Its a brain bug - our brain makes a flat copy of everyone we meet. If we can not comprehend/ deduce what he/she does the brain is hardwired to early out - and the person is either (depending on outcome) a idiot, or a genius.

If you want to be percieved by others as genius, this can be easily accomplished. Engage in endavours where you control the outcome, but make a show of beeing percieved as a mumbling fool, doing seemingly nonsense on the way.