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IQ is only a minor factor in success

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Re: IQ is only a minor factor in success

#141

Post by mtreis86 »

asher_ wrote: post #69

I'm not addressing the claim of this article, just the methods. IQ has a misleading (and factually inaccurate) name. The Q stands for quotient, but an actual IQ is not a quotient at all. IQs are ordinal ONLY. They allow you (to the extent that IQ tests measure intelligence) to rank people, not assign numerical values. It is not possible from IQ scores to say "Alice is x% more intelligent than Bob", only "Alice is mor…

Also, IQ tests become less accurate in the outer deviations. Just about impossible to test for a difference between 140 to 150 IQ, or 60 to 70. How much sleep a person got and their diet can change a brain's plasticity by more than that number of points.

IQ tests aren't a great measure of plasticity in the first place - they're just the best thing we have to measure on a wide scale. Plasticity is a far more personal attribute. Many IQ tests just repeat the same problems, and a person can improve their score without really learning anything but how to take an IQ test.

Throw someone something entirely new and you may get real insight into their mental plasticity.

Re: IQ is only a minor factor in success

#142

Post by Pigo »

errantspark wrote: post #29

I'm probably decently smart, but I'm not rich at all. In fact I'm quite poor by most people's standards. I'm also really happy and work fewer hours per week than anyone I know. If there's one thing I worry about it's that I should be trying to be rich because I probably have the means to make that happen. I might be making 200k/yr if I worked full time. I might be able to start a successful company if I put my mind t…

I derive a lot of satisfaction from fixing things myself. I watch YouTube clips that show me how to do anything to my Jeep. I recently bought an old farm house that's a constant list of new projects to work on, and a yard to landscape. I feel like Hank Hill sometimes, and my co-workers act like it's not worth their time to do those kind of things (they just buy new cars whenever something little happens to them). But I've been pleasantly surprised by how much fun it is to save money and learn new skills. It's a great feeling when you have the right tool for an important job.

Re: IQ is only a minor factor in success

#143

Post by varjag »

cryptarch wrote: post #113
zeroer wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Holding cash on purpose is a pretty terrible idea in just about every political environment. Nobody who's rich actually does this, unless is specifically earmarked for an upcoming purchase or an emergency fund. You're better off with stocks and metals.

How is holding large amounts of cash bad? I don't understand, could you elaborate on that?

You are losing them to inflation.

Re: IQ is only a minor factor in success

#144

Post by smnplk »

CYHSM wrote: post #89
icelancer wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I own my own business and the company is worth some millions of dollars, so I am "rich" though by American standards, not really. My salary is rather low for being the founder. My partner has an equally low salary. Some employees make more than me. I was formerly a data scientist with a salary 2x of what my current one is. I was miserable. Today, I love work. I create things. I have two kids and a wife and she stays…

I am rather curious what type of company you created. You mentioned sports science? Something in the direction of moneyball?

Email him :) mike dot anon at hotmail

Re: IQ is only a minor factor in success

#145

Post by VexXtreme »

visarga wrote: post #62
icelancer wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wanted kids. I believe your statement is still correct. In my case I subjected myself to prison because of biology ruling over my logical processing unit. Humanity goes on as a result of that, I am quite sure of it. :)

Well... in order for you to wonder at how "biology ruled over your logical processing unit" a lot of people had to sacrifice their freedoms, before you. Don't beat yourself over it, it's such an important thing that it is equal to "being alive". And what you lose as a person, your DNA gains as a living system. DNA is such a chump. I never realized how much work it does. Every protein in our bodies is copied from DNA.…

What if you value your consciousness and the here and now more than the idea of your DNA staying alive well after you're dead?

To me, my consciousness is my identity (myself). The body is just a vessel for it, and once it craps out, and takes the consciousness down with it, I couldn't care less about my DNA (a bit of a tautology, but you get the idea).

Re: IQ is only a minor factor in success

#146

Post by [deleted] »

greggman wrote: post #129
errantspark wrote: post #29

I'm probably decently smart, but I'm not rich at all. In fact I'm quite poor by most people's standards. I'm also really happy and work fewer hours per week than anyone I know. If there's one thing I worry about it's that I should be trying to be rich because I probably have the means to make that happen. I might be making 200k/yr if I worked full time. I might be able to start a successful company if I put my mind t…

My impression is money gets more important as you get older because your ability to get other people to give it to you for work goes way down and your medical expenses go way up. At least that's what I've seen in my family

[deleted]

Re: IQ is only a minor factor in success

#147

Post by VexXtreme »

spiderfarmer wrote: post #74
errantspark wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not single, but you're right about the kids. In my world view having a kid is similar to an 18 year prison sentence.

Kids are great. I have 3 kids and to me it is nothing like a prison sentence. I love watching them grow up, it is taking me back to the happiness and carelessness of my own childhood every day. It also gives me a sense of purpose that I would have never found without kids and what I gave up in freedom is made up in love, affection and just plain fun. Based on my experience I am 100% convinced that people that can't f…

> Based on my experience I am 100% convinced that people that can't find joy in the happiness of others should remain single and even more important: never, ever have kids.

As a counterargument, I've seen a few people turn into complete monsters once their kids were born. Their justification was "I have kids now and I'll do literally anything for my family, fuck everyone else and their needs." (paraphrased). It's all fine and dandy until the instinct for survival kicks in.

Re: IQ is only a minor factor in success

#148

Post by lgessler »

wolfgke wrote: post #140

> The study found that grades and achievement-test results were markedly better predictors of adult success than raw IQ scores. That might seem surprising -- after all, don’t they all measure the same thing? Not quite. Grades reflect not just intelligence but also what Heckman calls “non-cognitive skills,” such as perseverance, good study habits and the ability to collaborate [emphasis by me] -- in other words, consc…

> but working together with people who have less of this trait always ends/ended in a tragedy.

If by that you mean you were then unable to collaborate with them, perhaps you have less of this than you imagined?

Re: IQ is only a minor factor in success

#149

Post by VexXtreme »

zeroer wrote: post #103
eterm wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But I enjoy work. I'm happy that I'm well compensated for the work I do, but even without that I fundamentally enjoy my work. In fact work is preferable to how I spend a lot of my free time. Would I like to work more flexible hours and get paid the same to work 30 hours instead of 37.5 a week then sure, but otherwise what would money be buying freedom from? I suppose owning a house out-right would be freedom from wor…

Holding cash on purpose is a pretty terrible idea in just about every political environment. Nobody who's rich actually does this, unless is specifically earmarked for an upcoming purchase or an emergency fund. You're better off with stocks and metals.

And Bitcoin.

Re: IQ is only a minor factor in success

#150

Post by forgetsusername »

errantspark wrote: post #29

I'm probably decently smart, but I'm not rich at all. In fact I'm quite poor by most people's standards. I'm also really happy and work fewer hours per week than anyone I know. If there's one thing I worry about it's that I should be trying to be rich because I probably have the means to make that happen. I might be making 200k/yr if I worked full time. I might be able to start a successful company if I put my mind t…

>It really seems like the point at which working harder to earn money hits diminishing returns comes much much earlier that most people think.

How old are you? Do you have children? Sick or elderly family to take care of?

I get a kick out of young people in the software industry talking about how easy it is. Of course it is when you're by yourself with very particular interests. But life circumstances can and do change.

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