"I think that what sets me apart from the masses isn't in hardware (a better brain), but software (beliefs and an outlook more conducive to learning)."
From your list of accomplishments, I suspect one of the skills that sets you apart is your time management capabilities. Otherwise commonly known as self-discipline.
I think if you are doing something you are passionate about self-discipline will arise naturally. You'll want to be better at what you are doing and so you start waking earlier, focusing more, turning down potential distractions, etc. Maybe most importantly you start meeting successful people in your fields and start to replicate their more productive habits.
The problem with your argument is that it is based on trust. You trust that the people in your field are doing interesting research and teaching you important things.
Unlike physics say, students have less reason to trust those higher up in this way in a field such as computer science.
DaniFong addresses that here:
"Learn everything from first principles, and when something looks wrong, bring it up."
My issues with computer science go a bit beyond that! I think there's a general misunderstanding about what is important.
What do you think is important?
I do think that it takes years of general dedication towards learning to start tackling such topics, and it takes confidence to know that what one is aiming for is achievable, and it takes the honesty to realize when one truly is and when one truly isn't understanding some topic. I am continually astounded by the insight and intelligence of what some on this board might consider regular folk, and I think that what sets me apart from the masses isn't in hardware (a better brain), but software (beliefs and an outlook more conducive to learning).