58 replies
I know about the many tests that have been carried out to prove that IQ has the slightest correlation to success, and that success is more firmly grounded on one's EQ. But even with all the experimental data I've read about, I also wanted to know what people here personally think about the correlation between one's IQ and success (business in particular, but any input from all areas would be fine). I know that in high school, even the smallest IQ difference leads to huge advantage when learning and understanding concepts, but does IQ matter as much out in real world?

Thanks.
#success
  • Profile picture of the author stacyfox
    Hey,

    I found this article:

    High IQ and Success

    to be informative on the topic. Specifically:

    A Canadian television program recently tracked down some of the people with the highest IQ scores in North America. One man who has an extremely high genius IQ works as a motorcycle mechanic, hangs out with biker gangs, and is frequently in and out of jail.

    Another man interviewed on the program has the highest IQ recorded in North America. He has worked as a bouncer in a bar for ten years, earns minimum wage, and lives in a tiny garage. Clearly, a high IQ is not enough to guarantee success in life.
    Stacy
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    • Profile picture of the author JoseArmando
      Intelligence has nothing to do with success.

      What HAS to do with success is determination to achieve your goals.

      Persistence.

      Why?

      If you are determined to achieve your goal you'll do whatever it takes to make it your reality. You will learn from the best, you will instantly apply and you won't let failure have any effect on you.

      See, even if you'll fail over and over and over again you'll learn A LOT each and every time and there will come a time when you'll hit a homerun, so to speak.

      Here is one of the best quotes I've ever heard:

      "Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.
      Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people 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."
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      • Profile picture of the author Rayleigh
        Many successful people in the world, have gotten where they are today and they don't exactly have High IQ's at all. Although i'm sure itwould be of great benefit if you did.
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        • Profile picture of the author Mac Wheeler
          I don't believe IQ has much effect upon an individuals likeliness of achieving success, although it is likely it can contribute.

          I can back this up through personal experience, I have a government tested IQ of 147 (thanks to some time in Whitehall), and I am hardly what I would call successful in the sense most people would judge it. I am neither rich nor affluent, I own only my motorcycle and my laptop. I have no real interest in living the lifestyle of the rich and shameless.

          On the other hand, I spend most of my life travelling in exotic places, I eat in a restaurant 3 times a day, and I have enough cash that I don't have to budget. I guess this could be construed as success in some way.

          So no, I do not feel IQ is a guarantee of success, but it could be an enabler. I think the ability to succeed is firmly rooted in the personality and emotional make-up of the individual.
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          • Profile picture of the author Jelasco
            So if someone works as a bouncer or a mechanic, that makes him a failure?

            What if he just likes doing that job?
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            • Profile picture of the author Mac Wheeler
              Originally Posted by Jelasco View Post

              So if someone works as a bouncer or a mechanic, that makes him a failure?

              What if he just likes doing that job?
              Exactly, why do most people seem to judge sucess by the amount of money somebody has in their pockets or the number of people they get to order around?
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              • Profile picture of the author hibernate
                Chick Hearn, the famous radio announcer for the Los Anglese Lakers used to say "It is much better to be lucky than good, but if you are both, you are unbeatable."

                I would paraphrase that to say "It is better to be highly persistent than highly intelligent, but if you are both, you are unbeatable."
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                • Profile picture of the author sideserver
                  I think it does matter... UP TO A CERTAIN POINT.

                  You need to be smart enough to understand how the world operates and keen enough to work it to your advantage. But beyond that what matters far more is your personal determination and vision to succeed in life.
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                  • Profile picture of the author Scott Muzzey
                    “Nothing in the 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.” - Calvin Coolidge

                    Success is defined by the individual. If one defines success as being a mechanic or a bouncer, then they are successful. Who are we to say any different?

                    But Nihilated asked about success in business, and I believe that that typically means financial success, which I don't believe the occupation of bouncer or biker mechanic quite qualifies.

                    I have a relative who has a genius IQ, but has done absolutely nothing with his life. He is in his 60's, works a minimum wage job with no benefits and rents out a room. And I know he doesn't consider himself successful. But he does have a mountain of excuses for why he is where he is at. Funny thing is, he actually knows how to improve his life, he just isn't motivated to do so (OK, so not funny - sad perhaps).

                    We are all creatures of habit. Doing what we've done for years is easier than changing. But isn't that why most people aren't financially successful? They would rather sit on the couch every night watching an inane TV show than actually try to make goals, make plans and DO SOMETHING!

                    "There are costs and risks to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction." - John F. Kennedy
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                    • Profile picture of the author David Campbell
                      I've done some serious research on this topic in the past.

                      A high IQ can actually be a detriment to progress in life. Not always, but sometimes.
                      The Johnson-O'Connor Foundation has a huge database of info relevant to this topic because of the personnel testing work they've been doing since the 1930s(?).

                      A person with a high IQ can be a bit like an auto mechanic trying to fine-tune an exotic engine while holding eight different tools in one hand - the screwdriver he needs, plus a hammer, a needle, a toothbrush, a sanding block, a pistol, a leaky fountain pen, and a computer mouse.

                      Each tool is there, in hand, all the time. The tools can't be put down. On rare occasions, they may all work together on one project, but mostly they tend to get in each others way.

                      If I recall correctly, it's fairly common for extremely bright people to end up feeling stuck in low-wage, personally unsatisfying jobs. Or to end up alcoholic or otherwise addicted. Not always. But statistically, the odds are in favor of the person becoming alcoholic.
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                      • Profile picture of the author TeeNee
                        It seems like a lot of people in the past who had high IQs were also disturbed in some way, which may have held them back from pursuing the things they really wanted. It's like their genius got in the way and made them overthink things.

                        All IQ does is measure a person's capacity for intelligence--it doesn't necessarily make him/her smarter or better than anyone else. It certainly doesn't give someone any more business sense than someone with a lower IQ score.

                        I could get in to Mensa if I wanted to, but who do they think they are anyway? A bunch of pompous, over-thinking humans who make up less than 2% of the world's population. Where's the membership group for the other 98%? It could be called ISDP, "I See Dumb People!"

                        Only kidding...my cousin has a t-shirt...

                        :p
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                        • Profile picture of the author Mac Wheeler
                          Originally Posted by TeeNee View Post

                          It seems like a lot of people in the past who had high IQs were also disturbed in some way, which may have held them back from pursuing the things they really wanted. It's like their genius got in the way and made them overthink things.
                          This is because a very high percentage of people with a genius IQ (140+) also fall into the INTP personality type as defined by the Myers-Briggs personality profiling test. Think mad professor, a person in this position is really in a very strange position, consider this:

                          A genius IQ puts them into the 99.50th percentile or higher, meaning out of every 400 people they meet in life (or more if aboe 140 IQ), they will be the most intelligent.

                          Their personalily type is INTP, which is a type that is found in only 3.3% of the population.

                          This makes them very strange people indeed, but also relatively rare.
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                          • Profile picture of the author lelaiskandar
                            I believe that one only need an average IQ to succeed.

                            Success is related to willpower, persistence and determination. These traits cannot be measured by a bunch of man-made tests.

                            Forget IQ, focus on developing the will to persevere and to treat failures as life lessons.
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                            • Profile picture of the author Davidgenius
                              IQ tests are a measure of one thing...how good you are at IQ tests. People often confuse it with intelligence - it's not. Intelligence is much harder to define than a simple score on a test - there are many more factors that come into play.
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                              • Profile picture of the author Arpeggio
                                I think having high IQ isn't guaranteed you for become success.
                                To achieving success on your life You Don't Have To Be the Sharpest Tool in the Box.
                                To achieve success all you need is YOU.
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                                • Profile picture of the author wasbee
                                  You cannot measure success with IQ.There are reletively higher percentage of people with good IQ rating that are not successful.Success,can only be achieved by ones Dedication,Persistence and the strong desire to always make a difference at any point in time.I know and have numerous people who are successful and have never been to higher institution.
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                                  • Profile picture of the author yuri12
                                    hey, pretty much everyone here agrees that IQ is not the only determiner of sucess, agree
                                    and that a person's emotional quotient is the other determiner
                                    agree
                                    there have been a lot of studies on this, and even, i think, the discipline of psychology has made interesting points
                                    i also agree that success should first be redefined so as to have a really good point of discussion
                                    how do you know you are a success anyways? in most cultures, as long as you have exceeded what was expected of you (like maybe being more than what your parents are) then you could be classified as successful
                                    the thing is though, don't more intelligent people get better breaks than anyone else? and aren't they pushed more than someone who is not as intelligent?
                                    so does it follow that those who have higher level IQs have more chances of becoming successful, mainly because they get more opportunities?
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                                • Profile picture of the author colinredk
                                  Originally Posted by Arpeggio View Post

                                  I think having high IQ isn't guaranteed you for become success.
                                  To achieving success on your life You Don't Have To Be the Sharpest Tool in the Box.
                                  To achieve success all you need is YOU.

                                  I couldn't agree more. But there is still that question of what success is.

                                  Put it in one way, some would think that success is like running a race. You win, then you're successful. So are the other runners not successful? I think not. I guess the analogy is more like you're in a group and running for your lives because a bear is after you. You don't have to be the fastest, you just don't need to be the slowest. A matter of motivation which has no direct correlation with IQ.
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                                  • Profile picture of the author coreytucker
                                    well it could be people with a very high IQ actually realize that money is not that important once you reach a certain level. In once sense money can really be bad, you can start to take things for granted after a while.

                                    Some people might realize this and avoid it, knowing they can live a happier life spending more time with thier family and earning enough to live a decent lifestyle. Everything is perspective in life.....everything.
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                                  • Profile picture of the author Barry Rice
                                    Originally Posted by colinredk View Post

                                    But there is still that question of what success is.
                                    "There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way." Christopher Morley

                                    It seems society, and many of today's educational programs, attempt to lead us to believe, and strive for, success measured by money, status symbols, or the elusive "pot of gold" at the end of some distant rainbow. Further, society's value system seems to dictate that unlimited money and/or material 'toys' are the primary evidence of success. Those who "have" are treated with respect, even reverence. Those who don't, unfortunately, are most often relegated to social insignificance.

                                    Negative folks only dream of living society's definition of independence and success throughout their adult lives. They have a tendency to sit on their 'pity-pot' throughout their years because they didn't achieve what they were lead to believe would be theirs when they were children. The dispiriting part is that the developing anxieties they suffer can cause ulcers, substance abuse problems, and break-ups of relationships, among other things.

                                    Think about it. If you allow your desires and society's definition of success to overstep your willingness to pay-the-price for achievement, and you fail to achieve it, life may seem without purpose, which is emotionally draining. This is why it is so important to define the elusive word "success" in terms of your life.

                                    Success is not something you win, a place you arrive at, IQ, your bank balance, an expensive home, or the job you hold. True success and independence, the kind that does not fade away the moment you achieve it, is a journey. It must be part of your on-going walk through life. If your walk is to be full of happiness and self-contentment, it must investigate many interests, experience many emotions, fill many needs, and achieve many pre-set, realistic and planned goals. Achieving is living through having success-supportive goals and taking action - not wishing.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tom E
    It is a fact that most people that go to college end up working for people who never went to college. 96% of all money made on the planet is generated by 3% of the population, most of whom never went to college. The majority of self-made millionaires I know about never went to college.

    IQ has NOTHING to do with success. However, emotional intelligence is everything when it comes to succeeding in both business and life.
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    • Profile picture of the author summer07
      Originally Posted by gr8tocre8 View Post

      It is a fact that most people that go to college end up working for people who never went to college. 96% of all money made on the planet is generated by 3% of the population, most of whom never went to college.
      Just curious (and you may be right), but what is your source for those statistics and "facts"?
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      • Profile picture of the author eljay003
        I believe that Emotional Quotient (EQ) plays a greater role in achieving success than a high Intelligence Quotient (IQ). Having a high IQ cannot guarantee success than those with low intelligence. People with higher IQ tended to get paid more than the others. If one can play his cards right, then the chances of his success is greater.
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        • Profile picture of the author marcanthony
          If IQ was a more specific measure of what a successful individual does in business to be succesful, then I think it means everything.

          It's true that overall IQ(how its normally measured) isn't necessarily going to be what determines how successful someone will be.

          But, successful people are very intelligent at what they do...

          For instance, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have extremely high football IQ's. But, you wouldn't expect them to have a high IQ when it comes to performing brain surgery.

          And, you can't expect a successful brain surgeon to have a high football IQ.

          Think of notorious thieves that never get caught. They have very high criminal IQ's.

          I hope this makes sense to you...

          The truth is that, overall IQ, is almost useless in the business world...

          But don't think for one second that people like Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Oprah or any of the other multimillionaires and billionaires have low IQ's in their practicing fields.

          When IQ is more task or industry specific, then it matters a great deal.

          However, it's only cool to have a high IQ when your a young kid, when you consider that its just the ratio of the tested age that your mind is functioning on, to the actual age you really are.

          peace...

          p.s. does anyone here know there IQ?
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          • Profile picture of the author vorales
            Hi ,

            Well as far i think that IQ and Success goes hand in hand.

            To Under/stand a person we need a bit of intelligence but to misunderstand a person we no need intelligence.

            where as if we need to succeed in life we need to look forward with our mind open and think in an intelactual way so as to attain the Goals of our life and get success.

            As far as SUCCESS is concern no body can pay for it upfront right away.Its yr hard work, time, sweat n blood that you have to pay in instalments day by day by using yr IQ properly planed sucess route.

            ALL THE BEST AND GET TO THE TOP ALL OF YOU GUYS IN THE WARRIOR FORUM.

            ONE DAY WE ALL WILL MEET AT THE MILLIONAIRE'S FORUM.
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            • Profile picture of the author Terrybear
              IQ might make different but not the main factor.
              And that's many factor to be success
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            • Profile picture of the author David Campbell
              Hi Vorales,

              I visited your website and wanted to send you a personal message, but your Warrior account isn't set up for it.

              Please visit this page

              You are a chemist so you know mathematics. Study the statistics. Then, Do The Math!

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              • Profile picture of the author paul8368
                Originally Posted by rainbow21 View Post

                A high IQ can actually be a detriment to progress in life. Not always, but sometimes.
                I agree often the school system cannot cope with those of a high intelligence (not specifically IQ) so they become bored in school and don't take an interest in their learning. They don't pass their exams even thought hey are perfectly capable and find ways to avoid progressiona dn work rather than setting their minds to the task in hand.

                Originally Posted by TeeNee View Post

                All IQ does is measure a person's capacity for intelligence--it doesn't necessarily make him/her smarter or better than anyone else. It certainly doesn't give someone any more business sense than someone with a lower IQ score.
                Exactly the potential might be there but if it isn't applied and utlilised to assimilate information then the person with high IQ can be seen as a misfit

                Originally Posted by eljay003 View Post

                I believe that Emotional Quotient (EQ) plays a greater role in achieving success than a high Intelligence Quotient (IQ). Having a high IQ cannot guarantee success than those with low intelligence. People with higher IQ tended to get paid more than the others. If one can play his cards right, then the chances of his success is greater.
                Is that what they call Charisma? People who get on with people certainly appear to acheive sucess to a significant extent. Maybe its because they can convince those with the high IQ to do their bidding rather than having to work hard at it themselves.

                We all learn from our individual experiences. I have 3 sons, the older 2 are different in that the younger has been identified in school as an academic high flier. However there is a signifcant different the elder of the two is already doing deals in school with sweets, buys a packet of 20 on the way into school for £1 and sells them for 30p each. At the moment he's saving up to make himself enough money to buy an xbox360 whereas the younger couldn't care less about money so long as he's enjoying himself.

                This is I believe more to do with drive and goals than intelligence similarly in the adult world you have to have a driver a goal you wish to acheive in order to use your intelligence (IQ) to acheive sucess in business.
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  • Profile picture of the author johnpetrov
    A Canadian television program recently tracked down some of the people with the highest IQ scores in North America. One man who has an extremely high genius IQ works as a motorcycle mechanic, hangs out with biker gangs, and is frequently in and out of jail.

    We have all met people who have a lot of "book smarts" but seem to have no "life smarts." Should we really be saying that they are intelligent?
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  • Profile picture of the author drkellogs
    IQ is as correlative to success, as my pajamas are to Paris Hilton's success.

    In other words none.

    The right actions, in the right way at the right time will give you success.

    Having good advice, a good attitude and taking massive action will get you there.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dan Grossman
    I was in the gifted programs in K-12 schools. I graduated with honors into college, where I graduated again with high honors.

    My websites, which I usually set up in just a few hours each, and spend less than 3 hours a week running, generate over $350,000 a year in sales and a nice six figure chunk of that is left in profit. I wonder how well they'd do if I spent more than 3 hours a week working.

    I'm 23, I've never needed a job, and don't feel the need to get one any time in the near future, but I invested another $40k of my savings into the masters degree I'm working on now just because I find the material interesting to learn and research.

    So do as many studies as you want to prove people with high IQs end up as bike mechanics to make yourself feel better, but if you go to a conference with a bunch of venture capitalists and CEOs, you'll generally find they are quite intelligent.

    In other words, just because some people with a high IQ don't end up being "successful", doesn't mean they all don't, or that having a low IQ increases your chances at all.
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    • Profile picture of the author sydneymatt
      I think that IQ manners little when it comes to the ingredients for great success, particularly in business. I think the main thing that these people have is an intense desire to succeed, amazing focus and also a deep understanding of human nature. They have a kind of sixth sense that enables them to sniff out what will sell well and what won't. That's nothing to do with intellect, in the end.
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  • Profile picture of the author Henry Artz
    Great IQ doesn't guarantee success but greater EQ guarantee less failure. To Success: There is no failure. So i think the nearest way to success is by developing my personality to be better everyday and learn from my mistakes so i won't fail again.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dmitry
    Why would you care about your IQ? Really?
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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Hendricks
    I have found that a lot of preparation and persistence can make up a lot of ground compared to IQ -- there are lots of high IQ people who work for lesser IQ entrepreneurs who understand service to customers.

    -- Mark Hendricks
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  • Profile picture of the author Orion777
    I am currently working on a new eBook "How a Blooming Idiot Makes $3,000 per week on the Internet". I may change the title as this is still in the draft stages. This book is a true story about someone I know. He had a difficult childhood, little education, and is from a blue-collar work background. Today he makes about $10,000 per week, but consistently it averages out to 3-5K per week. He does nothing like those from the business world would do, and he does nothing like all of the Internet Marketers say to do - and yet he makes money hand over fist. My book will detail how he does this.

    I also know people with PHD's who are bums.

    So to sum it all up - a good I.Q. does not mean a person will be successful.
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  • Profile picture of the author Li Weng
    I do not believe in the concept and the testing of IQ. Some people are very intelligent academically and score very high on IQ tests, but are hopeless in solving real life practical problems. Some people are extremely fast learners and have great memory but score lowly on IQ. I highly question if IQ score reflect anything worthwhile.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sylvia Meier
    I dont visit this subforum much but I have to say I agree with a lot of what has been said here. As a child my IQ was repeatedly tested by the system because I quit school in kindergarten (refused to go was bored to tears) and again in the later years. I know my own IQ and I wouldn't say it has helped in my success in anyway. If anything I think it hindered it a lot because of sheer boredom at what society expected of me in terms of success. I graduated with high honors from high school, barely attending, as a single teen mom. I wrote my entrance exam for Electronics Engineering and recieved an extremly high grade on it that placed me in the top of the class, it started out great, but like everything else I became bored. Decided the heck with what others think success means (I never cared for money, still don't) and went after my own dreams. I am now a mother to 5, a wife and and netrepreneur, earning more each year than both my parents combined and enjoying my life. Yet I look back at what I could have done and some would consider me a failure. I coonsider everything I have done a success. Long story short, IQ is often a hinder not a helper. Think of those with lower IQ's it often hinders them at reaching their potential success, midrange normal IQ's it often holds them where they are for fear of success and high range it hinders because of what those around you expect of you and the inability to turn your brain off.

    Just my thoughts,
    Sylvia
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  • Profile picture of the author jayden.fellze
    It is said that IQ does not have any direct correlation with success in life. Those with very high IQ are not as successful as they are expected to be and this is because real life is totally different from what IQ can perceive. There are success stories of people who have not tested high IQ levels. So to make one success in life, all that is needed is the perseverance to achieve the goal and a definite plan. IQ does not guarantee success.
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  • Profile picture of the author spressnell
    I've known some very intelligent people who had no common sense at all.

    Shirley
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    • Profile picture of the author dsanchez
      I agree with you guys. I have met many people that, even though you can tell they're not genuises with the highest IQ, have achieved whatever their goals were in life, and I have seen the opposite case as well.

      Our determination of getting what we want is what really counts. There are countless examples out there of people who have had a lot of negative circumstances surrounding them and they have surpassed everything and achieved their goals... I think this is remarkable indeed.

      Dagmar
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  • Profile picture of the author educationist09
    IQ and EQ both play a pivotal role in deciding your future and your career but equally important is your street smartness. How early and how fast do you read people and how quickly you understand them.
    Having a high IQ level is absolutely a big feather in your hand and you can go way ahead with this attribute.
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  • I've met some smart "idiots" and common sense millionaires. I'd rather be a common sense millionaire.
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  • Profile picture of the author Old Goat
    Forest Gump seemed to do OK.

    It's not all about IQ....
    (even for fictional characters)
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    • Profile picture of the author naruq
      In my life experiences an High IQ does not equate to Business or Financial success. I know people who have several advanced degrees and can barely make a living for themselves. I know other people who are elementary and high school dropouts who are multi-millionaires.
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  • Profile picture of the author John Derrick
    Having a High IQ without discipline is a recipe for disaster. Starting out in grade school, if someone has a high IQ school will require very little effort and if they are not motivated to achieve, they will have a LOT of free time and get bored very easily.

    American schools are not set up to help the gifted, in fact most of the funds are used to help those who possess the lowest IQ (Special Education).

    Then we all wonder "is our children learning?" (Bush Quote)
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    • Profile picture of the author MaskedMarketer
      Richard Branson is Dyslexic.

      And I think Emotional and Social Intelligence matter more. IQ is too much hype.
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    • Profile picture of the author Danc1122
      Banned
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  • Profile picture of the author DaveSchwReno
    When I was a young man in the Army (revolutionary war, I think), someone suggested that I take the MENSA test because someday it would look good on a resume. I passed and just never did anything with it or about it. After a few years I stopped paying the dues and just dropped out of it completely.

    In 1991, (20 years later) after doing something that made me feel especially smart (and, thus, less inferior to the real geniuses), I decided to look into a local MENSA meeting.

    The meeting was at a local hotel bar. There were about 20 people (maybe three women) all with certain areas of interest, sitting around arguing over who knew more about this subject or that. The primary topic always got back to how smart the speaker was.

    The great majority of them were unshaven, unpleasant and unemployed. I doubt that more than three or four in the room had jobs and those jobs were mundane.

    I actually attended three more meetings over the next couple of months just to see if it was a fluke. It wasn't.

    I am not suggesting that this was an example of MENSAs or intelligent people. Rather, this was an example of geniuses who have nothing better to do than to talk about themselves.

    IMHO, it is all about what you DO with your intelligence. Three cheers for Forest Gump!

    Regards,
    Dave S.
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    • Profile picture of the author TheRichVillain
      its interesting that you mention forrest gump, i totally agree that intelligence plays a small part in how far you can go in life.
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  • Profile picture of the author sjchiz
    lets not forget about Rainman when talking about IQ's either.

    I would definitely go along with persistence and determination route over IQ any day when talking about success. And there is no doubt that success is to each their own.

    It reminds me of the clerk at the liquor store I got to talking with a couple of months ago. Just a great burley looking harley-davidson dude who is always very kind. He told me about how he aced all of his ACTs/SATs etc. after college and his IQ was so high that everyone was pushing and recruiting from around the US to be a nuclear physicist or go work on the space shuttles, etc.

    The stress of this entire situation killed this guy. He looked me dead in the eye and said - "I'll never do anything like that. All I want to do is be a liquor store clerk because I love my job." The guy definitely made my day!
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  • Profile picture of the author apollocreed
    Chris Langan is the World's Smartest Man has an IQ of 196. He's spent 20 years being a bouncer at a bar. Well, the deficit between Chris and the average person is nearly 300% greater! Heck, the difference between him and a genius is as great as the difference between a genius and a retarded person!

    Taken from: One Man’s Blog - Specialization is for Insects.
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  • Profile picture of the author Vincelog
    Hi Nihilated,

    I always have the belief that high IQ does not guarantee success. If high IQ equals success, then people studying in the Ivy League will all be guaranteed success.(no offense to people studying in the Ivy League)

    Cheers
    Vincent
    Personal Development Blogger

    Originally Posted by Nihilated View Post

    I know about the many tests that have been carried out to prove that IQ has the slightest correlation to success, and that success is more firmly grounded on one's EQ. But even with all the experimental data I've read about, I also wanted to know what people here personally think about the correlation between one's IQ and success (business in particular, but any input from all areas would be fine). I know that in high school, even the smallest IQ difference leads to huge advantage when learning and understanding concepts, but does IQ matter as much out in real world?

    Thanks.
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    • Profile picture of the author apollocreed
      Originally Posted by Vincelog View Post

      Hi Nihilated,

      I always have the belief that high IQ does not guarantee success. If high IQ equals success, then people studying in the Ivy League will all be guaranteed success.(no offense to people studying in the Ivy League)

      Cheers
      Vincent
      Personal Development Blogger
      You do not need a high IQ to get into an Ivy league school, you just need good grades. Good grades and IQ are not the same thing.

      Graduates from Ivy league schools earn more on average than those from community colleges and other middling schools.

      Originally Posted by Danc1122 View Post

      American schools are terrible. I'm a Junior in highschool and every class I take is totally pointless. The only reason I should need to take Chemistry...is if I want to be a Chemist. Only reason I should need to take Pre-cal...is if I want to be a math teacher... And the list goes on and on for 90% of my subjects.
      I take it you have never lived abroad beyond G7.

      It is not a coincidence that countries that have its students stay on in school for longer also tend to have a higher per capita income. The problem is probably not chemistry, but probably how it was taught to you.

      Chemistry is not just for future chemists. Medical Doctors, Environmentalists, Petrochemical engineers, chemical engineers, petroleum engineers, veterinarians, pharmacists, geologists, Metallurgical engineers, fertiliser producers, brewers, chemical weapons makers, mass crystal meth producers etc etc. The list is even larger for calculus users.

      Many young people just want to eat cheeseburgers and play video games. This is what really is a waste of time, not chemistry.

      Just because something does not make you money directly, it does not mean it is useless knowing it.

      JKN
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  • Profile picture of the author themessenger
    IQ tests are highly flawed.. Even thought I have a very high IQ I agree that the test does not measure ones intelligent accurately at all..
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  • Profile picture of the author TheRichVillain
    the real world offer much more complexity that any 'test' and to succeed in the real world you need a much broader scope of knowledge than any 'school' can teach. having said that, you can get an education from an institution or program and duplicate what others have already done, but real success could also be measured by your own personal growth.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ray Burke
    IQ is a relative thing for those who like numbers. Real intelligence is earned through experience and remembering it as such. We all have big numbers in some area but who cares . Its results that count in life and death.
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