I’ve know some people who say things like that. Really annoys me to when they do 100000% better job at something after I gave it my all. Until, I found out that person just don’t want people thinking he was “stupid.” He was really into the “I’m a genius” just look how little effort I put into things. Total lie, worked harder than most, and then downplayed it using the line “I just throw something together.”
There is a lot of wasted potential out there. We all in some sense have wasted our own potential chasing after what we wanted in life. As you said playing stupid can get you out of having to do things. More importantly, it keeps people form coming to you for every little thing.
You also have the people out there who just assume you are very smart and assume you’re just being lazy on purpose. People often accuses me of being very smart. Some days I forget how to tie my own shoes. Yet, don’t let the books I keep in my library (it’s really just a book shelf but look at how smart I sound by stating I have a library!!! Why don’t you have a library? Shame indeed) fool you.
Other times when people are smarter then you. You assume and wish they had done more in life as that gives you some kind of hope that you could do more then what they have done. I grew up with a lot of redneck friends and I took pre-calculus in high school so I was a genius to them(I failed that class twice by the way never did pass.)
Those who get to do what they want in life are the true smart people out there.
Lots of variations, yes... and generally, I tend to lump all of this together under the broader headings of "manipulation and deception." Not necessarily malicious deception... it can also just be deception to avoid accountability, and such.
I guess I just don't like head games... my ex was particularly into that; leading people to believe she was something other than what she truly was (rather a genius; held some 20 patents for computer interface design, yet played the "dumb blonde" a lot)... other people I have met along the way.
Just be yourself... seems like (at least in the long run) people are pretty self-sorting, and you end up with the tribe you belong with, eventually.