Intelligence not linked to wealth: study
- Thread starter jane_2007
- Start date
hmm... not all rich people are smart but I feel that most of them should have at least some form of resourcefulness.... or charisma/ruthlessness that makes them a standout.
But its true. My dad (a doctor) tells me his class joker is one of the richest ones who made it out of his high school. Smarts aren't everything.
But its true. My dad (a doctor) tells me his class joker is one of the richest ones who made it out of his high school. Smarts aren't everything.
.In this world common sense can carry you further in life than a college degree if you are willing to apply yourself.
I can believe that, as I find the wealthiest people I know are the hardest working and the ones with the most charisma. Sure they are smart, but they aren't the ones holding masters degrees and top-of-class positions. Of course there is the distinction between book smart and life smart, as I know plenty of book smart people that just are not life smart, if that makes sense!
And I do know a couple rich idiots...
And I do know a couple rich idiots...
There is a lot that goes into wealth building.......many characteristics.....not just intelligence. That's no surprise.
There is someone in my immediate family that is WEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL beyond belief. He got so far so young because he is very charismatic, hardworking and diplomatic. Also, he is not afraid to take chances. He is wealthier than people twice his age who are doctors, engineers, politicians... So, intelligence is not everything. My mom always told me that its not what you know, but who you know and what you can do with what you have.
I believe this. I've read in other articles that intellect is not linked to wealth...other factors that are more likely to predict economic success include:
Your family background (Inherited wealth or street smarts. My rich ex-roommate's dad came to America with only $40 in his pocket, yet he was able to take care of his sister, brother, and mother by waiting tables, doing odd jobs...and now owns his own engineering company...yet before he came to America, he was from a wealthy family from the Middle East...).
Attractiveness (Sadly, true. They did a study scaling people's attractiveness on a scale of 1-5, and those who were higher on the attractiveness scale earned significantly more than those annually...by EACH point...it's not terribly noticeable because most people get paid weekly or biweekly to notice the difference, but it's there).
I've known plenty of really intelligent people (like, MENSA level) whom I'm sure can make it big in life, but I know it has a lot to do with how they carry themselves and their personalities...and yet there are some that don't even bother because they're angry at the world.
ush:
Your family background (Inherited wealth or street smarts. My rich ex-roommate's dad came to America with only $40 in his pocket, yet he was able to take care of his sister, brother, and mother by waiting tables, doing odd jobs...and now owns his own engineering company...yet before he came to America, he was from a wealthy family from the Middle East...).
Attractiveness (Sadly, true. They did a study scaling people's attractiveness on a scale of 1-5, and those who were higher on the attractiveness scale earned significantly more than those annually...by EACH point...it's not terribly noticeable because most people get paid weekly or biweekly to notice the difference, but it's there).
I've known plenty of really intelligent people (like, MENSA level) whom I'm sure can make it big in life, but I know it has a lot to do with how they carry themselves and their personalities...and yet there are some that don't even bother because they're angry at the world.
ush:^^^ True indeed. I know a girl who is extremely intelligent. Went to all the "right" schools and is currently completing her residency at John Hopkins. She's great on paper but sucks with interacting with the real world. She focuses on being rich and we tell her that as a doctor, her first focus should be on the welfare of people. If not, she will never be successful. We believe that she puts more weight on being called a "doctor", which is not as impressive now as it was in the past.
Also related research has shown that more attractiveness makes it more likely to get lower punishments in court etc. Looks are definetly playing in, as every other factor in life.
You don't know how I wish I could agree with that, but health care is a business like any other, at least in the US, and in any business, the purpose is to make a profit, not the welfare of people. Doctors have to market themselves, too. First, and you could argue most importantly, they have to market themselves to a practice that is already successful and making money. Then, just as with any business, they have to market themselves to their patients, and that's where they can focus that sincere interest in the welfare of people that may have motivated them to choose a health care field in the first place!
But it doesn't end there. They must also continue to market themselves to their colleagues, to influential people who can help them get ahead, get published, get a research grant, depending on their personal areas of specialization, etc. Networking is really just marketing oneself, often in a pseudo-social setting, and successful networking means that you did some sucessful marketing of your flagship product - you!
They can even do pro bono work in their spare time, but again, like anybody else, their spare time is going to be scarce.
I believe business, especially the sales and marketing aspect, is a talent unto itself. And I'm not sure it has to do with what we traditionally think of as "intelligence," which somebody once defined as the "ability to see truth."
Someone might be a back office marketing whiz and never get rich, but someone with the ability to sell, and most important, the ability to sell themselves, will almost certainly be able to accumulate material wealth, no matter what field they are in.
And that talent, that gift, of selling themselves, the ability to "sell ice to an Eskimo," is the one single most important factor that separates the money-makers from the perennial strugglers, even though we can all tell tales of fantastically brilliant strugglers, who "know" more about the field than the Midas touch wealth builder.
Nor can we leave out those whose primary interest really does lie outside the arena of wealth-building, and those folks run the intelligence gamut, from box o' rocks to SuperGeniusNerdWonder!
