Dumb People Earn More Than Smart People

[ElDiablo]

Hello everyone.

It's been a while since I wrote in this forum. I've been empirically learning as much as possible how to create an audience on YouTube and find ways to create value in the financial industry.

Yet, today I stumbled upon this video created by one of the most pragmatic content creators I know regarding finance.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVZ1sSnIKrg


It's interesting to consider the idea that brilliant people may have a disadvantage when it comes to earning potential, as they may be more likely to pursue jobs in fields that don't pay well, such as academia or the arts. On the other hand, those with slightly above-average intelligence may be more likely to pursue careers in business or finance, where the potential for high earnings is more significant.

It's also worth considering the point made in the video that dumb people may be more willing to take risks and pursue unconventional paths to success, which could explain why some end up earning more than their more intelligent counterparts.
This condition can be more pronounced for those creating businesses.

I can see some truth in these ideas. Still, it's important to note that intelligence is just one factor among many that contribute to success. A solid work ethic, creativity, and networking skills are also important.

What do you all think? Do you agree with the points made in the video? Have you noticed any examples of this phenomenon in your own life or in the lives of those around you?

 

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[Bekit]

Hello everyone.

It's been a while since I wrote in this forum. I've been empirically learning as much as possible how to create an audience on YouTube and find ways to create value in the financial industry.

Yet, today I stumbled upon this video created by one of the most pragmatic content creators I know regarding finance.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVZ1sSnIKrg


It's interesting to consider the idea that brilliant people may have a disadvantage when it comes to earning potential, as they may be more likely to pursue jobs in fields that don't pay well, such as academia or the arts. On the other hand, those with slightly above-average intelligence may be more likely to pursue careers in business or finance, where the potential for high earnings is more significant.

It's also worth considering the point made in the video that dumb people may be more willing to take risks and pursue unconventional paths to success, which could explain why some end up earning more than their more intelligent counterparts.
This condition can be more pronounced for those creating businesses.

I can see some truth in these ideas. Still, it's important to note that intelligence is just one factor among many that contribute to success. A solid work ethic, creativity, and networking skills are also important.

What do you all think? Do you agree with the points made in the video? Have you noticed any examples of this phenomenon in your own life or in the lives of those around you?

Interesting.

There was just recently a thread here arguing the opposite point.

At the risk of reviving the :eyeroll: pound of iron versus pound of feathers debate, here's the link to that thread.

HOT! - CHAT - Are IQ (Smarts) and Success Correlated?

About MJ's "lies to yourself list" all of them are correct, except the IQ one. Not all smart people are rich, but all self-made rich people are definitely smart. The correlation between net worth and IQ is a real thing. And social-economics inequalities are "IQ" inequalities more than...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

 

[Black_Dragon43]

It’s true, I always said that if I had 30-40 less IQ points, I’d be a trillionaire by now… Dumb people are simply not able to understand all the permutations, so they live in their dumbness, being quick to make decisions and pull the trigger. Whereas intelligent people see too many possibilities, which slows down action.

Success is 80% balls.

 

[heavy_industry]

Intelligence is like a knife.
The sharper it is, the better. But the more dangerous. If you don't know how to handle it properly, you will get hurt.

The problem with hyper intellectual people is that their own intelligence turns against them. They tend to overthink, they are very judgmental about their own failures, and they often get "target lock" - tunnel vision.

Nikola Tesla, one of the most intelligent people in history that has built the foundation for the modern electrical infrastructure, has died penniless living in a hotel room.

---

Wisdom (good choices and massive action) beats the hell out of intelligence.

And that's a good thing, because you cannot decide how smart you are. But you can decide what mindset you adopt and what actions you perform.

Don't use statistics (too smart / too dumb) as an excuse for not moving forward in life. You are the creator of your own destiny.

 

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[RPLHiles]

Hello everyone.

It's been a while since I wrote in this forum. I've been empirically learning as much as possible how to create an audience on YouTube and find ways to create value in the financial industry.

Yet, today I stumbled upon this video created by one of the most pragmatic content creators I know regarding finance.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVZ1sSnIKrg


It's interesting to consider the idea that brilliant people may have a disadvantage when it comes to earning potential, as they may be more likely to pursue jobs in fields that don't pay well, such as academia or the arts. On the other hand, those with slightly above-average intelligence may be more likely to pursue careers in business or finance, where the potential for high earnings is more significant.

It's also worth considering the point made in the video that dumb people may be more willing to take risks and pursue unconventional paths to success, which could explain why some end up earning more than their more intelligent counterparts.
This condition can be more pronounced for those creating businesses.

I can see some truth in these ideas. Still, it's important to note that intelligence is just one factor among many that contribute to success. A solid work ethic, creativity, and networking skills are also important.

What do you all think? Do you agree with the points made in the video? Have you noticed any examples of this phenomenon in your own life or in the lives of those around you?

I saw this too and thought it was fascinating. Their content is always thought-provoking. However, I am not going to read too much into it.

 

[MitchC]

The podcast I listen to is obsessed with the midwit meme and I think it’s true as well

Dumb person:
Electric skateboards are sick I’m going to sell them

Above average:
It’s so dangerous how will you sell it I need and llc what if no one buys it I need to do a market research study what if they break

Smart person:
Electric skateboards are sick I’m going to sell them

 

[constant]

The podcast I listen to is obsessed with the midwit meme and I think it’s true as well

Dumb person:
Electric skateboards are sick I’m going to sell them

Above average:
It’s so dangerous how will you sell it I need and llc what if no one buys it I need to do a market research study what if they break

Smart person:
Electric skateboards are sick I’m going to sell them

That applies to so many things:

Low IQ:
I'm going to offer service/product XYZ.

Average IQ:
I need to design a logo and do market research and find a perfect name that has a perfect domain available and create elevator pitch and meditate and

High IQ:
I'm going to offer service/product XYZ.

 

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[Lyinx]

Hello everyone.

It's been a while since I wrote in this forum. I've been empirically learning as much as possible how to create an audience on YouTube and find ways to create value in the financial industry.

Yet, today I stumbled upon this video created by one of the most pragmatic content creators I know regarding finance.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVZ1sSnIKrg


It's interesting to consider the idea that brilliant people may have a disadvantage when it comes to earning potential, as they may be more likely to pursue jobs in fields that don't pay well, such as academia or the arts. On the other hand, those with slightly above-average intelligence may be more likely to pursue careers in business or finance, where the potential for high earnings is more significant.

It's also worth considering the point made in the video that dumb people may be more willing to take risks and pursue unconventional paths to success, which could explain why some end up earning more than their more intelligent counterparts.
This condition can be more pronounced for those creating businesses.

I can see some truth in these ideas. Still, it's important to note that intelligence is just one factor among many that contribute to success. A solid work ethic, creativity, and networking skills are also important.

What do you all think? Do you agree with the points made in the video? Have you noticed any examples of this phenomenon in your own life or in the lives of those around you?

Looked over the other answers, here is the thing (IMO) that is missing.
GIVE IT A GO!
those who do give it a go, will have a shot at succeeding. Those who don't, won't.
Guy standing at the edge of the basketball court, frozen, never throwing the ball, it never goes in.

You can be frozen (out of action) due to low IQ or high IQ (I could never make that shot, I'm not that smart vs what if this or that goes wrong?)

the ones that win are those get out there, make a shot, and figure out how to improve. Those with high IQ who manage do get out there and start shooting may realize they need to improve xyz, go home, and practice/build muscles/reflexes. Those with low IQ may figure out they aren't hitting because they don't have muscle memory yet, and will stand there and throw the ball 1000 times to get it right.
Neither is wrong, just different.

 

[Lyinx]

HOT! - CHAT - Are IQ (Smarts) and Success Correlated?
in this discussion, @Andy Black says he hasn't taken an IQ test.

I have taken a test, and it sucks.

125 IQ (tad above average) but, I can't ever take another test, I just talk myself out if it: what if that one was a fluke and I managed to guess a few answers correctly?
As a result, I'm convinced I'm a bit above average, but I don't want to know more about it.

I did read a book (the curse of the high IQ) where it explains how an average person (IQ 100) struggles to talk with a mentally handicapped person (IQ:70) = 30 points difference.
Now, if you have an IQ of 130 and a normal person is at 100 (30 points difference) you can imagine how awful it would be for someone with genius IQ (140+) to talk with a normal person (40 points difference)

Give you something to think about, that's for sure. Ive decided to not worry about it and get out there and JUST DO IT (sorry Nike!)

 

[Lyinx]

Hello everyone.

It's been a while since I wrote in this forum. I've been empirically learning as much as possible how to create an audience on YouTube and find ways to create value in the financial industry.

Yet, today I stumbled upon this video created by one of the most pragmatic content creators I know regarding finance.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVZ1sSnIKrg


It's interesting to consider the idea that brilliant people may have a disadvantage when it comes to earning potential, as they may be more likely to pursue jobs in fields that don't pay well, such as academia or the arts. On the other hand, those with slightly above-average intelligence may be more likely to pursue careers in business or finance, where the potential for high earnings is more significant.

It's also worth considering the point made in the video that dumb people may be more willing to take risks and pursue unconventional paths to success, which could explain why some end up earning more than their more intelligent counterparts.
This condition can be more pronounced for those creating businesses.

I can see some truth in these ideas. Still, it's important to note that intelligence is just one factor among many that contribute to success. A solid work ethic, creativity, and networking skills are also important.

What do you all think? Do you agree with the points made in the video? Have you noticed any examples of this phenomenon in your own life or in the lives of those around you?

BTW: best way to start with a youtube channel? just start. do 1 video/day and by the end of the month you'll have improved 100x what you could have by just studying and not doing.
Worst case scenario? at the end of 30 days, if you see you made a fundamental error in starting the youtube channel, simply make a new channel, post videos to both channels for a week and tell people to like/subscribe to your new channel.

 

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[Black_Dragon43]

Now, if you have an IQ of 130 and a normal person is at 100 (30 points difference) you can imagine how awful it would be for someone with genius IQ (140+) to talk with a normal person (40 points difference)

I have an IQ of 158 -- and I experience that almost every day. A few days back I was trying to explain to a VA how to give people an authentic compliment, and it made me wanna cry. She just couldn't get it. I'd estimate her IQ at 100-110 and the only reason for the +10 point leniency is that I'm aware how much emotional state can impact IQ, so being put on the spot can be intimidating for many.

I went to the basics... like "Don't say some bullshit about what a great company they are or whatever. People see through that. Center yourself in your body, and as you're looking at their website, see what things have an emotional effect on you. What do you like? What do you think is done well here? What is different about this? Start there"

And then she couldn't do it, so I was like alright. Let's take a step back. Let's just look at the hero area. It was completely black, and it had a 2-liner at the top, and then a dictionary definition of their company name below that. And so I asked her... what is different about this hero area than the things you see on most other websites?

And she couldn't figure it out. It was driving me nuts -- like it's right there, what websites do you see dictionary definitions on in the hero area, on the company name to boot? Then all she had to do was like "Really cool company name, I see you guys have put storytelling at the center of your approach to marketing!" (since the definition of the name of the company had to do with storytelling). Literarily something simple to let them know we saw their website and put some thought into them. But no... it was too hard

The compliments she could create were all like "You've got a really beautiful website, well done!" even when it looked like crap, or "I admire your company's mission and what you've done so far"... Disaster!

 

[Subsonic]

That sounds more like 80 iq to me.
I know the spectrum from smart to stupid and generally the first time one notices someone being stupid is when they get below 100.
Also 158 is a really crazy number to be at, what kind of test did you take?

 

[Panos Daras]

"How money works" is an amazing channel. Thanks for sharing this video I also saw it yesterday and found it quite interesting. I can only speak from personal experience. I have done IQ tests and I understand that they have many limitations in regard to applying them as a predictor. The reason is they measure a very specific set of skills. Also in my experience, way too many people even if they are extremely smart fail to understand basic economic concepts. Concepts like supply and demand. For example, many times I hear from colleagues in FINANCE AKA the experts, that x,y,z people should be paid more because they did a master's degree and studied and they have skills. And these people have roles like FP&A managers and heads of Finance. I am like what??? Who gives a shit what you studied or how accurate your Big data query is? Way too many people have these skills nowadays so you have to compete with all these people that drive your market value down. And the market is a very selfish place. But NOOOO "I studied and I am good with numbers hence I need to get paid mooooooore". Five years from now, I will be laughing on the sidelines when these roles (including my current role) become obsolete while young plumbers and electricians make the big bucks.

 

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[kommen]

I don't really like this thread tbh. And while I do not like the Tates either, I think they had a good point in this clip:

View: https://youtube.com/shorts/dzSS53EXY3c?feature=share


I don't want high-IQ people to get demotivated upon reading this thread. The same applies to the opposite low-IQ people. Just go and take action and see for yourself, see how far you can push. Ignore all the "sToOoDiEs ShOw HiGh Iq PeOpLe BaD aT sOcIaL sKiLlS aNd BeCoMe PoOr".

 

[BizyDad]

I have an IQ of 158 -- and I experience that almost every day. A few days back I was trying to explain to a VA how to give people an authentic compliment, and it made me wanna cry. She just couldn't get it. I'd estimate her IQ at 100-110 and the only reason for the +10 point leniency is that I'm aware how much emotional state can impact IQ, so being put on the spot can be intimidating for many.

I went to the basics... like "Don't say some bullshit about what a great company they are or whatever. People see through that. Center yourself in your body, and as you're looking at their website, see what things have an emotional effect on you. What do you like? What do you think is done well here? What is different about this? Start there"

And then she couldn't do it, so I was like alright. Let's take a step back. Let's just look at the hero area. It was completely black, and it had a 2-liner at the top, and then a dictionary definition of their company name below that. And so I asked her... what is different about this hero area than the things you see on most other websites?

And she couldn't figure it out. It was driving me nuts -- like it's right there, what websites do you see dictionary definitions on in the hero area, on the company name to boot? Then all she had to do was like "Really cool company name, I see you guys have put storytelling at the center of your approach to marketing!" (since the definition of the name of the company had to do with storytelling). Literarily something simple to let them know we saw their website and put some thought into them. But no... it was too hard

The compliments she could create were all like "You've got a really beautiful website, well done!" even when it looked like crap, or "I admire your company's mission and what you've done so far"... Disaster!

Ok, I'll tell my story here. Earlier in life, I tested as 154. I always knew I was smart. Smartest kid in the class. I was the one every other kid wanted to beat.

It was... Lonely.

I wrapped my whole ego and self-esteem around the idea that I was smart.

And I grew to hate it. Mainly because of stories like what @Black_Dragon43 shared.

In adulthood, I discovered marijuana.

It's one thing that slowed down my brain. It's one thing that made me dumb. I switch from extrovert to introvert. And of course it made me feel good.

I don't think I was ever addicted, but I'd smoked a lot back in the day.

And I started to actually understand dumb people. I don't mean average intelligence people, I mean some of my favorite people on earth became the slowest people on earth.

I also started talking to crazy people. Fascinating. I don't know if you've ever listened to a crazy person try and explain their worldview... And then had it make sense to you. It's a trippy feeling.

Resonating with others on their level is just so... I don't have the words.

Anyways, one day I was working in the restaurants, and someone asked how to spell stroganoff. I told them. And they didn't believe me. They went to ask the chef instead.

And that little teeny tiny insult was the moment I realized that I had gone too far. No one had ever questioned my spelling before. Don't they know who I am? Don't they know how smart I am?

I was angry for about a day. But I took a look in the mirror, and decided to change my life. I made my choices. I put myself in that situation. If I had to go back and do it over again, knowing what I know now, I'd probably still do it the same...

I love talking to people who think differently than me. I also love talking to people who think like me, but they are way more rare.

The only way I can explain it is, marijuana created a pathway in my head, and I can go to that pathway now anytime I talk to someone who is slow. Or someone who is average.

And I've learned that getting angry or upset when I'm having the kind of challenges that @Black_Dragon43 is facing with his VA, often just leads to more problems.

The person you're dealing with probably realizes how smart you are. They're probably intimidated because they think there is a right answer that you are looking for. And the more they say something, and you tell them that something isn't good enough, the more they're convinced there's a right answer they don't see.

But you weren't looking for right. You were looking for authentic. You were looking for their brain to spark. And unfortunately, your actions probably helped it not spark.

You put them in a fear state. It wouldn't surprise me if they felt stupid enough that they were worried about losing their job. And when people are in a fear state, it's a different part of our brain that we are using. We can't presume, we can't deduce, we can't induce. We are simply reactive or shut down.

Fight, flight, or stare at headlights.

I've done that to so many people in my life. But I've got a lot better and that's what my leadership post was all about.

In this particular example, the one switch I would have done is utilize a tiny amount of praise. The VA said something obvious, I say ok, that's a start, what else do you see? I use phrases like, "good, that's good" or "Dig a little deeper, I know you can do this". When you put somebody's brain in that state, you have to change your communication to be all carrots, no sticks.

Or... You make an mental note that this person isn't fit for the task and move forward accordingly.

I've taken both approaches in my agency. My second writer on my team has blossomed into my lead contributor primarily because I was giving him carrots and building him up. But he showed growth every step of the way, so my faith in him was rewarded.

Other times, I hit a wall with people and they're gone by Friday.

Anyways I hope some of that helps.

Going back to my story, I'm definitely not as mentally fast as I was 20 years ago. Marijuana definitely had a lasting impact on me. And sometimes I regret that.

But the one thing that it did for me, as a smart person, was gave me the ability to relate to people across the intelligence spectrum.

And that was something I needed. Because I was never going to make it in business acting the way I had been acting in my youth.

It's funny, sometimes I read @Black_Dragon43 ridiculous hardcore angry rants on the forum and I think to myself, I could have written those words 25 years ago. I see the truth in them. But I see that they often don't capture the whole truth.

MJ recently made a comment in one of the recent back and forth threads about how different people were right given their age and perspective.

That's wisdom.

That's why some of the forum debates strike me as off base sometimes.

Anyways, sorry for a bit of a ramble, but I've been wanting to share these comments for a week and didn't really find the right way to do so without sparking WW3.

I'm glad to have gone through what I've gone through to get to where I've gotten to. And I hope that some of the lessons from my life can help some of you.

 

[Guest-5ty5s4]

Your IQ doesn't matter. Don't take IQ tests. Just do.

I have never taken a legit IQ test, but always scored high on whatever they gave us in school without studying. But did it translate to anything else? No. Not without effort. Being valedictorian is meaningless without effort. Getting into an Ivy League college is meaningless without execution. A great biz idea is nothing without execution. It's all the same theme: an idiot who does things will always beat a genius who does nothing

 

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[Belesarius]

I am to smart for business - excuse. (Maybe if I try at business and fail it will be reveiled that I am not as smart as I thought)
I am to dumb for business - excuse (Maybe if I try at business, and succeed it will be revealed that I was not stupid all along just lazy)

 

[SeeYouAtTheTop]

I think this is a good point to talk about the research by Carol Dweck who wrote “Mindset”.

More than any other factor to success is if you have a “growth” mindset compared to a “fixed” mindset.

Talking about genetic determinism (i.e. IQ) negates so many environmental factors like mindset.

If you believe you’re “smart” and you either naturally get a subject, or don’t, you’re limited to how well you succeed.

 

[heavy_industry]

More than any other factor to success is if you have a “growth” mindset compared to a “fixed” mindset.

I think those 2 terms don't explain the consequences well enough:

growth mindset = FREEDOM to do what you want mindset
fixed mindset = victim of your own circumstances mindset

 

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[Kak]

Me to myself: “Just log out for the night.”

 

[Antifragile]

Now, if you have an IQ of 130 and a normal person is at 100 (30 points difference) you can imagine how awful it would be for someone with genius IQ (140+) to talk with a normal person (40 points difference)

Why do I need to imagine? I’m on this forum talking to genius IQ people… we don’t get along.

Too many damn Walking Eagles…

 

[Andy Black]

I don't know my IQ. I'd guess my EQ is pretty high, but I'm not going to measure that either. I suspect high IQ low EQ can be a problem. I suspect low IQ high EQ can do very well.

 

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[heavy_industry]

we don’t get along.

WE HAVE NON-UGLY FORUM EMOJIS NOW!!!



The forum is getting better day by day.

I suspect low IQ high IQ can do very well.

You've described my forum posts very well.

Sometimes (usually) low IQ, sometimes high IQ.

 

[ygtrhos]

Can totally agree this.

The more you learn, the more you know what you don't know.

The wiser you are about your own ignorance & shortcomings.

High IQ also makes one's relationships difficult.

 

[ElDiablo]

Interesting.

There was just recently a thread here arguing the opposite point.

At the risk of reviving the :eyeroll: pound of iron versus pound of feathers debate, here's the link to that thread.

HOT! - CHAT - Are IQ (Smarts) and Success Correlated?

About MJ's "lies to yourself list" all of them are correct, except the IQ one. Not all smart people are rich, but all self-made rich people are definitely smart. The correlation between net worth and IQ is a real thing. And social-economics inequalities are "IQ" inequalities more than...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

Hahaha, I'm just adding fuel to the fire.

I will check it out. Thanks @Bekit

 

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[ElDiablo]

It’s true, I always said that if I had 30-40 less IQ points, I’d be a trillionaire by now… Dumb people are simply not able to understand all the permutations, so they live in their dumbness, being quick to make decisions and pull the trigger. Whereas intelligent people see too many possibilities, which slows down action.

Success is 80% balls.

Massive action with proper correction ultimately trumps vision and even talent.

Yet, I still believe in a phrase somebody told me that says "all else being equal, it's not the same being an ignorant entrepreneur or business owner as a well-rounded one."

 

[ElDiablo]

Intelligence is like a knife.
The sharper it is, the better. But the more dangerous. If you don't know how to handle it properly, you will get hurt.

The problem with hyper intellectual people is that their own intelligence turns against them. They tend to overthink, they are very judgmental about their own failures, and they often get "target lock" - tunnel vision.

Nikola Tesla, one of the most intelligent people in history that has built the foundation for the modern electrical infrastructure, has died penniless living in a hotel room.

---

Wisdom (good choices and massive action) beats the hell out of intelligence.

And that's a good thing, because you cannot decide how smart you are. But you can decide what mindset you adopt and what actions you perform.

Don't use statistics (too smart / too dumb) as an excuse for not moving forward in life. You are the creator of your own destiny.

It's a powerful tool, but just a tool nonetheless.

The "success equation" demands way more things. Otherwise, we would only see people getting ahead if they were Mensa members or similar.

As you said, many people always give up too soon by focusing on things beyond their control.

Some may take it as an excuse and others as a desperate call to enter highly competitive spaces.

I confess that I've been in the latter, but fortunately, you get to learn where to compete, given what you've got, and how to optimize the things you control.

 

[ElDiablo]

I saw this too and thought it was fascinating. Their content is always thought-provoking. However, I am not going to read too much into it.

Some food for thought

 

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[ElDiablo]

The podcast I listen to is obsessed with the midwit meme and I think it’s true as well

Dumb person:
Electric skateboards are sick I’m going to sell them

Above average:
It’s so dangerous how will you sell it I need and llc what if no one buys it I need to do a market research study what if they break

Smart person:
Electric skateboards are sick I’m going to sell them

Hahaha you could argue that it's the same perspective, but with different insights.

 

[ElDiablo]

That applies to so many things:

Low IQ:
I'm going to offer service/product XYZ.

Average IQ:
I need to design a logo and do market research and find a perfect name that has a perfect domain available and create elevator pitch and meditate and

High IQ:
I'm going to offer service/product XYZ.

It's almost like a paradox where you are ignorant enough to focus on the simplest things that make sense to you vs. understanding many things just to conclude you have to focus on the single most important things.