There is no stupid, smart, successful or unsuccessful in the general sense.

I think there is only potential and some people just assign it differently.

e.g. a guy in a wheelchair may not be the best NBA player, but he might be one of the top theoretical physicists in the world. Some person might not have the best papers to prove his/her knowledge/skill level, but that person's work speaks for him-/herself. Instead of reading books, a person might've been fixing cars for his/her entire life.

Just be the best "you" you can be to your own advantage.

PS. Take best of both worlds: the practical and the theoretical, embrace both. Because the difference between theory and practice is far greater in practice than in theory...