I think most of us feel stupid from time to time. I remember being really intimidated when I first came here, feeling like I always had to be at my intellectual best. Then I learned, posting here is just like talking about things. Pick a thing that interests you, and talk about it like you would with a friend. It’s just an exchange of ideas, that’s all. I’d love to hear what’s on your mind because it sounds like we share a lot of the same interests. And yeah, don’t feel like you have to try so hard.
I once had a high school teacher who pointed out that the key step to getting the right answer in a problem solving context is to ask the right question. If you can frame the question right, the method of finding the answer will often appear. Later a college professor gave a tip on how to consult:
a) Take the clients money. Do that.
But,
b) Don’t take their question as given. Part of your value-added involves your ability to frame it properly. Sometimes (usually) the question the client is asking isn’t the question that they really want to ask.
So, again, framing a good question is far from a trivial task.