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What I've Learned About Smart People.
121–130 of 182 posts
Re: What I've Learned About Smart People.
#122Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've long noticed something in the same vein: people who are uninterested or who don't think they're smart aren't just uncomfortable asking questions, they're uncomfortable seeing other people asking questions, too. It's probably related.
I've attended meetings where this behavior was the norm. It was a demoralizing sight: Large groups of people visibly wincing whenever someone asks the speaker a valid question — even a question whose answer no one but the speaker could possibly know! "Don't make us look stupid! Stop! Just go along with it! Stop caring whether you understand everything!"
Unfortunately, I know exactly what you mean. If not for places like HN...
Re: What I've Learned About Smart People.
#123Earlier quoted context omitted.
> IT especially, what we learn today is worthless in a short time. If you learn the right stuff this is not the case. Knowledge in the areas of algorithms, data structures, code and language design seems to have a certain timelessness to it. I’ve always considered it sub-optimal to become an expert in all the idiosyncrasies of one particular language or domain at the expense of thinking about and trying to understand…
Sorry, to clarify, I was referring to specific technological skills and not the general knowledge behind it. Being someone who only understands how to use a technology but not have the base of algorithms, structures, etc, as you alluded to is the example I was speaking to. Thanks for bringing it up :)
> I was referring to specific technological skills and not the general knowledge behind it.
Yeah, it might sound remarkable but that really is what I personally avoid bothering with, these days almost entirely. But that’s only a decision I’m able to maintain because I don’t have to make a living from software/IT nor do I work with teams. Nevertheless I reckon most people could do with spending more time thinking about the merits and drawbacks of the way they are doing things instead of learning how all the various technologies work.
Re: What I've Learned About Smart People.
#124I think the author of the article is pretty inaccurate in his analysis of students at Harvard. I think the article reflects poorly on Harvard, to be honest. The author is about as smart as my shoe.
Usually, the ones who continually ask questions and run their mouths in class are the ones who are extremely interested in their respective field of study. Interest creates curiosity and excitement, and both are required for someone to continually want to ask questions and learn more about whatever subject.
The other students who do not continually ask questions are either shy or are just going through the motions at college, so they do not really care.
If you are a student at Harvard, you probably have above-average fluid-intelligence, regardless of what you accomplish with it. The more you ask questions and the more interest you have in a subject, the more knowledge you will gain in that said subject (crystallized intelligence). But it doesn't mean people who do not continually ask questions have any less fluid intelligence.
Re: What I've Learned About Smart People.
#125Is there a difference (or some way to differentiate) a smart person from a very skilled professional? I'm asking this question to see if a Smart Person is the byproduct of getting skilled in a different set of areas, and getting very professional and focused in one or two. I'm certainly not as smart as some fellow HNers here. But, few minutes ago, I have been reading blog posts and emails I wrote 6 years ago. "What a…
>I'm certainly not as smart as some fellow HNers here.
I tell the following to my roommate weekly: "These guys (referring to HN) are 'wicked smart'". HN certainly makes me humble about what I think of myself.
>What a retard I was
No, you've grown a lot. I got back to my writings of even 1 year ago and I can see the difference.
Re: What I've Learned About Smart People.
#126Earlier quoted context omitted.
> "The smarter you get the less amazing that will feel" This is something that I'm continually trying to come to terms with. The intelligence distribution is tighter on the high end than most people realize. By that I mean, the smartest people aren't really amazingly smart. This reply, from Clay Christensen (Business School Prof at Harvard, Rhodes Scholar...must be bright!) when asked how it felt to be the top of his…
Niche experts often seem smarter. I've known a number of PhD students who are fascinating in their narrow chosen field, but weren't much good once you took the big fish out of the little pond. None of those folks were passionate generalists, though.
People seem smart when they know something you don't know and want to know. They appear dumb when they don't know something you consider easy.
If you use those definitions instead of some hypothetical absolute standard of intelligence, things seem to be a lot clearer, and you no longer have trouble understanding how "someone so smart could be that dumb" or things like that.
Every person who is X years old has had the same amount of time. What they've been able to do with it is another matter entirely.
Re: What I've Learned About Smart People.
#127Going to Harvard means I have the very unique opportunity to be around a lot of smart people. Good for you. Even better for you is the fact that you recognize your opportunity. How sad that so many people in your situation never do until it's too late. Now, when I say “smart people,” I don’t mean that guy who always wins trivia night. I mean, blazingly intelligent individuals who are regarded as the pre-eminent schol…
> "The smarter you get the less amazing that will feel" This is something that I'm continually trying to come to terms with. The intelligence distribution is tighter on the high end than most people realize. By that I mean, the smartest people aren't really amazingly smart. This reply, from Clay Christensen (Business School Prof at Harvard, Rhodes Scholar...must be bright!) when asked how it felt to be the top of his…
I once had this really fascinating discussion with my father. He said, his IQ while not ridiculously high was in the ~1 in 30,000 range which suggests in theory something like 10,000 people in America are 'smarter' than that and more importantly around 200 his age. But, many of them don't even end up at such schools and 200 people can't fill the fill the 'top' schools anyway. Thus, these schools can't be anywhere near that exclusive.
At the same time, everyone bases their internal scale at their level so while he met a few people that where smarter and many where far more educated there was always this feeling like he was surrounded by people that where just a little slow.
PS: He also generally referred to IQ in terms of speed. Most people have interesting things to say as long as the conversation is slow enough for them to follow.
Re: What I've Learned About Smart People.
#128Earlier quoted context omitted.
> "The smarter you get the less amazing that will feel" This is something that I'm continually trying to come to terms with. The intelligence distribution is tighter on the high end than most people realize. By that I mean, the smartest people aren't really amazingly smart. This reply, from Clay Christensen (Business School Prof at Harvard, Rhodes Scholar...must be bright!) when asked how it felt to be the top of his…
Niche experts often seem smarter. I've known a number of PhD students who are fascinating in their narrow chosen field, but weren't much good once you took the big fish out of the little pond. None of those folks were passionate generalists, though.
Perhaps it's useful (for what? I don't know, but at maybe for discussion) to distinguish between
smart: how much you know
intelligent: how quickly you can learn
wisdom: the perspective you have about everything you have learned
This works well with hat I've observed: intelligent people who are not smart, smart people who seem rather "slow," and that surprisingly wise person you always seem to come across who seems to know the difference between what is worth knowing and what isn't.
Re: What I've Learned About Smart People.
#129smart people may or may not ask questions, that depends on the situation. professors, however, usually do ask questions; most of the time just to announce their presence and attract attention.
Re: What I've Learned About Smart People.
#130I've noticed the pseudo-smart are quite annoyed by questions. RTFM, they reply. That's pseudo-smart for "I don't know".
Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, teach a man to fish for himself and he'll have fish for the rest of his life.
There is a time and a place for asking questions, and if you regularly need to ask questions to which you can easily find an accurate/complete answer to without help you'll probably learn more from "learning to fish".