There are two kinds of "smart". There are the book and school smarts, and the street smarts. The kind of smart that everyone seems to notice is the school smart. Probably because these people are the ones who are "the odd one out" when it comes to group projects or other school related get to togethers. I think that they don't have many friends because, "smart" people always seem to have a certain vibe to them that make people not want to be around them. We think that Charlie, from "Flowers for Algernon" doesn't realize that most genuinely smart people have the same socially awkward ways that he does. So, even if he does grow out of his mental disability, there is still the big possibility that he could have the same amount of friends that he has now. Charlie doesn't realize that being smart isn't the full ticket into the fabulous world of having many friends. Also, he has to find people that has the same hobbies and likes as him in order to make more friends. But, there are always going to be those people in the world who won't like him, and he will soon come to realize that he can't please everyone.