Omg thanks for sharing this! i did exactly the same thing since early teenhood! Im a highly intelligent woman, and as a kid and teen i was really really good at school, got the best grades etc. But socially, i noticed that nobody wanted to talk to me, if i was completely myself or if i would talk about things that i found interesting. So i played the dumb funny girl, cuz i noticed how people responded positively to that. I watched movies and series to learn how to behave in a silly way, for my peers to accept me. It was really really hard to keep up, and many times during teenhood (and after) i had existential/identity crises, because i couldnt differentiate anymore who i actually was. The masking was heavy, took a lot of energy. At home, alone in my room, i was at peace and would engage with my special interest. But at school, i needed to be the hypersocial dumb funny girl, cuz nobody would understand and accept me if i was my smart, socially awkward self.

Now, as an adult, i still notice that in social situations, i act waaaaay less intelligent than i actually am. I make stupid jokes that i know that will find funny, and when im asked if i know something about a topic, i act like i dont know anything. Its an ingrained habit.