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IQ Matters Less Than You Think

nautil.us

171–180 of 347 posts

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#171

Well, I like to think persistence matters more but getting into top 1% of everything requires more than determination. 1. Going from bad to good requires x amount of effort/persistence. 2. Going from good to best requires 1000x amount of effort. When you've put 800x amount of effort, you'll realize this harsh bitter fact. You have already given up on your hobbies, family, social life, ... and you are still considered…

One can enter the top 2% of almost any field in one year, especially with the help of nootropics. It doesn't take much to cross the threshold. If not among the top 2% in such a time, then there was usually zero aptitude. Being the best or getting that much better tends to take more effort.

Hmmmmm, in case you are a middle eastern immigrant tackling a Ph.D. in the US, it takes around one year (including security check) to take a visa just to get into the US. :D Meanwhile your German rival has arrived 11 months before you and probably had applied for an internship by the time you arrived.

I can't stop myself comparing people. :D

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#172
post #105
post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If unrewarded genius proves that genius is not the thing, then unrewarded persistent person should prove persistence is not the thing either. And there are plenty of unrewarded persistent people. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent, but also, there are plenty of persistent people around who are unsuccessful.

> Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent That’s arguable. I would hazard a guess that unsuccessful men without talent may be a larger group.

I was quoting parent at that point.

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#174

I started to write a much longer response but don't have time. My IQ was tested at 142 some decades ago and, from what I've read, would be higher cause the tests have changed. I was always very successful in my jobs but, when it came to starting my own business, I needed a lot of active encouragement or I would give up too quickly. However, in two cases, a business clicked with me, for some reason, which made me exci…

Disclaimer, I'm not a psychologist. I think IQ is a measure on how good you are manipulating abstractions and detecting patterns. For this other part >> when it came to starting my own business, I needed a lot of active encouragement or I would give up too quickly For that abstraction and patterns doesn't help, this is about your temperament, I'd look on how you score in the big five of personality traits. If you don…

Someone successful enough could just hire an employee for encouragement. In fact lots of people do that, with executive coaches etc. Lots of others steal that service from their firms, by demanding lots of ass-kissing from subordinates.

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Very much this - average genes, hard work, and sacrifice can generally guarantee upper middle class (barring accidents). Basically, all you need to get there is being a good cog in the machine. That is to say - you come in groomed, you do your job, you study or take night classes, you don't spend your money on having a life, you don't make mistakes which come with fun. Eventually, you will get to your $100,000/year a…

Do you have any research backing up this position? It seems to fly in the face of every reputable study I've seen, which suggests the opposite is true - average genes, hard work, and sacrifice is not enough to "guarantee" anything.

It's common sense. I did say barring accidents and having an actual life. The below is conservative.

1. Pick practical degree, because you are poor and anything else is luxury.

2. Work in college, because you are poor. End up with 30k of debt because you are dumn and didn't get a scholarship.

3. Make 40k a year. (22% fed, let's say 4% state), 30k net. -10k rent, -10k expenses, 10k left.

4. Pay off college by 25.

5. Save up 50k by 30.

6. Masters degree by 32 with no debt.

7. Increase income to 100k by 45.

8. Congrats middle class pleb. (Which I am, though this isn't my story)

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One can enter the top 2% of almost any field in one year, especially with the help of nootropics. It doesn't take much to cross the threshold. If not among the top 2% in such a time, then there was usually zero aptitude. Being the best or getting that much better tends to take more effort.

Hmmmmm, in case you are a middle eastern immigrant tackling a Ph.D. in the US, it takes around one year (including security check) to take a visa just to get into the US. :D Meanwhile your German rival has arrived 11 months before you and probably had applied for an internship by the time you arrived. I can't stop myself comparing people. :D

A Ph.D. in what? Top 2% of that field is usually accessible within a year.

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#177
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Your comment doesn’t address my question of how many people are misclassified by IQ test. I suspect smart people with high functioning autism and the like are not accurately measured. Not saying any of this applies to Feynman by the way. Just used him as an example of where an IQ exam underestimated someone.

It´s fairly well known that people from impoverished backgrounds get lower grades for several reasons - not ever having practiced similar questions and vocabulary issues: there have been some quite notorious questions, especially over in England that were dependent on different social classes having different vocabularies, etc.

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#179
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.

One of the few things we actually know for sure about iq is that it has a protective function when it comes to mental illness.

Re: IQ Matters Less Than You Think

#180

Well, I like to think persistence matters more but getting into top 1% of everything requires more than determination. 1. Going from bad to good requires x amount of effort/persistence. 2. Going from good to best requires 1000x amount of effort. When you've put 800x amount of effort, you'll realize this harsh bitter fact. You have already given up on your hobbies, family, social life, ... and you are still considered…

Very much this - average genes, hard work, and sacrifice can generally guarantee upper middle class (barring accidents). Basically, all you need to get there is being a good cog in the machine. That is to say - you come in groomed, you do your job, you study or take night classes, you don't spend your money on having a life, you don't make mistakes which come with fun. Eventually, you will get to your $100,000/year a…

$100,000/year salary and $1M net worth are incredibly specific numbers, where are you getting them from?

It's a tautology to claim "average genes, hard work, and sacrifice can generally guarantee upper middle class" because if someone isn't upper middle class you can just claim they don't have average genes, they didn't work hard enough, or they didn't sacrifice enough. None of those things are measurable.

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