless works wonders, is, “I study hard.” You may be sure that no one will be moved to respond, “Well, so did I, but it didn’t help.”