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IQ Matters Less Than You Think

nautil.us

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Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#61

Post by tyingq »

melling wrote: post #7

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” ― Calvin Coolidge

That does ring somewhat true, but I think there's more than just determination and intelligence that could affect success.

Things like charisma, gravitas, luck / right place and time, attractiveness, height, inherited wealth or relationships, etc.

Shortfalls in any of these can be made up by excesses in others.

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#62

Post by kennxfl »

jlawson wrote: post #14
empath75 wrote: post #4

I always tested in the 99th percentile, went to gifted and talented classes, was a merit scholarship semi finalist, etc. I think by any measure I had a high IQ. I also barely graduated high school, flunked out of junior college and spent most of my 20s going to raves instead of accomplishing anything worth while. Meanwhile my sister, who had an utterly average iq by any measure has a masters degree and is a hospital…

Talent without effort will get you nowhere. Effort without talent will get you somewhere. Effort with talent will get you anywhere.

Talent with little effort will get you close to anywhere.

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#63

Post by SolaceQuantum »

TomMarius wrote: post #49
k__ wrote: post #10

I know a few people with >130 IQ and they all have executive disfunction and anxiety problems. So yes, the best CPU doesn't help if the IO is constantly blocked.

I wonder if there is an online community focused on dealing with this issue.

MENSA?

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#64

Post by [deleted] »

neffy wrote: post #30
account2 wrote: post #28

I wonder how many IQ test misclassify intelligence? Feynman had a score of 125 and many people here have a high score than that. I bet no one here with a higher score of 125 are actually smarter than Feynman though. I think this is just one of many possible such examples where IQ test miss the purported people they were suppose to capture. Feynman’s score wouldn’t even qualify him for MENSA. I wonder how many IQ exam…

I think it´s fairly well accepted that Feynman deliberately blew off his IQ test.

[deleted]

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#65

Post by harry8 »

bryanrasmussen wrote: post #15
melling wrote: post #7

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” ― Calvin Coolidge

Every successful person always ascribes that success to their dominant attribute. And coins an aphorism about it. - Bryan Rasmussen

Dominant attribute? Or simply the one they want people to believe about themselves. The dominant for at least some seems to be being able to tolerate their own excessively vile behaviour.

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#67

Post by JoeAltmaier »

yhoneycomb wrote: post #9
melling wrote: post #7

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” ― Calvin Coolidge

Depends in what field. Being persistent will never give you the facial features to become a male model.

Plenty of not-handsome actors out there, even historically.

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#68

Post by leetcrew »

MrEfficiency wrote: post #5

Can someone do a test for willpower/hardwork? I think that would be a useful indicator. I was a B student, but I've accomplished more than A students now that I'm approaching my 30s.

hard to tease out when people have very different motivations.

rationally, i understand the importance of education, but emotionally, i found it a bit odd that i was paying to do work. so i always did the minimum required to get a B or low A, except on programming assignments where i wanted to prove to myself that i was the best. i usually had the highest project average in the class.

once i got myself into a position where i actually get paid to work, i didn't have much trouble getting motivated.

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#69

Post by JoeAltmaier »

csa wrote: post #46
account2 wrote: post #28

I wonder how many IQ test misclassify intelligence? Feynman had a score of 125 and many people here have a high score than that. I bet no one here with a higher score of 125 are actually smarter than Feynman though. I think this is just one of many possible such examples where IQ test miss the purported people they were suppose to capture. Feynman’s score wouldn’t even qualify him for MENSA. I wonder how many IQ exam…

It is relatively easy for a good IQ year to deliver a “false negative” — that is, a significantly lower score than a theoretical true score. This could be as simple as something like not sleeping well the night before or just simple ambivalence. It is relatively difficult for a good IQ test to deliver a false positive — that is, a significantly higher score than a theoretical true score. I personally don’t think that…

Right. My boys all achieved tests in grade school that varied from 100% to 3%. My wife worried that something was 'wrong' with them. I assured her by noting, its easy to not care about a test and get 3%. Its essentially impossible to accidentally get the 100% score

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#70

Post by JoeAltmaier »

smt88 wrote: post #35
jacquesm wrote: post #18

I know plenty of people for whom their high IQ is actually a hindrance rather than a help. So even for them it matters (greatly) but not in a positive way. The best determinants for being successful, in spite of a high IQ or lack thereof are the ability to focus and to have stamina.

I see luck (family you're born into, being in the right place at the right time, etc.) as far more of a determinant than focus or stamina.

Its important of course - Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell were all the same guy - family situation, education, opportunity.

Yet there were thousands just like them, that didn't succeed. The difference? Persistence, I think.

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