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Why Dumb People Become Successful

by momakmak
68 replies
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I noticed that in my city a lot of successful people are really dumb. Some are just flat out stupid. Trying to strike up a conversation with these people and you notice many of them are just ignorant and have no real grasp on reality.

Has anyone else noticed that most successful people are not the sharpest tool in the shed?

I thought about it for a while and came up with my own conclusion. Don't get me wrong, a lot of bright people are very successful too, but it seems to me that sometimes I see more idiots doing a lot better.

What I think is happening is that their simple minds actually believe they are rocket scientists and know just about all there is to know in life. In return they have confidence and a lot of it.

This confidence goes through the roof with these people. You see it everyday with your average d**chbag. Why else would they wear shirts with bedazzled jewels, skulls, and hearts on them at the same time? They are gods gift to Earth and that is what sells.

They really believe in themselves to the point that they are confident they know what they are talking about even though they have just a shimmer of a clue of what they are doing. They can also get a client to believe it too. They are like the guy on that show "Pretender" without the IQ. Heck, sometimes if I run across one of these guys trying to sell me something I believe them too. Its only later I realized what just happened.

You could say I am a hater. I think I have my moments where I am as air headed as can be, then other times I am a genius. But do not doubt these guys, they know the secrets to the universe.

I may say these successful people are dumb, but they have taught me one of the greatest lessons that is helping me in life today and that is- If I can be as confident in myself as a dumb successful person is than I can do anything because I think I may just be 2 cents smarter. Really I just may be a GENIUS! Time for me to get some bedazzled shirts and flip flops.

lol

Sharing on this topic read this thread. http://www.warriorforum.com/off-topi...-you-know.html
  • Profile picture of the author wlasikiewicz
    Most 'dumb' people stumble on success by accident, they didn't plan to have success. I wish i was dumb enough too
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    It's because the corporate psychopaths that hire them don't have to watch their backs if the help is stupid enough. The higher the psychopath advances the more they lift the "useful idiots" up underneath them to keep themselves from any real scrutiny. Then if the excrement hits the air conditioning, they sacrifice the idiots and really lose nothing.
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    • Profile picture of the author Humbled
      Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

      It's because the corporate psychopaths that hire them don't have to watch their backs if the help is stupid enough. The higher the psychopath advances the more they lift the "useful idiots" up underneath them to keep themselves from any real scrutiny. Then if the excrement hits the air conditioning, they sacrifice the idiots and really lose nothing.

      This is a great theory but I honestly think that in many cases the psychopath would be equally dumb...
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  • Profile picture of the author Ninja Ana
    Not all, it all depends upon the person. Success is a combination of luck, timing and faith.
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    • Profile picture of the author Becky Rogers
      Originally Posted by Ninja Ana View Post

      Not all, it all depends upon the person. Success is a combination of luck, timing and faith.
      Not sure I am completely convinced. I do however agree that you have to believe in yourself, and have total confidence...and not be afraid to fail. It's the fear of not being successful that keeps most people from becoming...:rolleyes:
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  • Profile picture of the author Lucian Lada
    Originally Posted by momakmak View Post

    They really believe in themselves to the point that they are confident they know what they are talking about even though they have just a shimmer of a clue of what they are doing. They can also get a client to believe it too. They are like the guy on that show "Pretender" without the IQ. Heck, sometimes if I run across one of these guys trying to sell me something I believe them too. Its only later I realized what just happened.
    That's the mirror effect in action. This means the person with the stronger reality (the one who believes more in themselves, or have more confidence in what they have to say) will transfer that emotions to the other person. And since dumb people generally don't (or can't) think of failure, their confidence levels are very high, thus convincing everyone else with whom they make contact.

    I actually see lots of dumb people in my country, because of the nature of things. They are dumb, but they dumbness keeps them away from thinking about failure, rejection, and generally harmful "what if?" scenarios, and that's what brings them success. It's not that they have some special skills, it's just that they take action without thinking too much what happens if things go wrong. And when they do get it wrong, because of their inherent short memory they forget it before they even know it, going forward once again.

    I used to admire them, saying that "at least they take action and do something", but now I realize the reason they have success is because smart people acknowledge failure, and they often give in to these negative thoughts and end up doing nothing. If enough smart guys and gals would have the guts to step forward, these dumb people would be eaten alive and they wouldn't even know what hit them.

    But that's the nature of the things, and you don't have to hate them or anything, it's just how things are, and how things will always be.

    Being smart (or at least not dumb) is like a double-edged sword: you have the ability to create wonderful things, but you also have the "ability" to destroy your life due to negative thoughts and fear of success and whatnot.

    That's why I think (although I haven't researched or tested anything) that the majority of people who commit suicide have high IQ or EI scores. Dumb people just can't think that further or that deep.
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  • Profile picture of the author markfb
    I think as a general rule of thumb people that fall into this group tend not to overthink everything and go with their gut feelings and instinct.
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    • Profile picture of the author MoneyMagnetMagnate
      I think this kind of strange phenomena can be explored in the case of William Hung - (and others like him)
      William, for those who don't remember, was a contestant on American Idol - who performed so sincerely but ridiculously bad, he actually gained a cult following, and even received a record deal, and many other media contracts and appearances as a 'celebrity'...
      William Hung - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

      As of January 2012 Hung has largely retired from music and serves as a technical crime analyst for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
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      • Profile picture of the author Kay King
        Dumb often equals "20 seconds of fame" but sometimes that can lead to an improvement in life that might not have occurred with the flash of fame. In cases like the guy who couldn't sing...it also required him to be able to laugh off the criticism he got and turn it into something better.

        It's true that highly intelligent people often insist on more analysis and introspection than necessary to become successful in some fields, but there is something else I've considered.

        I have often heard comments about "how did he succeed, he's really dumb" or "I'm so much smarter than her, how did she get that"?

        And I have to ask - if the person you think is dumb is doing a lot better than you are....maybe you aren't properly judging who is "bright" and who isn't.
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        • Profile picture of the author MoneyMagnetMagnate
          Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

          Dumb often equals "20 seconds of fame" but sometimes that can lead to an improvement in life that might not have occurred with the flash of fame. In cases like the guy who couldn't sing...it also required him to be able to laugh off the criticism he got and turn it into something better.

          It's true that highly intelligent people often insist on more analysis and introspection than necessary to become successful in some fields, but there is something else I've considered.

          I have often heard comments about "how did he succeed, he's really dumb" or "I'm so much smarter than her, how did she get that"?

          And I have to ask - if the person you think is dumb is doing a lot better than you are....maybe you aren't properly judging who is "bright" and who isn't.
          A lot of it can be attributed by their self-confidence, and their will to succeed. The lack of analysis may actually help them to only focus on the goal, because that is all they see...

          And a little 'blind faith' probably doesn't hurt...
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          • Profile picture of the author Daniel Evans
            There's a lot of people who have a lot of confidence for the simple fact they lack self awareness. They are more consumed by the outside rather than the inside.

            I'm sure because of this reason many confident or psuedo-confident people actually aren't too comfortable in their own skin as contradicitve as that may sound.

            I guess this is one prominent reason why famous people can slide down a slippery slope so easily.
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        • Profile picture of the author John Durham
          Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

          Dumb often equals "20 seconds of fame" but sometimes that can lead to an improvement in life that might not have occurred with the flash of fame. In cases like the guy who couldn't sing...it also required him to be able to laugh off the criticism he got and turn it into something better.

          It's true that highly intelligent people often insist on more analysis and introspection than necessary to become successful in some fields, but there is something else I've considered.

          I have often heard comments about "how did he succeed, he's really dumb" or "I'm so much smarter than her, how did she get that"?

          And I have to ask - if the person you think is dumb is doing a lot better than you are....maybe you aren't properly judging who is "bright" and who isn't.
          Thank you. I succeed at everything I set out to and have hired many college grads who thought they were smarter than this 8th grade drop out.

          So why are you looking for a job then?

          Smart is also relative. A fish in water is the most brilliant thing in the world, though out of water its the dumbest.

          I also get sized up ALOT because my background doesnt give me the social graces of some...,although I do "try"...and I always think its hilarious that its usually in a circle where I have risen higher than the people gawking and saying they cant believe a dumb person from a crude upbringing could receive accolades.
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      • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
        Originally Posted by MoneyMagnetMagnate View Post

        I think this kind of strange phenomena can be explored in the case of William Hung - (and others like him)
        William, for those who don't remember, was a contestant on American Idol - who performed so sincerely but ridiculously bad, he actually gained a cult following, and even received a record deal, and many other media contracts and appearances as a 'celebrity'...
        William Hung - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

        As of January 2012 Hung has largely retired from music and serves as a technical crime analyst for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
        William Hung might have been somewhat deluded at the time of his rehearsal, but he is far from dumb. He actually realized that his vocal skills were lacking and that his fame was a joke. He just milked it for all it was worth. Right now, he works for the Los Angeles County Sherriff's Department as a technical crime analyst.
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  • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
    Why does does a little wee fire warm up a house while a big bonfire outside doesn't? Highly intelligent people may be like bonfires with their energies going in different directions than those commonly associated with "success". A so-called "dumb" person may just be efficient in directing energy in the necessary direction to achieve desired end and ofttimes it doesn't require a big fire.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dan Riffle
    I think we should go straight to the source.

    Where is Dennis Gaskill when you need him?

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  • Profile picture of the author MoneyMagnetMagnate
    Some of it just may be 'stupid-ploytation"...where someone in the background is pulling strings - and the puppet may or may not be in on the joke...many have played 'dumb' because dumb sells...

    Jean Hagen and Jayne Mansfield both had successful movie careers playing dumb blondes, yet both were said to have very high IQ's and savvy business acumen...

    You certainly have to wonder sometimes...did Paris Hilton really think they sold "walls" at Walmart? Did "Chicken of the Sea", and Buffalo Wings really stupify Jessica Simpson?

    Could some of these people build multi-million dollar empires on their own?
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    • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
      Originally Posted by MoneyMagnetMagnate View Post

      <snip>

      Could some of these people build multi-million dollar empires on their own?
      Even super-mega-geniuses wouldn't be able to do that on their own.
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    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
      Originally Posted by MoneyMagnetMagnate View Post

      Some of it just may be 'stupid-ploytation"...where someone in the background is pulling strings - and the puppet may or may not be in on the joke...many have played 'dumb' because dumb sells...

      Jean Hagen and Jayne Mansfield both had successful movie careers playing dumb blondes, yet both were said to have very high IQ's and savvy business acumen...

      You certainly have to wonder sometimes...did Paris Hilton really think they sold "walls" at Walmart? Did "Chicken of the Sea", and Buffalo Wings really stupify Jessica Simpson?

      Could some of these people build multi-million dollar empires on their own?
      There is a story that they once found ford to be INCOMPETENT! HIS answer? He knew what it took to get the job done, and could find the people to do it.

      Steve
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      • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
        Originally Posted by seasoned View Post

        There is a story that they once found ford to be INCOMPETENT! HIS answer? He knew what it took to get the job done, and could find the people to do it.

        Steve
        That, in a nutshell, is how to become incredibly rich.
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    Actually - brilliant people are successful. In the US, who you know is worth more than what you know. With cronism and nepotism rampant, dumb people get in the door mostly just because they have the right grandfather or uncle or cousin. That's how we got a continuum of idiots at the top. They were pulled in. Once they got some money, they gained power to go with the ladder. It doesn't matter how smart you are - if you have enough money (which anyone with a rich relative can get via inheritance) or the right relatives, you can get almost anywhere you want. The rest of the population is dumbed down enough they don't do much other than admire the person's acquired status quos possessions.
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    MOST dumb people that are successful are successful because they don't know what they don't know!

    Like the idiots that create those patents that are illegal!
    Like the salespeople claiming they or their products do things that are FAR from novel.
    Like the people that claim they were first to create things that were created even hundreds of years ago.
    Like the "singers" on tv and in competitions that are SO horrible.
    Like the "computer people" that get by ONLY because they can do SOMETHING some other can't!

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    Finding the right people is a feat of intelligence all on its own. I don't think Ford was any less brilliant for not knowing every damned detail of how to build his business. He had the sharps to recognize who had what he needed them to have. It's not like he just hired on relatives who needed jobs like is going on today.

    I worked in a company not too long ago that was owned and built by grandad - now managed by a complete moron son. He had to put the son in the position of vice-president and hire a manager to save the company - and grandson flunked out of college and took my job.......and came close to burning the place down by starting their ovens on fire. I still remember sitting across from him working when he was on vacations from school (nobody else would let him work in their depts so I got stuck with him). He'd sit and pick his nose and repeat "that's what she said" to you no matter what you said to him - hundreds of times a day every day. But he is a relative so as long as a manager with some competence is kept around those two idiot kids will always have a job a place to live without worrying about having to be smart or doing things right.

    It's kind of pathetic, too, because both of them are getting these elitist attitude that anyone who needs help is a piece of garbage. I almost wish the business would tank just to bring their heads out of the clouds where they can see they are just receiving family given welfare themselves and won't fair any better than anyone else without that family owned business.
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  • Profile picture of the author A.Green
    I feel like I recently posted this on this forum, but it might have been elsewhere, so...

    "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

    Something like that. It's late here. Or early, rather.
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  • Profile picture of the author lilc800
    Maybe "Dumb" People think in a Different way that Cause Success.

    Or Maybe Because They make it More simple then Smart people since they are what you call "dumb"

    I know this smart Kid at my school, i mean he is really Smart his Brain is Faster then google (Trust me I have asked him Random questions and He quickly told me the Anwser later or On the spot I would google it to see if he was right and he Always was)

    While this kid is Very smart sadly He lacks Common sense and He really can't do anything other Then exactly the right way But maybe it takes doing stuff the Wrong or Slightly Different for it work?

    I'm Just saying, Maybe it takes that person That will do it a different way
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  • Profile picture of the author momakmak
    I really think I should dumb myself down sometimes.

    I used to over complicate things myself and nothing went well that way. One of my friends that I am helping in business tries to complicate business all the time and I have to beg him not to.

    Keep it simple stupid. Suddenly everything falls in place also with faith.
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  • Profile picture of the author YoungAndOpulent
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    They're stupid but they've accomplished what you're struggling to accomplish. Really?
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      • Profile picture of the author MissTerraK
        I see dumb people...

        Whoops! Misquoted movie line, haha! :p

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  • Profile picture of the author debml
    This is an interesting thread.

    Am I smart? Standardized tests suggest I am. MENSA agrees. Best score - GMAT verbal score - 99th percentile (maybe that's why I like copywriting.)

    But, I grew up being told on a regular and frequent basis, that intelligence is not enough. And, that B and C average students would be the people I would work for.... (hmmm... I started early with a sister 5 years older than me who used to make me do her homework.)

    In some ways, I feel like everything school related came too easily for me and the people who struggled to pass gained something from the experience that I did not.

    In a lot of ways, I think above-average intelligence lends itself to over-analysis entirely too easily. I can call it whatever euphemism I choose... but at the end of the day, ruminating is not a revenue generating activity.

    Just my 2 cents...
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  • Profile picture of the author Rose Anderson
    I read an article once about a man who had a successful business building sailboats. He had been a very poor student in school and no one thought he'd accomplish much. But he contributed his success to finding the "one" thing he was good at. He said he had friends who were talented in many areas but could never settle on one thing. He was "dumb" enough to recognize his one talent and go for it.

    Rose
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    • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
      Originally Posted by Rose Anderson View Post

      I read an article once about a man who had a successful business building sailboats. He had been a very poor student in school and no one thought he'd accomplish much. But he contributed his success to finding the "one" thing he was good at. He said he had friends who were talented in many areas but could never settle on one thing. He was "dumb" enough to recognize his one talent and go for it.

      Rose
      This makes me think of an excellent novel that I just read called, "A Mulititude of Hope: A Novel About Rediscovering the American Dream," by Peter Weddle. A primary concept presented in the novel is that everybody has talent but few people utilize it or even know what it is, but if they do they can attain a rewarding, more independent, and meaningful way of life.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mr Bill
    I'm not sure about all this but I do know that I've been bitterly disappointed by some clearly intelligent people who had extremely negative attitudes, very little belief in their abilities and horrible outlooks on life.

    I think attitude trumps intelligence.
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    • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
      Originally Posted by Mr Bill View Post

      I'm not sure about all this but I do know that I've been bitterly disappointed by some clearly intelligent people who had extremely negative attitudes, very little belief in their abilities and horrible outlooks on life.

      I think attitude trumps intelligence.
      I think attitude and diligence are unacknowledged aspects of intelligence. A beat down old car will reach more places than a fancy Ferrari if it is driven to go places. Like the story, "The Tortoise and the Hare."
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  • Profile picture of the author MoneyMagnetMagnate
    Sometimes it's not the talent of the person...it's who picks the talent!

    Mel Blanc is known as the greatest voice-over actor of all time - he knocked on the door of Warner Bros. trying to get an audition every 2 weeks, for 2 years (!) before anyone would even listen to him for even a chance - finally the guy who kept telling him no, died (no so lucky for him - lucky for Mel), and the guy who took over for him gave him a shot, and introduced him to Tex Avery - and the rest is history...you now know him as the voice of every famous Warner Bros. cartoon character you can think of...

    But at one time, Mel almost felt like quitting and becoming an insurance salesman...he couldn't get a break to save his life...

    But he not only had talent - he had persistence, and that is what paid off at the beginning...
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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    If we accept this as being true, then we shouldn't assume that intelligence is the primary factor in being successful.

    It may be perseverance or it may be access to money, or a combination of factors that may vary from situation to situation.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mr Bill
    Another thing I've noted is that all you need to be successful is to put in just a little effort because most people put in very little effort. That's why you often see Managers who are worse at the work they manage than the workers who do the work. They put in a "little" bit of effort to help a higher manager out and they were promoted.

    In this forum I see people yelling at other members to TAKE ACTION! TAKE ACTION! TAKE ACTION! The way things apparently work is that all you need to do is take "some action" and you will get the ball rolling, put in a little more and you'll be rolling and moving.

    "Success" by almost any standard is far easier to attain than most people think. Another thing is that being content is very fulfilling so maybe "smart" people are content with their lives and "dumb" people want more from life. They put it usually more effort than is required and because success loves momentum they often overshoot their "smart" peers into "millionairism" (which is quite easy to attain once you get some momentum).

    I agree with what was said above...maybe "smart" people just over think everything and never get started or simply have no desire to achieve millionairism. They are content with their middle class lives which in this day and age (let's face it) is quite a valuable level of living.
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  • Profile picture of the author TimothyTorrents
    or they could be really smart and have bad social skills. E.g. NERDS.
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    • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
      Originally Posted by Dan Riffle View Post

      I think we should go straight to the source.

      Where is Dennis Gaskill when you need him?

      Sigh. Most people will figure out I'm dumb soon enough, you don't have to go advertising it like you're some kind of human foghorn. On to the topic of the post...

      There are different kinds of intelligence. Humans have multivariate capacities to perceive intelligence. Sometimes our perception of a lack of intelligence in someone is really our inability to recognize an unfamiliar kind of intelligence.

      Also, when we judge someone's intelligence we do so through our own intelligence. However, if we'd have been subjected to the same lifetime of influences as the person who seems stupid, and we were without the influences that helped shape our current intelligence, we may appear far more stupid than the person whose intelligence we question.

      In other words, judging someone else's intelligence requires us to make presumptions that favor our egoistic judgments. It's been my experience we tend to find what we look for in others . . . even to the point of overlooking contradictory evidence.
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      • Profile picture of the author HeySal
        Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

        Sigh. Most people will figure out I'm dumb soon enough, you don't have to go advertising it like you're some kind of human foghorn. On to the topic of the post...

        There are different kinds of intelligence. Humans have multivariate capacities to perceive intelligence. Sometimes our perception of a lack of intelligence in someone is really our inability to recognize an unfamiliar kind of intelligence.

        Also, when we judge someone's intelligence we do so through our own intelligence. However, if we'd have been subjected to the same lifetime of influences as the person who seems stupid, and we were without the influences that helped shape our current intelligence, we may appear far more stupid than the person whose intelligence we question.

        In other words, judging someone else's intelligence requires us to make presumptions that favor our egoistic judgments. It's been my experience we tend to find what we look for in others . . . even to the point of overlooking contradictory evidence.
        Sure....bet that name changes when speaking with a friend in private. :rolleyes: Come on - give us an egoistic judgment...just for kicks. We know you can do it.

        Kurt -- that is getting dangerously close to saying "it's luck people. It's just LUCK.

        Timbonitus - It's usually the exceptionally intelligent that have bad social skills. Psychotics often get ahead (smart or not) because they can lie very convincingly and they are able to fake social reactions. The person of normal or below intelligence are often people who mingle socially very comfortably.
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        • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
          Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

          Sure....bet that name changes when speaking with a friend in private. :rolleyes: Come on - give us an egoistic judgment...just for kicks. We know you can do it.
          Every judgment is egoistic. That simply means it's of or relating to the self. I know that's not the way many people relate to "ego" but that's only because they lack precision in the use of their vocabulary.

          There you go, I clarified the meaning of egoistic for those who thought it was a derogatory term, and gave you an egoistic judgment at the same time. Are you happy now?

          10...9...8...
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          • Profile picture of the author HeySal
            Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

            Every judgment is egoistic. That simply means it's of or relating to the self. I know that's not the way many people relate to "ego" but that's only because they lack precision in the use of their vocabulary.

            There you go, I clarified the meaning of egoistic for those who thought it was a derogatory term, and gave you an egoistic judgment at the same time. Are you happy now?

            10...9...8...
            No. I was searching for something a little more........um.....a little more vulgar, sadistic, and/or just plain snotty and arrogant. It is, after all, you realize - late night in the OT.
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            • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
              Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

              No. I was searching for something a little more........um.....a little more vulgar, sadistic, and/or just plain snotty and arrogant. It is, after all, you realize - late night in the OT.
              Sorry Sal . . . I'm too dumb to know what you were looking for. Just ask Dan, he'll tell you. Besides, I like you too much to say something vulgar or sadistic in response to one of your posts. Maybe you can pretend the "are you happy now" part was a little bit snotty though.
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              • Profile picture of the author HeySal
                Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

                Sorry Sal . . . I'm too dumb to know what you were looking for. Just ask Dan, he'll tell you. Besides, I like you too much to say something vulgar or sadistic in response to one of your posts. Maybe you can pretend the "are you happy now" part was a little bit snotty though.
                Dumb like a fox, yeah. One of these days. We all try to be nice and humble. If you hang around this place though, sooner or later you'll crack and walk into a thread and call a poster everything but humanly intelligent. LOL.
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                Sal
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                • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
                  Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

                  Dumb like a fox, yeah. One of these days. We all try to be nice and humble. If you hang around this place though, sooner or later you'll crack and walk into a thread and call a poster everything but humanly intelligent. LOL.
                  Don't think I haven't been tempted a few times.

                  One of these days the wrong comment at the wrong time might do it, you never know.
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              • Profile picture of the author Dan Riffle
                Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

                Sorry Sal . . . I'm too dumb to know what you were looking for. Just ask Dan, he'll tell you.

                You do realize I was just yanking your chain, right?
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                • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
                  Originally Posted by Dan Riffle View Post

                  You do realize I was just yanking your chain, right?
                  I assumed you were, but to be honest I wasn't 100% sure because we really haven't joked back and forth much and I have no idea what your opinion of me is - you might think I'm stupid for all I know - you could find evidence supporting that notion. I wasn't affected by it, I was just playing off it in a couple of my comments. Fodder you know. It's all good. I'm too old to worry about what people think of me.


                  Besides, it's not your fault if you're a human foghorn.
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                  • Profile picture of the author MissTerraK
                    Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

                    I assumed you were, but to be honest I wasn't 100% sure because we really haven't joked back and forth much and I have no idea what your opinion of me is - you might think I'm stupid for all I know - you could find evidence supporting that notion. I wasn't affected by it, I was just playing off it in a couple of my comments. Fodder you know. It's all good.


                    Besides, it's not your fault if you're a human foghorn.
                    Hahahaha! That last line seriously cracked me up, Dennis! Thanks for that!

                    Oh, and I couldn't agree more with this as they are my sentiments, exactly!:
                    I'm too old to worry about what people think of me.
                    Terra
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                    • Profile picture of the author vharlow
                      I don't think they are so dumb.... I think they are single minded, narrow minded, and focus only on one thing, ignoring everything else.

                      If you can do that, whether smart or not, if you can focus intensely on just getting on with what needs to be done, and can follow and do what others who are successful do, IQ means nothing.

                      I've noticed a whole lot of college grads haven't got a clue about ordinary commonplace things, and consequently, folks think they are dumb clucks. They aren't really. They just are out of their element, which is academia.

                      Real life and academia are very different.

                      Regards, Virginia
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                    • Profile picture of the author peter_act
                      Originally Posted by debml View Post


                      Am I smart? Standardized tests suggest I am. MENSA agrees. Best score - GMAT verbal score - 99th percentile (maybe that's why I like copywriting.)

                      In a lot of ways, I think above-average intelligence lends itself to over-analysis entirely too easily. I can call it whatever euphemism I choose... but at the end of the day, ruminating is not a revenue generating activity.
                      Originally Posted by Mr Bill View Post

                      I'm not sure about all this but I do know that I've been bitterly disappointed by some clearly intelligent people who had extremely negative attitudes, very little belief in their abilities and horrible outlooks on life.

                      I think attitude trumps intelligence.
                      I'm a Mensan too - a wag in our magazine suggested that MENSA stood for May Encourage Narrow Social Awareness

                      Cheers
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            • Profile picture of the author John Durham
              Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

              No. I was searching for something a little more........um.....a little more vulgar, sadistic, and/or just plain snotty and arrogant. It is, after all, you realize - late night in the OT.
              I do that sometimes, but really the low life vermin are so far beneath me that they deserve it for trying to stand in my presence which is clearly out of their league.

              Hows that Sal?
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              • Profile picture of the author HeySal
                Originally Posted by John Durham View Post

                I do that sometimes, but really the low life vermin are so far beneath me that they deserve it for trying to stand in my presence which is clearly out of their league.

                Hows that Sal?
                How's that? Man - you've had practice.
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        • Profile picture of the author Kurt
          Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

          Kurt -- that is getting dangerously close to saying "it's luck people. It's just LUCK.
          Not at all. Luck would be evenly distributed among smart and less smart.
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          • Profile picture of the author MissTerraK
            Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

            Not at all. Luck would be evenly distributed among smart and less smart.
            This is very true Kurt and exactly why I believe dumb people become successful. After all, dumb people are the ones who have dumb luck.

            How do dumb people become successful? Dumb luck!

            Terra
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  • Profile picture of the author Rick B
    I think that intelligence can be an asset in becoming successful but it's only one element.

    Intelligence, education, experience, strong work ethic, a "never give up" attitude, strong social skills and many other elements all contribute to success. Any one doesn't guarantee success and occasionally someone with none of those traits stumbles onto success or someone with all of them fails but overall, the more of them you have, the more likely you are to succeed.
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    Of course, there's one other fact to consider here. Someone can be a complete idiot in some fields but very smart in others. Many of us have a genius area or two and several bimbo buttons in place in others. Some people that appear to be completely drooling on their desks are actually quite good at what they are there to do. Someone who is excellent with figuring numbers and create excel spread sheets can totally suck at forming a logical conclusion about what those numbers indicate for example. That's why businesses departmentalize. The problem is when people who are great at some areas are promoted into positions that require a broader range of sharps than they have. Some companies still promote on seniority and in the long run it hurts everyone when the person who was good at the 15 year job can't handle the new areas of skills and intelligence they need for the new job. I think that's where congress goes. We elect people who were good at what they did and appear to have more overall sharps than they do - and they just happen to stink at what we hire them for.
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    • Profile picture of the author MissTerraK
      Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

      Of course, there's one other fact to consider here. Someone can be a complete idiot in some fields but very smart in others. Many of us have a genius area or two and several bimbo buttons in place in others.
      Hey, I resemble that! :p

      Terra
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  • Profile picture of the author MoneyMagnetMagnate
    Confidence is 10 percent hard work and 90 percent delusion -
    - Tina Fey
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  • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
    I don't usually feel comfortable or qualified to assess someone as "dumb". That's painting myself as some sort of all-knowing smart guy which I ain't. I'm not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer myself. I can say that I have occasionally met self-proclaimed "smart" people who didn't convince me of their brilliance.
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  • Profile picture of the author MoneyMagnetMagnate
    Hows this?
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  • Profile picture of the author YoungAndOpulent
    Banned
    Usually, people that are wealthy are "dumb" in the sense that they don't fill their heads with useless information. Like a lot of academic stuff, for example. But when you ask them about their fields of business, they usually know their stuff better than anyone. If they don't, you better believe they've got someone on their staff who does. Wealthy people are smart where it counts. But the masses are taught to learn everything about everything in order to be successful. But from my experience, it's knowing your industry that makes a person successful.
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    • Profile picture of the author MoneyMagnetMagnate
      Originally Posted by YoungAndOpulent View Post

      Usually, people that are wealthy are "dumb" in the sense that they don't fill their heads with useless information. Like a lot do academic stuff, for example. But when you ask them about their fields of business, they usually know their stuff better than anyone. If they don't, you better believe they've got someone on their staff who does. Wealthy people are smart where it counts. But the masses are taught to learn everything about everything in order to be successful. But from my experience, it's knowing your industry that makes a person successful.
      This reminds me of a story reported to be about Einstein, when a reporter once asked him what the speed of light was, and he said he didn't know off hand...(he was known for being somewhat the "absent-minded professor")

      The reporter said "You came up with the theory of relativity, and you don't know how fast the speed of light is? (186,000/sec, in case you're wondering :rolleyes

      And Einstein said: "Why should I fill my head with that kind of stuff, when I can look it up in 30 seconds?"
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      • Profile picture of the author YoungAndOpulent
        Banned
        Originally Posted by MoneyMagnetMagnate View Post

        This reminds me of a story reported to be about Einstein, when a reporter once asked him what the speed of light was, and he said he didn't know off hand...(he was known for being somewhat the "absent-minded professor")

        The reporter said "You came up with the theory of relativity, and you don't know how fast the speed of light is? (186,000/sec, in case you're wondering :rolleyes

        And Einstein said: "Why should I fill my head with that kind of stuff, when I can look it up in 30 seconds?"
        My point exactly! I haven't heard that story, but it proves my point. I was actually thinking of the story of Henry Ford. The one which he sued a magazine for calling him ignorant for not making it past sixth grade. In the end, he embarrassed them in court.
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  • Profile picture of the author WebPen
    I can attest to the idea that "smart" people over-analyze EVERYTHING.

    I sailed through high school's toughest classes without studying, then went to one of the best engineering schools in the United States, graduated with a 3.5.

    But ya know what? With IM, success requires a different kind of intelligence.

    In engineering, something is either right or wrong- there is no in-between. There is no "sort of".

    But with IM, it's ALL "sort of". Success to one person is making $5 a day- to another person its $5K a day.

    There's no black and white, right or wrong, one-track way to think about things. And that's what catches me up.

    But... a dumber person won't see it that way. They do see it as black and white. They either achieved what they wanted or they didn't- simple as that.

    So they keep doing something until it works, while I'm tempted to spend the next week trying to figure out what went wrong.
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  • Profile picture of the author MoneyMagnetMagnate
    I guess this throws part of my theory out the window...

    7-foot tall American males have a 17% chance of playing in the NBA, regardless of their basketball ability

    FOR THE 7-FOOT SET, PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PROVIDES MORE - 07.04.11 - SI Vault
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  • Profile picture of the author taskemann
    Just look on Homer Simpson for example. He is dumb and have been successful many times. He have been an astronaut, a billionaire once, he had a talk show and he owned a NFL team.
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    • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
      Originally Posted by taskemann View Post

      Just look on Homer Simpson for example. He is dumb and have been successful many times. He have been an astronaut, a billionaire once, he had a talk show and he owned a NFL team.
      "Eighty percent of success is showing up."
      ~Woody Allen
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  • Profile picture of the author MoneyMagnetMagnate
    Christopher Langan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Mr. Langan’s IQ is nearly 200, actually it’s 195, but he will tell you 195-210. In case you haven’t heard about Langan, he worked a lot of labor intensive job in his early life like a firefighter, construction worker, farm hand and even spent 20 years as a bouncer at a club.

    Thinksquad Presents: The Smartest Man in America | Thinksquad
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  • Profile picture of the author William Maloney
    There's actually a funny quote about this thing: Stupid people have rested minds.
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