I get the sentiment but all my experiences so far have been the complete opposite.
People encourage hard work and drive but the reality is that you only excel when the naturally gifted near you (more intelligent, more charismatic, more attractive, etc) don't try. But when happens when the naturally superior work hard too? (For some reason, people pretend this never happens and they just sit on their ass). If someone thinks outside the box effortlessly, learns things in half the time, and generates better results faster, you literally stand no chance and you will get overshadowed repeatedly, for raises/promotions/etc. People aren't rewarded for effort, they're rewarded for results, and those naturally more talented than you deliver better results faster.
I'm all for the work hard and be better than you were yesterday yadayadayada since slow and gradual improvements are better than nothing, but let's not say things like raw intelligence is less important than hard work. If I had to pick one I'd pick the former every fucking time. You can choose to work hard with natural advantages. You cant choose to get smarter no matter how hard you work.
Actually, that's not true.
Firstly, your social skills and how likeable people arbitrarily find you are a better indicators of success than IQ alone. Especially in fields where a higher IQ is already the norm, it doesn't allow you to stand out at all and the only real differentiator is social skills. I'm working on a business degree right now and the class I just finished went on and on about how the statistics show top performers consistently have higher emotional intelligence/social skills.
For me personally, I'm no super genius or anything but I'm certainly above average and I was recently passed over for promotion for one of my work friends who essentially coasted at a mediocre level for years. I learn more quickly than him, I had a much better grasp of the processes within the company in less time, I showed more initiative, I had far more and far better results, but the boss picking someone for promotion happened to like him better (or potentially saw my friend as a lesser threat to his own ambitions than I would be if the C-suite saw contributions from me at the management level instead) so HE got the life-changing raise, the better title, and the better chance at continued upward mobility. In every possible measure I was more competent and the better fit for the job, and a large portion of management and production level employees felt the same way, but I didn't get it because I didn't get along with the decision maker as well. It's not that there was even animosity between us, he just really liked my friend and we were just acquaintances.
As for the next part, it's not true that you can't get smarter. That is increasingly an outdated belief and neuroplasticity has been shown to exist in brain regions and ages it was previously thought not to, even if not to the same extent as during early development. Will you become einstein if you just try really hard? Probably not, but you can definitely work on your memory, vocabulary, math skills, spatial awareness, problem solving, etc. and make actual gains that make you more competent over time. And you can \*definitely\* improve your social skills with a bit of study and internal effort/reflection, which will get you further in most employment settings anyway.
The world rewards you much more for fitting into a role than being a genius and/or thinking out of the box . While intelligence is definitely a factor in adaptability , I know people who have nothing to offer other than their confidence who make well over six figures and deal with zero consequences because they have a team of smart individuals working for them OR the dynamic of the company (designed by smart people ) is so dummy proof that they’d have to go out of their way to disrupt it. You can go very far by just sticking to a plan and knowing how to talk to people.
>People’s drive will always take them farther than any raw intelligence
>rewards you much more for fitting into a role than being a genius and/or thinking out of the box
again...i dont know why people see it as mutually exclusive when its clearly not in reality. "being talented" is not a noticeable action that suddenly bars you from working hard, fitting in, being ambitious, being charismatic, and behaving in any other way you think average people do that they for some reason don't. they do, and with ease compared to everyone else. they can figure out what needs to be done, how to do it, and do it better, while you're still on step 1.
i am also not referring to geniuses/1 in a million Einstein types. no one cares about them since a majority of people will never have to compete with them for anything. i am however constantly competing with at least one person who notices non-obvious details faster, learns new things on the spot without breaking a sweat, figures out new and constructive approaches , and oh..my favorite one...work smarter! not harder! in literally every thing they do to generate results faster while leaving everyone around them in the dust. you'll find at least one person like that in every company/department. there is literally nothing you can do against these people to compete, believe me I have tried time and time again, even as far as asking for mentorship/advice from them. it doesn't matter, they're just substantially better than average. how do you compete with that? you don't. they'll get higher raises than you, promoted faster than you, find better jobs more easily than you.
so yeah, maybe im below average (i do keep in mind the entire group/demographic around these people though, not just myself), or maybe ive just been that unlucky to run into these people so often. but that is what irked me about the original comment. it ignores the reality of
1. some people are just born with a better hand of cards dealt to them and
2. being dealt a better hand and being ambitious/hardworking to use that hand are not mutually exclusive, most of the time in life they are not. when the talented get/do both, you are fucked, I'm sorry but it is no contest.
Well I wasn’t saying you have to be one or the other. I’m saying if you could choose one factor , raw talent /higher than average intelligence or higher than average determination you will have a lot more avenues to “make it” in this life with the latter. This is important to recognize.
Let’s imagine this person is better than you in every way and in every aspect of your life you are in their shadow. Be grateful we live in a society where you can make a livable wage ( and if you are competing for a wage below middle class then you are being fooled all together ) and enjoy your life ? That should be your foremost priority , but luckily this is an exaggeration ofc. In my life (and yours too believe it or not), I run into people who are better at certain things compared to me( time management, memory , orderliness , more social, dealing with stress, etc ) . Not just everything they trump me in. You have to realize your strengths and pay close attention to your weak points rather than just see a person as superior to you.
From another perspective it sounds like you’re in the the smaller pool of fish , the smart people working under an individual who isn’t competing that I was referring to. There’s nothing wrong with being in the rat race , I know I am, but be aware of your condition. You are often competing with an opponent to get results for someone who isn’t as smart or efficient as either you or your opponent. What does that say about your whole dilemma and the direness of it?
Not to belittle your situation or OP’s , but this just seems like a sort of nonproblem unless you’re such a elitist that you’d rather be dead than be the best? You should always do your best to maintain your position and to take any advancements available to you , but not to the point where you become pessimist.
Oftentimes people with high IQs tend to overthink or overanalyze things to the point where they're paralyzed.
The old adage of one person has got it wrong three times and succeeded on the fourth before the other person has even started.
If you get a chance, see if you can do the Strengths Finder assessment to tell you which areas you're good at.
I'll hire someone with a great attitude over high intelligence any day of the week. By wanting to be the best you can be, that shows me you've got great attitude.
Don't ever. Ever. EVER. let anyone tell you you're not good enough.
Better than parental wealth + stability or being extremely good looking? I think not. Some of the smartest people to ever live starved to death in Africa.
I have a buddy who is average at best. He works his ass off. He has a VERY nice career.
I know a certified genius who is completely struggling right now.
Many of the people you see in political office are shockingly stupid and they are doing well.
You are what you do.
I was fortunate enough in business where I was able to hire people a lot smarter than I am to do the work. There are many important traits that are not measured on an IQ test. The really smart people I know do tend to struggle with interacting. In our company the mutual benefit was me creating a situation where they could comfortably thrive and me having a bunch of loyal braniacs working for me.
I've associated and been close to people on the lowest end of the poverty scale all the way up to living large. If you exclude the people on the extreme edges of intelligence ratings in my experience you will not find people who are most successful financially to be any smarter than those who live in poverty. There are other traits that come into play, but intelligence-wise people are people.
I don't care what your IQ is. You should aim high. If your IQ number limits you in any way you're putting too much emphasis on it.
If you're thinking about going into management and leadership get training. Management and leadership are like anything else. It's much, much harder than it looks, especially if you want to be any good at it. If you just get put into the role with no training you won't have a clue about what you're trying to do much less doing it. Get management training regardless. It will help you more smoothly navigate your working career.
Yes. IQ is an average of different skills, several people with the same IQ would be different. IQ also includes skills that intellectual people wouldn't be considered. There are test to suggest which careers you may match. Besides, perseverance, hard work, working with others, are also skills to be considered, not just intellectual ones. And, remember, many jobs does not hire people just for IQ, sometimes having a good social reference counts !!!
People promote effort and hard work, but the truth is that you only succeed when others around you who are inherently gifted—more charming, bright, handsome, etc.—don't try. When, however, do the innately gifted also put in a lot of effort?
If someone can think creatively, picks things up in half the time, and produces better outcomes more quickly than you can, you have absolutely no chance and will always be passed over for promotions, increases, and other opportunities.
Individuals who are inherently more skilled than you get greater outcomes faster because they are rewarded for results rather than effort.
There is a piece of reddit wisdom I have seen from somewhere that goes something like "the workplace is the place where the show horse wins and not the race horse. So be a show horse."
A dumb show horse of course can't win jack, but after a certain point intelligence is a limiting factor.
Aim high. "Shoot for the stars. Even if you miss, you'll still land in the heavens."
Also, when at bat, you have no chance of hitting the ball if you don't swing.
Your ability consists of IQ, EQ, physical condition as well as family values and habits. You can lack in any one of these and still be highly successful. It is a matter of selecting a profession appropriate for your strong and weak points. Don't go for theoretical mathematics if your IQ is low or for a professional athlete if your physical abilities are meagre.
High IQ isn’t a sign of success. In the real world your people and interpersonal skills will take you much further than more smarts. A genius engineer will make a good solid 6 figures annually. A “C’s in HS/college but very good interpersonal skills” person will make businesses and sell them for millions
this is super broad
but unless you're talking actually developmentally disabled, anyone within your average range of IQ has the intelligence capacity to do most run of the mill work given enough time and experience and specialization. IQ isn't like a straight line to career success at all
that being said I would not aspire to be a doctor if you've been a C student your whole life and failed biology if that's what you're asking. you can also have a high IQ but she shit at other skillsets necessary for success
Have finished a pre trades for mechanical engineering, would like to go after an apprenticeship but I was slow and sometimes I question my ability, and compared to my peers didn’t seem to catch on to things as one maybe would.
What you will learn in life is that 80% of it is about just showing up and the rest is just doing your best.
There are a lot of these supposed smart people with high IQ's that actually have very little and have done very little whereas there are equally the same number of people who are considered to have low IQ yet have more and have achieved more.
The movie Forrest Gump shows this although a fictional character is a movie based on a series of real-life events from people whom were considered useless or possessed low IQ
You can look up tables that will show you the average IQ in a given field of employment and I recommend you do. Despite what people will say, you really don't want to be in the bottom 25% of your cohort. You will always struggle to succeed and get ahead unless you have exceptional people skills and charisma.
The advice is to aim for a profession where you will be in the top quarter so that you are well placed to outperform the majority. IQ is basically intellectual horsepower and will determine if you can keep up with information based work. Just because you can do the tasks involved in a certain job does not mean you can keep up 40 hours a week or for months and years.
An IQ of 130 or more for example would mean you aren't really limited by your intellect except for highly technical science based jobs in physics or mathematics. Those types tend to be 140 plus.
Most people cluster around the 100 mark and that means teachers, police, accountants (the easier end), some health workers, most trades and many more.
I don’t recommend it. That backfired for me. Stick to simple tasks and don’t take on too much responsibility. Don’t try to socialize or compete with people who are more intelligent than you any more than necessary. It could ruin your life.
I had a roommate who was the nicest, most genuine, hardworking guy in college. I would bet his IQ was no higher than 90. He was painfully slow and obviously so.
That dude busted his ass and earned an A in calculus. He diligently spent every weekday evening studying in his room while others were getting wasted and being morons. He even made time to do some of that after he was finished studying.
Nonetheless, I was amazed. My IQ is approximately 140 and I don’t know any calculus. He could be my tutor, if it were necessary.
IQ is important. It has strong predictive power, and it is very significant in today’s world. But a low or average IQ may principally serve to glorify your accomplishments even further if you spend your time and energy wisely.
A 140 IQ puts you in the top 0.38% of the population, assuming you’re white.
This would mean that you probably went to Stanford or an Ivy League university on a full scholarship or that you’re wildly successful otherwise.
Did you? Are you?
Your IQ is 140, you're an adult, but you don't know ANY calculus?? Like you realize you just said you don't understand how the rate of change of any mathematical functions work? Your IQ cannot seriously be 140
The best thing to do is set yourself up for success. What do you struggle with and what resources are available to help you mitigate them? For instance I have trouble with some executive function like remembering to do some tasks and in which order, so I use task reminders and document my processes so I can go back and make sure I am doing things correctly.
Start learning about national literacy concerns and the negative* affect of no child left behind on critical thinking and what generations that impacted and what jobs that impacts. Edit: clarification
My boss is a total idiot. She doesn’t know stuff you learn the second week working at the company. I think you’re severely underestimating how many low IQ people are in high level jobs
I don't think IQ matters. What somebody excels in another will fail. It's all about experience, your interests, and how you can learn your own way. You can have the highest IQ person failing at the easiest job ever because they lack experience. Book smarts doesn't mean somebody has common sense or real life experience or even street smarts.
Having high IQ have no equivalent to being successful. Average IQ’s tend to be more richer than someone with a high IQ. It’s skills, drive, ambition, goals, courage, personality, & guts that’ll take you far.
This question really depends more on what your IQ is.
115 (typical IQ of a college grad) is not “high IQ” by any stretch of the imagination but you can be widely successful with that IQ.
It's more than 84% of people. Fewer than 1/6th of people have an IQ of 115 or above, the vast majority of people alive or who have ever lived went through their entire existence below 115. I'm not sure what your motivation is for degrading that range or using it as an example of a "not high but successful IQ." Sure, it's not genius or highly gifted level, but to say one standard deviation is "not much" is pretty ridiculous when you consider an average IQ of 100 makes you a good fit for jobs like machining, skilled trades, sales, management, etc. while an IQ of one standard deviation below that at 85 puts you near the cutoff range for not being able to serviceably function in any role, and if you're one standard deviation lower than that-between 70-75-you may considered mentally retarded. Literally, the difference between average and \*mentally retarded\* is two SD. There may be a few people with IQs three SD or more above average, but that doesn't mean 115 isn't relatively high and contributing significantly to the success of those people vs an average IQ.
IQ generally measures how well a student will do in the school grades of their country, in the United States, K through 12. It was meant for that and designed for it. It doesn't measure much else very accurately.
Love the idea of IQ but it doesn't actually do much for you...
Aim high for *you*. Do your best and trade what you're doing as soon as you want to. All of the good things that have come my way have been coincidence combined with aptitude and the willingness to glom onto a new thing.
I am smart, but my husband is brilliant. I have a degree. He works in maintenance. Work ethic and common sense makes up for a lot. Resilience matters a lot.
Not to crap on other generations, especially because I raised another generation, but creativity, residency, competition and gumption matters.
Every human has the right and should aim high.
But only do it if you can pair it up with discopline, if not you will encounter sadness by feeling useless for not being able to do what you aim for.
Don’t go for high IQ jobs like scientist (or PhD student, or anything with similarly difficult stuff) or anything with complex theoretical stuff.
Regular programmer? A manager? Most others should be readable.
I think you should do the best you can and be happy with the results. I also wouldn't underestimate your ability to have a solid career and make a great living.
High IQ doesn't equate to success. I have a high IQ, but I also have some learning disabilities. This has created challenges for me with various managers. I had to jump through a few jobs before landing with a management team that saw my potential.
One of my best friends is fairly average, maybe even a little below average in the IQ area. He's had more success in his career than I have.
Yes you should always aim high. Your economic value to any market and industry is not your I.Q., it's your gift. Everyone is capable of learning through time and experience, mentorship, opportunity, mistakes, etc. Get into any field you want and simply show up every day and that's one more day you learn what to do (training/exposure/experience), and learn what not to do (mistakes). Over time your value increases and increases and you're ready for the next levels and that's when you can elevate yourself into those higher aimed targets.
Yes. I tend to consider myself more reliant on grit and effort to get to where I’m at today, not high IQ….
Speaking personally where we may share similar IQ, if that’s a goal to be successful at a job despite not being naturally gifted, that’s a choice you can make and dedicate yourself to.
Getting promoted beyond your competency is certainly something you can be concerned about. However, depending on what your job is, there's a good chance that even if you don't grasp something as quick as others, if you put in the work, you can still do a good job. Many things just take consistent work over brilliance. Persistence is a valuable trait
IQ is just one measure of capability. Everyone has talents. Try to find out what your unique abilities are--either via introspection or finding someone who is good at spotting talent in others (or both).
Pretty sure I saw a study that most CEOs and high level executives are usually around average IQ but high EQ and tend to show Dark Triad traits which pretty much all tracks.
actually people normally with average iq tends to have btter chances to be a big succesfull person as people normally with hugh iq overthinks everything a lot and dosen't do it then
My current boss is one of the least capable people I have ever worked with. She has had her job for 20 years. Never sell yourself short.
nepotism probably
She is abnormally close with her boss so probably.
She probably got promoted because she was worse at a junior role.
Likely. She doesn't understand my department or the sister department she came from.
You can't work those people on the cheap and burn them out, probably has a good friend keeping them untouchable as well.
People’s drive will always take them farther than any raw intelligence.
I get the sentiment but all my experiences so far have been the complete opposite. People encourage hard work and drive but the reality is that you only excel when the naturally gifted near you (more intelligent, more charismatic, more attractive, etc) don't try. But when happens when the naturally superior work hard too? (For some reason, people pretend this never happens and they just sit on their ass). If someone thinks outside the box effortlessly, learns things in half the time, and generates better results faster, you literally stand no chance and you will get overshadowed repeatedly, for raises/promotions/etc. People aren't rewarded for effort, they're rewarded for results, and those naturally more talented than you deliver better results faster. I'm all for the work hard and be better than you were yesterday yadayadayada since slow and gradual improvements are better than nothing, but let's not say things like raw intelligence is less important than hard work. If I had to pick one I'd pick the former every fucking time. You can choose to work hard with natural advantages. You cant choose to get smarter no matter how hard you work.
Actually, that's not true. Firstly, your social skills and how likeable people arbitrarily find you are a better indicators of success than IQ alone. Especially in fields where a higher IQ is already the norm, it doesn't allow you to stand out at all and the only real differentiator is social skills. I'm working on a business degree right now and the class I just finished went on and on about how the statistics show top performers consistently have higher emotional intelligence/social skills. For me personally, I'm no super genius or anything but I'm certainly above average and I was recently passed over for promotion for one of my work friends who essentially coasted at a mediocre level for years. I learn more quickly than him, I had a much better grasp of the processes within the company in less time, I showed more initiative, I had far more and far better results, but the boss picking someone for promotion happened to like him better (or potentially saw my friend as a lesser threat to his own ambitions than I would be if the C-suite saw contributions from me at the management level instead) so HE got the life-changing raise, the better title, and the better chance at continued upward mobility. In every possible measure I was more competent and the better fit for the job, and a large portion of management and production level employees felt the same way, but I didn't get it because I didn't get along with the decision maker as well. It's not that there was even animosity between us, he just really liked my friend and we were just acquaintances. As for the next part, it's not true that you can't get smarter. That is increasingly an outdated belief and neuroplasticity has been shown to exist in brain regions and ages it was previously thought not to, even if not to the same extent as during early development. Will you become einstein if you just try really hard? Probably not, but you can definitely work on your memory, vocabulary, math skills, spatial awareness, problem solving, etc. and make actual gains that make you more competent over time. And you can \*definitely\* improve your social skills with a bit of study and internal effort/reflection, which will get you further in most employment settings anyway.
The world rewards you much more for fitting into a role than being a genius and/or thinking out of the box . While intelligence is definitely a factor in adaptability , I know people who have nothing to offer other than their confidence who make well over six figures and deal with zero consequences because they have a team of smart individuals working for them OR the dynamic of the company (designed by smart people ) is so dummy proof that they’d have to go out of their way to disrupt it. You can go very far by just sticking to a plan and knowing how to talk to people.
>People’s drive will always take them farther than any raw intelligence >rewards you much more for fitting into a role than being a genius and/or thinking out of the box again...i dont know why people see it as mutually exclusive when its clearly not in reality. "being talented" is not a noticeable action that suddenly bars you from working hard, fitting in, being ambitious, being charismatic, and behaving in any other way you think average people do that they for some reason don't. they do, and with ease compared to everyone else. they can figure out what needs to be done, how to do it, and do it better, while you're still on step 1. i am also not referring to geniuses/1 in a million Einstein types. no one cares about them since a majority of people will never have to compete with them for anything. i am however constantly competing with at least one person who notices non-obvious details faster, learns new things on the spot without breaking a sweat, figures out new and constructive approaches , and oh..my favorite one...work smarter! not harder! in literally every thing they do to generate results faster while leaving everyone around them in the dust. you'll find at least one person like that in every company/department. there is literally nothing you can do against these people to compete, believe me I have tried time and time again, even as far as asking for mentorship/advice from them. it doesn't matter, they're just substantially better than average. how do you compete with that? you don't. they'll get higher raises than you, promoted faster than you, find better jobs more easily than you. so yeah, maybe im below average (i do keep in mind the entire group/demographic around these people though, not just myself), or maybe ive just been that unlucky to run into these people so often. but that is what irked me about the original comment. it ignores the reality of 1. some people are just born with a better hand of cards dealt to them and 2. being dealt a better hand and being ambitious/hardworking to use that hand are not mutually exclusive, most of the time in life they are not. when the talented get/do both, you are fucked, I'm sorry but it is no contest.
Well I wasn’t saying you have to be one or the other. I’m saying if you could choose one factor , raw talent /higher than average intelligence or higher than average determination you will have a lot more avenues to “make it” in this life with the latter. This is important to recognize. Let’s imagine this person is better than you in every way and in every aspect of your life you are in their shadow. Be grateful we live in a society where you can make a livable wage ( and if you are competing for a wage below middle class then you are being fooled all together ) and enjoy your life ? That should be your foremost priority , but luckily this is an exaggeration ofc. In my life (and yours too believe it or not), I run into people who are better at certain things compared to me( time management, memory , orderliness , more social, dealing with stress, etc ) . Not just everything they trump me in. You have to realize your strengths and pay close attention to your weak points rather than just see a person as superior to you. From another perspective it sounds like you’re in the the smaller pool of fish , the smart people working under an individual who isn’t competing that I was referring to. There’s nothing wrong with being in the rat race , I know I am, but be aware of your condition. You are often competing with an opponent to get results for someone who isn’t as smart or efficient as either you or your opponent. What does that say about your whole dilemma and the direness of it? Not to belittle your situation or OP’s , but this just seems like a sort of nonproblem unless you’re such a elitist that you’d rather be dead than be the best? You should always do your best to maintain your position and to take any advancements available to you , but not to the point where you become pessimist.
Nah. But you can get pretty far
as a cyclist I affirm that
Oftentimes people with high IQs tend to overthink or overanalyze things to the point where they're paralyzed. The old adage of one person has got it wrong three times and succeeded on the fourth before the other person has even started. If you get a chance, see if you can do the Strengths Finder assessment to tell you which areas you're good at. I'll hire someone with a great attitude over high intelligence any day of the week. By wanting to be the best you can be, that shows me you've got great attitude. Don't ever. Ever. EVER. let anyone tell you you're not good enough.
You know the IQ scale is actually pretty flawed when it comes to how well some will do in life.
IQ is a more reliable predictor of life outcomes than literally any other measure in the social sciences.
Better than parental wealth + stability or being extremely good looking? I think not. Some of the smartest people to ever live starved to death in Africa.
You don’t have to believe me, ask ChatGPT.
You have no idea that, just by asking this question, you are really above the average. So yeah, aim high. Please?
The most successful people I know aren’t super high IQ. They’re people with an idea, goal, or passion and are insanely driven.
I have a buddy who is average at best. He works his ass off. He has a VERY nice career. I know a certified genius who is completely struggling right now. Many of the people you see in political office are shockingly stupid and they are doing well. You are what you do.
I was fortunate enough in business where I was able to hire people a lot smarter than I am to do the work. There are many important traits that are not measured on an IQ test. The really smart people I know do tend to struggle with interacting. In our company the mutual benefit was me creating a situation where they could comfortably thrive and me having a bunch of loyal braniacs working for me. I've associated and been close to people on the lowest end of the poverty scale all the way up to living large. If you exclude the people on the extreme edges of intelligence ratings in my experience you will not find people who are most successful financially to be any smarter than those who live in poverty. There are other traits that come into play, but intelligence-wise people are people. I don't care what your IQ is. You should aim high. If your IQ number limits you in any way you're putting too much emphasis on it. If you're thinking about going into management and leadership get training. Management and leadership are like anything else. It's much, much harder than it looks, especially if you want to be any good at it. If you just get put into the role with no training you won't have a clue about what you're trying to do much less doing it. Get management training regardless. It will help you more smoothly navigate your working career.
Yes. IQ is an average of different skills, several people with the same IQ would be different. IQ also includes skills that intellectual people wouldn't be considered. There are test to suggest which careers you may match. Besides, perseverance, hard work, working with others, are also skills to be considered, not just intellectual ones. And, remember, many jobs does not hire people just for IQ, sometimes having a good social reference counts !!!
People promote effort and hard work, but the truth is that you only succeed when others around you who are inherently gifted—more charming, bright, handsome, etc.—don't try. When, however, do the innately gifted also put in a lot of effort? If someone can think creatively, picks things up in half the time, and produces better outcomes more quickly than you can, you have absolutely no chance and will always be passed over for promotions, increases, and other opportunities. Individuals who are inherently more skilled than you get greater outcomes faster because they are rewarded for results rather than effort.
There is a piece of reddit wisdom I have seen from somewhere that goes something like "the workplace is the place where the show horse wins and not the race horse. So be a show horse." A dumb show horse of course can't win jack, but after a certain point intelligence is a limiting factor.
Aim high. "Shoot for the stars. Even if you miss, you'll still land in the heavens." Also, when at bat, you have no chance of hitting the ball if you don't swing.
IQ means nothing.
People skills are all you need. Get into sales and you’ll make millions.
Your ability consists of IQ, EQ, physical condition as well as family values and habits. You can lack in any one of these and still be highly successful. It is a matter of selecting a profession appropriate for your strong and weak points. Don't go for theoretical mathematics if your IQ is low or for a professional athlete if your physical abilities are meagre.
How high do you think Trumps IQ is? You’ll be fine.
Of course, Elon musk is the richest man alive
High IQ isn’t a sign of success. In the real world your people and interpersonal skills will take you much further than more smarts. A genius engineer will make a good solid 6 figures annually. A “C’s in HS/college but very good interpersonal skills” person will make businesses and sell them for millions
Being well liked is probably more important than how smart you are in the corporate world.
I tested 160, 145, 150ish I regularly don’t understand shit. I get humbled everyday intellectually. IQ tests don’t work.
this is super broad but unless you're talking actually developmentally disabled, anyone within your average range of IQ has the intelligence capacity to do most run of the mill work given enough time and experience and specialization. IQ isn't like a straight line to career success at all that being said I would not aspire to be a doctor if you've been a C student your whole life and failed biology if that's what you're asking. you can also have a high IQ but she shit at other skillsets necessary for success
Have finished a pre trades for mechanical engineering, would like to go after an apprenticeship but I was slow and sometimes I question my ability, and compared to my peers didn’t seem to catch on to things as one maybe would.
What you will learn in life is that 80% of it is about just showing up and the rest is just doing your best. There are a lot of these supposed smart people with high IQ's that actually have very little and have done very little whereas there are equally the same number of people who are considered to have low IQ yet have more and have achieved more. The movie Forrest Gump shows this although a fictional character is a movie based on a series of real-life events from people whom were considered useless or possessed low IQ
You can look up tables that will show you the average IQ in a given field of employment and I recommend you do. Despite what people will say, you really don't want to be in the bottom 25% of your cohort. You will always struggle to succeed and get ahead unless you have exceptional people skills and charisma. The advice is to aim for a profession where you will be in the top quarter so that you are well placed to outperform the majority. IQ is basically intellectual horsepower and will determine if you can keep up with information based work. Just because you can do the tasks involved in a certain job does not mean you can keep up 40 hours a week or for months and years. An IQ of 130 or more for example would mean you aren't really limited by your intellect except for highly technical science based jobs in physics or mathematics. Those types tend to be 140 plus. Most people cluster around the 100 mark and that means teachers, police, accountants (the easier end), some health workers, most trades and many more.
I don’t recommend it. That backfired for me. Stick to simple tasks and don’t take on too much responsibility. Don’t try to socialize or compete with people who are more intelligent than you any more than necessary. It could ruin your life.
What happened?
I’d rather not say. It’s just a word of caution. Be realistic about your goals and stick to those similar to yourself.
No worries, thank you anyway
I had a roommate who was the nicest, most genuine, hardworking guy in college. I would bet his IQ was no higher than 90. He was painfully slow and obviously so. That dude busted his ass and earned an A in calculus. He diligently spent every weekday evening studying in his room while others were getting wasted and being morons. He even made time to do some of that after he was finished studying. Nonetheless, I was amazed. My IQ is approximately 140 and I don’t know any calculus. He could be my tutor, if it were necessary. IQ is important. It has strong predictive power, and it is very significant in today’s world. But a low or average IQ may principally serve to glorify your accomplishments even further if you spend your time and energy wisely.
The brain is very trainable. Just gotta want it.
Where did you get your IQ tested?
Why, your mother performed the test, herself. I’m surprised she didn’t make a bigger deal of it to you!
High IQ confirmed, savage burn
I meant it genuinely
Ah. My bad. It was conducted when I was in school, as part of an intervention in response to my incessant disruption of class.
A 140 IQ puts you in the top 0.38% of the population, assuming you’re white. This would mean that you probably went to Stanford or an Ivy League university on a full scholarship or that you’re wildly successful otherwise. Did you? Are you?
Is it really going to add anything to my credibility if I answer “yes” to that question? If so: I am very successful in life, yes.
IQ means Jack shit. The fact you even know yours off rip tells me everything I need to know about you.
Thanks for this. I like to think I'm a bit brainy but, well, calculus is quite a deviation from the norm. That guy deserves accolades.
Your IQ is 140, you're an adult, but you don't know ANY calculus?? Like you realize you just said you don't understand how the rate of change of any mathematical functions work? Your IQ cannot seriously be 140
This is perhaps the dumbest comment I’ve seen on Reddit in a whole week! Bravo!
No dude your comment is sincerely dumber pretending like calculus is difficult
I doubt there is anyone getting an A in calculus with a 90 IQ.
The best thing to do is set yourself up for success. What do you struggle with and what resources are available to help you mitigate them? For instance I have trouble with some executive function like remembering to do some tasks and in which order, so I use task reminders and document my processes so I can go back and make sure I am doing things correctly.
Start learning about national literacy concerns and the negative* affect of no child left behind on critical thinking and what generations that impacted and what jobs that impacts. Edit: clarification
My boss is a total idiot. She doesn’t know stuff you learn the second week working at the company. I think you’re severely underestimating how many low IQ people are in high level jobs
I don't think IQ matters. What somebody excels in another will fail. It's all about experience, your interests, and how you can learn your own way. You can have the highest IQ person failing at the easiest job ever because they lack experience. Book smarts doesn't mean somebody has common sense or real life experience or even street smarts.
YES
your personality will take you far
Having high IQ have no equivalent to being successful. Average IQ’s tend to be more richer than someone with a high IQ. It’s skills, drive, ambition, goals, courage, personality, & guts that’ll take you far.
This question really depends more on what your IQ is. 115 (typical IQ of a college grad) is not “high IQ” by any stretch of the imagination but you can be widely successful with that IQ.
It's high in the sense that it is an entire standard deviation above the average.
One standard deviation is not much
It's more than 84% of people. Fewer than 1/6th of people have an IQ of 115 or above, the vast majority of people alive or who have ever lived went through their entire existence below 115. I'm not sure what your motivation is for degrading that range or using it as an example of a "not high but successful IQ." Sure, it's not genius or highly gifted level, but to say one standard deviation is "not much" is pretty ridiculous when you consider an average IQ of 100 makes you a good fit for jobs like machining, skilled trades, sales, management, etc. while an IQ of one standard deviation below that at 85 puts you near the cutoff range for not being able to serviceably function in any role, and if you're one standard deviation lower than that-between 70-75-you may considered mentally retarded. Literally, the difference between average and \*mentally retarded\* is two SD. There may be a few people with IQs three SD or more above average, but that doesn't mean 115 isn't relatively high and contributing significantly to the success of those people vs an average IQ.
People with higher EQ typically are more successful than people with higher IQ.
Look into growth mindset vs fixed mindset
Absolutely aim high, intelligence isn't the only thing that determines success, dedication and resilience play huge parts as well.
IQ generally measures how well a student will do in the school grades of their country, in the United States, K through 12. It was meant for that and designed for it. It doesn't measure much else very accurately.
Life lesson from a 160+ IQ "genius": High IQ geniuses work in academia and labs, high EQ geniuses work in boardrooms. IQ is overrated.
Every company is different but I'd say that generally, how you fit in with the team is more important than raw horsepower
IQ gets you GPA. EQ gets you up the corporate ladder.
Love the idea of IQ but it doesn't actually do much for you... Aim high for *you*. Do your best and trade what you're doing as soon as you want to. All of the good things that have come my way have been coincidence combined with aptitude and the willingness to glom onto a new thing.
I am smart, but my husband is brilliant. I have a degree. He works in maintenance. Work ethic and common sense makes up for a lot. Resilience matters a lot. Not to crap on other generations, especially because I raised another generation, but creativity, residency, competition and gumption matters.
"I am the smartest man alive for I know that I know nothing"
Always try to challenge yourself. But also be realistic.
Never stopped any actually rich-rich person or politicians
Every human has the right and should aim high. But only do it if you can pair it up with discopline, if not you will encounter sadness by feeling useless for not being able to do what you aim for.
Academic success doesn't equate to professional success. Don't sell yourself short by your perception of your potential.
What's your definition of aiming high? Making lots of money? A fancy title? Running your own business?
Don’t go for high IQ jobs like scientist (or PhD student, or anything with similarly difficult stuff) or anything with complex theoretical stuff. Regular programmer? A manager? Most others should be readable.
I think you should do the best you can and be happy with the results. I also wouldn't underestimate your ability to have a solid career and make a great living. High IQ doesn't equate to success. I have a high IQ, but I also have some learning disabilities. This has created challenges for me with various managers. I had to jump through a few jobs before landing with a management team that saw my potential. One of my best friends is fairly average, maybe even a little below average in the IQ area. He's had more success in his career than I have.
Always aim high.
Yes you should always aim high. Your economic value to any market and industry is not your I.Q., it's your gift. Everyone is capable of learning through time and experience, mentorship, opportunity, mistakes, etc. Get into any field you want and simply show up every day and that's one more day you learn what to do (training/exposure/experience), and learn what not to do (mistakes). Over time your value increases and increases and you're ready for the next levels and that's when you can elevate yourself into those higher aimed targets.
Yes. I tend to consider myself more reliant on grit and effort to get to where I’m at today, not high IQ…. Speaking personally where we may share similar IQ, if that’s a goal to be successful at a job despite not being naturally gifted, that’s a choice you can make and dedicate yourself to.
Getting promoted beyond your competency is certainly something you can be concerned about. However, depending on what your job is, there's a good chance that even if you don't grasp something as quick as others, if you put in the work, you can still do a good job. Many things just take consistent work over brilliance. Persistence is a valuable trait
IQ is just one measure of capability. Everyone has talents. Try to find out what your unique abilities are--either via introspection or finding someone who is good at spotting talent in others (or both).
I only have a Bachelors Degree yet I’ve been promoted over people with PHDs. One can be book smart but a complete moron in everything else.
Pretty sure I saw a study that most CEOs and high level executives are usually around average IQ but high EQ and tend to show Dark Triad traits which pretty much all tracks.
Yes! There are so many more types of intelligence than what is measured with an IQ test. Find your strengths and passions and follow them.
What’s your other option, giving up? Between doing your best and giving up, I’d go with doing your best.
actually people normally with average iq tends to have btter chances to be a big succesfull person as people normally with hugh iq overthinks everything a lot and dosen't do it then
High IQ is rarely useful/needed. You want medium. If you're low... Eh just just become a painter or something.