Whenever you see someone who you believe to be an idiot succeeding, it usually means they're really good at the game and you don't even understand what the game is .
A lot of “idiotic” things have reasonable explanations (2011)
101–110 of 438 posts
Re: A lot of “idiotic” things have reasonable explanations (2011)
#102A lot of people just look at cause Vs effect in a wrong w
Re: A lot of “idiotic” things have reasonable explanations (2011)
#103Whenever you see someone who you believe to be an idiot succeeding, it usually means they're really good at the game and you don't even understand what the game is .
Or their family donated enough money to an Ivy to have a building named after them.
Re: A lot of “idiotic” things have reasonable explanations (2011)
#104Re: A lot of “idiotic” things have reasonable explanations (2011)
#105To answer the question posed in the title (and yes, I read the fluffy article) - luck decides who gets rich.
Re: A lot of “idiotic” things have reasonable explanations (2011)
#106Whenever you see someone who you believe to be an idiot succeeding, it usually means they're really good at the game and you don't even understand what the game is .
So Trump is really good at the political game, for instance?
Check Scott Adams’ writing on Trump’s persuasion abilities.
Re: A lot of “idiotic” things have reasonable explanations (2011)
#107Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think this is sadly very true - trying to actually be a kind person really limits how well you can play "the game". There's no good solution to this either - if there was more kindness in the world, then that would just create even more opportunities for the people playing the game to get ahead, because they would have more victims to exploit.
One key thing about the game is the definition of "being ahead", and in a way, the meaning you want your life to have. If the definition of being ahead is to work in upper management, or at trendy FAANG making a large amount of money then you are kind-of forced to play the game in order to "get ahead". However, if your version of getting ahead is to have a loving family, or to spend time on the hobbies you like or tr…
Unfortunately in the US, if you don’t play the game, you have greatly reduced access to healthcare, which is a huge incentive to play the game especially if you have kids.
Re: A lot of “idiotic” things have reasonable explanations (2011)
#108Re: A lot of “idiotic” things have reasonable explanations (2011)
#109I don’t really understand the point of the article. It seems to be challenging an assumption that being “smart” has something to do with being financially successful. But why would we start with that assumption? Why would we conflate being “intelligent” with being good at making money? To me, this seems as preposterous as asking “if you’re so smart, why are you so bad at playing the violin, or why aren’t you a Hollyw…
Money is just one example. The baseline is "if you are so smart why how come you don't have a better life", this can be more money, a better job, more time for your children, a hotter wife for some.
If you don't like the materialistic versions, My personal version of it is "if you are so smart why are you complaining so much instead of fixing your problems"..
Re: A lot of “idiotic” things have reasonable explanations (2011)
#110I love the way people who consider themselves smart rationalize their lack of success/wealth, including here. - I don't want to be wealthy anyway - To be wealthy you have to be ruthless and I prefer to be nice - smart people are so busy with issues much more important than money - wealthy people are just lucky idiots - wealthy people are just idiots who are better at exploiting other idiots - people who are wealthy s…