[jack_pp]

Not sure I follow, you were afraid of being a "nerd" and dialed your ambitions to try to be "cooler"?

"because it was socially uncomfortable to have people's perceptions of me be tied to the things I excelled in."

I think usually it's the other way around, or I'm not understanding this correctly. I was best at math in my class from grades 5 through 12 but never felt "awkward" because of it, rather I felt proud. Which is also wrong but I digress

[fenykep]

I interpreted it as "my parents/peers love me for who I am and not for being a really basketball player". Might be projecting tho.