"It is not clear that intelligence has any long-term survival value."
I've always found this a strange (almost stupid?) quote; if Hawking wasn't fairly arrogant, I would say he is trying to downplay his own intelligence. And I'd like to think it was taken out of context, but it's essentially saying that it may be net negative because it could destroy ourselves.
One of the first things an intelligent person learns is how to hide their intelligence. Of course i'm not saying this is always the case or that this is what he was doing but it reminds me of that situation.
On the other hand his early life was filled with academia and parents big on it so chances are he may not have had to suffer through the same kind of ridicule as most people who grew up in a less academic environment. As you said, downplaying intelligence is also a subtle defence mechanism, which is not to imply that people should be the opposite; brash, intellectual snobs convinced of their own superiority.
But it's telling to me on a subtle level the neurosis at the heart of society; it's almost like a collective deception to themselves wherein they have trouble accepting the limitations of their own intelligence, they suppress this notion which is then brought out by contact with those more intelligent than themselves, now the person is a perfect target for these projections to be placed onto.
Such a person is 'arrogant' or 'pretentious' even if the individual in question has no intention nor any inclination towards these traits.
There are certainly intellectual elites though, ironically not that intelligent themselves, as they would understand the different types of intelligence and their value to any society. But that's my bias of course.
It might seem a bit strange for me to mention intellectual elites alongside a threatened general public, but while I do accept the idea of different types of intelligence, I also understand that there are certain types that are excluded more often by most people, pushed into their own circles which creates a rather self-fulfilling prophecy.
As for my own intelligence, I don't think I should be so foolish as to proclaim myself an idiot after talking about self-deprecation and hiding intelligence, but at the same time I also acknowledge, quite happily, that there are a vast number of people far more intelligent than myself in pretty much all aspects of their thought. Besides mine is mostly intellectubatory which is often of no use to anyone, least of all myself.
Plus i'm also immensely childish at times and one of the most important things to keep in mind is that no one is above the shit of life. I accept that and embrace it...so here's a dildo car!
*Unfortunately due to rules and conditions I cannot show an ACTUAL dildo car*