What made me like Amos Burton (from the series, still have to read the book) is that he is self aware enough to know this about himself, and intelligent enough to understand it as a shortcoming in many situations.

He’s a man where some part of him wants to do good, even be used for good, but doesn’t know how. But he recognises good people, and anchors himself to those he believes can use him for good.

That somehow makes him smarter than most people in the series… Or in real life, for that matter.