wait, have you ever heard of the "multiple intelligence" theory? this sounds alot like that.
anyway- rebuttal time.
i agree with this for the most part, but--
You say that academic 'failures' can be attributed to "mental laziness", but what can you say causes "mental laziness"?
Isn't choosing to not use the potential for intelligence you have a reflection of a lack of it to begin with?
Also, isn't choosing to allocate ones brain in follies and relatively inconsequential meanderings as opposed to significant works a reflection of ones intelligence too?
I believe that the root of the differences is in the focus of the person in question. people who tend to stay focused on 'small' issues will appear less intelligent to those who focus on relatively larger ones. in a group where every one is focused on things like style, etc. everyone will be on about the same level. same with everyone at say, some sort of scientific convention. but members of the scientific convention would be more likely to look down on the other group than vise versa. the ones with a "smaller" world view would be labeled as the less intelligent ones.
that was really just of the cuff, so forgive me if it doesn't read right or doesn't make sense.
Pg