> There is a saying about Gauss: when another mathematician came to show him a new result, Gauss would remark that he had already worked on it, open a drawer in his desk, and pull out a pile of papers on the same topic.

As if phd students need more imposter syndrom to deal with. Ona serious side, I wonder what conditions allow such minds to grow. I guess a big part is genetics, but I am curious if the "epi" is relevant and how much.

Imposter syndrome? If I was a PhD-level student (back then) and had an idea - and it turned out that Gauss had also thought of the idea, then written it out, and he kept the notes right in his desk - yeah. I'd take that as proof that I was one of the world's top mathematicians.