What Covarr said would be true if we hadn't a school system which teach us to be that way.
I mean I can condition any dog to do what I want from him in a few hours, if it is in his limits of course. Humans aren't different. There was an reporter from Austria who has researched how the school systems works and he came to the result that around 80% of the children are high intelligent and only 3% after school. I wouldn't blame entirely the school system for it (the psychological profile changes with the age) but it has an involvement on it. Schools have generally a bad budget and teachers are underpaid for the work they do.
The rule is simple you got what you are pay for.
Let's be honest you won't use 90% of what you have learned in school, but that's not important because you have learned that there is a person with authority and everything what this person is true. The other thing you will learn is that a mark B (2) is easier to reach as a mark A (1) and if you are clever and reach very easily a good mark then you will be isolate by the group because it isn't 'cool' to be a nerd. Look at TV how cool nerds are...
We are trained to be mid-ranged, with only mid-ranged dreams we will hopefully reach. But those with money can exit this concept: better schools with better and well paid teachers and being good is a must not an abnormality. Of course there are scholarships for the mid-class citizens, but not enough for all highly talented.
Sadly as it is the money the parents have is very important for the future of the children, there is no equality for everyone. So to say, "it's your own fault that you live an ordinary life." isn't fair. How should they feel responsible if they doesn't have learned it? For them it's to late to change their mind all what we can do is to have hope in our children, but not with this school system which only serves the wealthiest 1%.
"Es ist kein Zeichen von Gesundheit, an eine von Grund auf kranke Gesellschaft gut angepasst zu sein." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."