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New study: It doesn't Pay to be Smart

usatoday.com — If you're so smart, why aren't you rich? Brains may be more hindrance than help when it comes to getting rich.

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  • skittleys, on 10/10/2007, -23/+6I'd say there's a pretty obvious reason...the highly intelligent compete with the highly intelligent. Someone with an IQ (not that IQ = smart anyway) of 115 could prosper in an average IQ world, but a 133 is (maybe) on the low end in scientific research. Sure, there's sociological factors too, but you have to consider who your competition is and realise that only a certain number of people can be "rich", otherwise the term would have no significance!
    • jcm267, on 10/10/2007, -6/+17The smartest person in America is a bouncer who lives a trailer.
      • SuperWinner, on 10/10/2007, -2/+6Down by the river??
      • manicallday, on 10/10/2007, -3/+3No. It's the cooler that lives on top of a barn.
        • SenorCardgage74, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Dugg down by those that just dont understand.

          /Pain dont hurt
    • BassMastr, on 10/10/2007, -2/+16Doesn't matter how smart you are or how good your ideas are if you can't communicate them appropriately.
      • cococooky, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5Unless your an inventor. Actions speak louder than words.
        • BassMastr, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2The rare exception...
        • M4tt3r, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1You have to explain how it works, and why someone would want to buy it, no?
          • cococooky, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0If the Invention works it works, do you think anyone had to ask "what are we going to do with that light bulb?". Anyway I'm sure the invention would help you explain the concept. We are talking about poor communicators not mutes after all.
      • M4tt3r, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Sadly that is absolutely true. I'm a horrible public speaker, it's sooooo frustrating. When I speak to another person about "something" they aren't familiar with, I feel stupid, because at times I can't communicate exactly what I want to say. I can however, get my point across a lot easier when I'm typing, or writing, because my brain has to slow down to the same speed as my hands, thus allowing me time to actually think about what I want to say. (my mouth can't keep up with what I want to say, or I can't pick the correct words to use so I end up limiting my choice of words. I loathe it so much.)
    • joe7845, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1The finding is counter-intuitive because people assume that certain types of "abnormal" are better than normal, e.g. being taller than average, etc. This finding is interesting in light of another one that also made it to Digg recently: http://digg.com/health/Graph_The_Smarter_You_Are_The_Less_Sex_You_Get
    • kingkilr, on 10/10/2007, -4/+17*****, first smarter people don't get laid, now we don't get rich!
      • jcm267, on 10/10/2007, -5/+11we? What makes you think you are part of the smart person group?
        • kingkilr, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Documented IQ tests(not online :P), that do it for you?
        • H0tKarl, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1So you're dumb and insecure?
      • Euler2718, on 10/10/2007, -2/+15Because he doesn't get laid
    • norman619, on 10/10/2007, -4/+4Explain Bill Gates and other geeks. Smarts plays a role in your success.
      • curunir, on 10/10/2007, -6/+6Bill Gates ain't dumb - but he isn't that smart, either. Yea, he's got business savvy, but mostly he gets ahead by being ruthless and amoral. That doesn't take smarts. Gates was never the *brains* behind anything that Microsoft did - and never *claimed* to be.
        • ronmexico, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Bill Gates ruthless and amoral? What are you talking about? I would argue he's probably a hell of a lot more generous than you.
        • queenstarsha, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1what ronmexico said, and: bill gates not that smart? says who?
        • didiman, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Wow you really have no idea what you are talking about. Bill Gates is extremely smart. He was taking college math classes in high school, started a successful business as a teenager, was admitted to Harvard, was taking advanced math classes freshman year, etc.
      • AxeSwinger, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1If you don't know why Gates is as rich as he is based on the findings of the study you need to just keep making your six figures a year and must not very intelligent.
    • pepsiguy94, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1OK you have named one. Go in to more detail with the "other geeks" portion of your statement.
    • polymorphist, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1The smarts don't pay either...
  • ramong, on 10/10/2007, -6/+57I think to be rich you have to be creative, passionate, a bit lucky and hard working. Intelligence is a welcomed asset, but not indispensable.
    • thcobbs, on 10/10/2007, -3/+16Not being stupid helps.
      • zybch, on 10/10/2007, -2/+8Sure helped George W Bush.
        Of course the billions his family gets from the Saudis helps a lot too.
        • ronmexico, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I'm sure you can prove that. Oh I see, it's just a ***** theory you think sounds good so you go around believing and saying it.
      • tsteele93, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Being stupid CAN help - at least a little. I think the original article is very weak, as it offers very little explanation, or even intelligent guesses, as to why this occurs.

        I have a theory. It is related to risk/reward. Smart people tend to look at the risk/reward ratio and back away from high risk, high reward scenarios. By the standard assessment of intelligence, it is smarter to reduce your risk and maintain a reasonable level of reward. A less intelligent person may jump into a high risk situation because they don't have the intelligence to recognize the risk - or maybe they are foolish enough to think there is no way they can fail. So they become rich when they beat the odds. And with 6 billion people on the planet and nearly 400 million in the US, you hear about the success stories, and you don't see the losers littered along the way.

        Naturally this is not an absolute, and some dumb people stay in a safe job and some smart people take risks. But I think there is a certain degree of "not being too smart" can help you because you don't see the potential pitfalls in your plan and you take a higher level of risk.

        I believe this is a general rule for actors as well. Being below average intelligence makes it easier for you to abandon inhibitions (if you had them to begin with) and act in another character without feeling foolish. It also makes you more likely to belive that you will succeed where millions fail. And then the icing on the cake is that the few who do succeed (statistically speaking) believe they succeeded because they were truly more talented and more intelligent than the others, when in reality it was a crapshoot. Intelligent people - as a general rule - are less likely to take the incredible risk associated with becoming a "movie star." Meanwhile, we don't see the mass of people who went to L.A. and didn't make it big - we just see the winners.

        copyright 2007 - Tom Steele
      • artofwar420, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Just look at Kevin Rose.

        I kid. He's passionate about his work and it shows.
    • meekar, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6You should stress lucky a little bit more.
      • themastersb, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Yeah.... I'm somewhat cursed by fate
    • Unlgued, on 10/10/2007, -0/+13Helps to be greedy, underhanded, and amoral.
      • wiremonkeymommy, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2may I add devoid of empathy, rampantly egocentric and banally materialistic?
    • Intoccabile, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5And you forgot to say beautiful! While some of the richest people in the world aren't all to good looking the majority of beautiful people get paid more than ugly people! You should know, it was on front page yesterday. Beautiful people get paid 12% more or something i don't remember the figures.
      • HouseFan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Yes. Beautiful whores are always more expensive...
        Wait... Are you talking about whores, aren't you?!
    • rune420, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Intelligence is crucial. You have to be able to think critically and make good risk assessments when investing money. Being smart diminishes the need for luck, imo.
      • CiXeL, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2money matters more than anything.
        look at howard hughes. he brute forced his way into the airline industry by spending gazillions until he got somewhere.
    • willynilly, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3This article fails to mention a critical factor, one that is especially important as our population grows ever more stupid: Smart people are removed from the taste of the general public, making it harder for them to come up with a "huge hit" that appeals to the broader population. Look at the U.S. president. Look at MySpace. Look at YouTube. These are stupid ***** people, folks. And yet they hold sway.
    • logost, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I thought morals is what prohibits most from becoming rich.
    • sinjab, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_Quotient#Income
  • qwerty1024, on 10/10/2007, -5/+53It pays to be rich
  • haackers, on 10/10/2007, -4/+83Its not what you know its who you know.
    • dagnabbit, on 10/10/2007, -7/+2It's not just about becoming rich. The same theory applies to becoming President, in some cases.
      • jcm267, on 10/10/2007, -7/+4Every president in my lifetime (Reagan, Clinton, Bushes 1 and 2) has much smarter than the average person.
        • jlharrity, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Which really isn't saying much.
        • bosks, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2They has a lot of smart? Hm, I wonder if they could lend me some...
          • neuropsychguy, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4You were supposed to say something trendy and faux-witty like "I can has smarts?"
      • nonnald, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1"has much smarter than the average person"

        except when it comes to stringing together words to form coherent sentences?
      • AxeSwinger, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Smarter than average does not mean genius.
    • gungaroo22, on 10/10/2007, -2/+13It's about doing what you love, not chasing money.
    • jimmiss, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5Agreed, when I hear about someone getting a job without "networking" their way into it I'm pretty surprised.
    • orlyfactor, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2It's not what you know, or even who you know that matters - it's who you're doing.
    • signal15, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I disagree. It's who you know to be successful, it's what you know to get rich.
  • Error601, on 10/10/2007, -10/+34Primary reason: People tend to have a highly over-inflated view of how smart they are try to compete way above their heads. When it doesn't work out, they come up with excuses about how the system is flawed to avoid the conclusion that they couldn't cut it.


    • Error601, on 10/10/2007, -14/+1Stupid double posting UI.
    • Error601, on 10/10/2007, -15/+2Classic...The dig down denial pretty much proved my point.
      • Terr01, on 10/10/2007, -1/+24It doesn't prove or disprove your point.

        But then again, I suppose your over-inflated view of yourself caused you to make a spurious illogical rationalization blaming the flaws in the digg up/down system for the reason that your argument didn't cut it.

        Original post dugg up anyway.
    • tradwolley, on 10/10/2007, -3/+22The overinflated personal view occurs more with the average intelligence people, to whom the education system is designed. The problem with intelegent people is that until they get a real job we never need to work hard. I coasted through school, and with the exception of about 4 classes in college coasted through there as well. The problem with smart people is more a lack of ambition, at least in my case.
      • noahhoward, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3Ditto, 24 credit hours in one semester and I still didn't feel like I was doing anything worth my while.
        • mdshoreboy, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1What on earth does "not doing anything worth your while" have to do with how easy your classes were? If classes were so easy for you why didn't you take an initiative and go above and beyond the course work?

          Take on side projects that prove your worth and take charge of your own life.

          Seems like you're just a lazy ass and want to blame everyone else's lack of intelligence for your plot in life.


        • H0tKarl, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1That sounds pretty dumb to me.
      • bosks, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Smart people just know that life isn't all about money. :>
      • mdshoreboy, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I doubt your lack of ambition has anything to do with your level of intelligence. It's just your personality, plain and simple.

        I know some extremely brilliant people who are highly motivated and driven. Even the CEO of Google went above and beyond his courses to create a search engine.

        I also know two people from high school who were in the idiot classes and were made fun of. However, one of them is now a successful business owner making over 10 million a year. Another is currently working on her phd.

        You want to be successful, well don't blame the education system. Get off your ass and do something. You think you're really smart, then get in the door at a company that could really use your smarts. Otherwise, you'll be the only one who knows how smart you are, everyone else will look at you as a lame-duck.
      • bacon_skoda, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1missing the drive.
    • ace277, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0In that case I would say the person isn't really that smart after all...
  • MassiveTaTas, on 10/10/2007, -2/+105It sure helps to have big ***** though!
    • MrSteamTank, on 10/10/2007, -5/+12Bonus! My ***** are huge. Although I always thought it was a bad thing. You learn something new every day!
      • jcm267, on 10/10/2007, -1/+25It is a problem when your name is "MrSteamTank"
    • tonton2012, on 10/10/2007, -4/+2Well I don't think they were referring to gynecomastia.
    • QuietRyan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6unless you're a guy
      • CiXeL, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1im sure theres some gay dude out there with a fetish
  • Drexus, on 10/10/2007, -10/+59Really intelligent people know that "getting rich" is, and has always been a back-seat to "being happy". I won't go into detail about the personal profile of people who are wealthy, and those who are simply content, as financial success does not mean success in life. I've seen it many times: Owners of small and successful companies refuse to expand and grow wealth. They know how much more work it would be, and the amount it takes out of living.

    A financial genius will drive 1 hour to his office in a cheap & reliable used car, saving every penny for investment...
    A life science genius will drive 1 hour to his office in an new efficient luxury car with every available option - knowing that a large portion of his life will be sitting in that car - He comes home relaxed and less drained then the former comparative. The financial genius dies at 68 with a huge estate. The life science genius semi-retires at 40 and works from home. He lives to be 85 experiencing twice as much enjoyment from life as the former comparative.
    • satanatnmtedu, on 10/10/2007, -1/+25The life science genius lives a couple blocks from his work and doesn't drive at all.
      • shableep, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2exactly what i was thinking. a life science inclined person realizes that spending any amount of time in a car has very little value and would simply find a way to decrease the amount of time spent in the car. and so, yah... living closer to work.
    • W3Coyote, on 10/10/2007, -3/+8The ultimate genius makes millions selling magazine pictures of hot naked women, builds a mansion in L.A., lives off of beer and viagra, and spends his free time banging models and sipping cocktails by the pool.
      • Drexus, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1...and dies of a drug overdose. His kids are alienated and nobody comes to his funeral.
    • aukxsona, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3What if you're both a life science and financial genius?
      • bosks, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2There's a name for that... it's called, "a famous musician."
    • stupergenius, on 10/10/2007, -3/+8What is life science...
    • stupergenius, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5So that's how you double post, sweet.
    • jlharrity, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3http://www.naute.com/inspiration/fisherman.phtml
  • Piedramente, on 10/10/2007, -7/+16Problem, we have a Houston.
  • Sirocco, on 10/10/2007, -4/+65Truly smart people don't require massive amounts of money to lead a satisfying life.
    • mahler, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2This was my first thought when reading the headline... people who want to think of the new string theory probably don't want to waste any time on money-related issues. I don't need massive amounts of money either to lead a satisfying life (at least I made myself think I don't) However, although the article is talking about IQ scores.... my definition of smart only depends on the goal... and if your goal is to be rich, then judging by the decisions you made to become rich, you can be judged as a smart person.
    • H0tKarl, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Most retards I've seen seem pretty happy as well.
  • Infantrydude, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7Not sure this study "proves" anything. No defined parameters (at least in the article). They did a sample survey, not an IQ check on the top 5 or 10% of income earners. And if you marry rich did you "earn" it (yes) or if you inherit it or win the lottery (no)?
  • brainScan, on 10/10/2007, -2/+13"People with 140 IQ scores (a score of 100 is average) missed payments and maxed-out their credit cards more often than their lower IQ counterparts."
    - So, your credit cards used to be maxed-out, and you were always late on your payments. Now they're not maxed-out and you pay them on time. It wasn't hard work or discipline that helped. Your IQ simply dropped.

    Now, THAT'S an example of "correlation does not imply causation".
    • Ford_Prefect2nd, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2I don't imagine your IQ would drop to any notable degree in a short enough amount of time to effect anything. I really don't think its a good example at all.
    • queenstarsha, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1i don't even understand what he said, so the 9 diggs are sure confusing to this 140 with massive student loan debt. if only i could understand rambly nonsense, perhaps i could buy a house.
  • Piedramente, on 10/10/2007, -5/+3Obviously this study is flawed....
  • LoJack, on 10/10/2007, -1/+50If you're smart enough to kiss ass, then you get a promotion. But if you're too intelligent to kiss ass, then they get rid of you - to eliminate competition. I've seen it at work. Your choice.
    • SuperWinner, on 10/10/2007, -2/+4I agree. Dumb ass kissers get way farther in a company, but real smart people learn what they can from a ***** company and then go out and start their own business.
    • noahhoward, on 10/10/2007, -0/+11Another part of the problem is the more indispensable you make yourself in a role, the more likely they are to keep you there while they promote someone else.
  • Lane, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5being intelligent doesn't mean being successful just as being pretty doesn't mean living happily. This world is far to random to have one factor to guarantee any quality of life.
  • jeffiek, on 10/10/2007, -1/+33Success in business depends heavily on being able to predict what most people want.

    How in the hell are the smart people supposed to predict what the idiots want?
    • diggface5000, on 10/10/2007, -8/+1Are you saying that people with average IQs are idiots? Many people who don't score well on IQ tests are still hard workers and successful members of society. "Smart people" predict what consumers want by asking them! They form focus groups and conduct surveys to develop new products. Read an Intro to Marketing book.
      • jcm267, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Well... I consider most people to be idiots, so I keep to my own small group of friends at work.

        Just for your information, while the people at the top may be very smart, marketing departments are full of some of the biggest morons in business.
        • diggface5000, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Maybe we are disagreeing on what we mean by idiot. It sounds like you're saying idiots are people who view the world differently than you. I don't buy into organized religion, but I don't think people who go to church are idiots. To me idiots are people who lack common sense. That has nothing to do with IQ because i've known some people with high IQs who have no concept of the importance of holding a job and lack all persuasive abilities.
          • jcm267, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2No. Idiots are people who can't figure simple things out, who seem to need everything explained to them, no matter what the subject.
        • DustinR, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Don't worry, I'm sure they consider you an idiot too.
    • noahhoward, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1"As for sleep patterns, to go 12 hours must be utopian!! The best is juts under four hours, but this was on Saturday night when having to get up in the morning is not quite such an issue!"

      So? That doesn't mean they are smart.
    • aukxsona, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Now that was a damn funny comment!
    • darkrabbi, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1get high

      no better way to get inside the mind of an idiot than to become one temporarily
    • darkrabbi, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1get high

      no better way to get inside the mind of an idiot than to become one temporarily
    • thirdoffive, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5Invest in shiny objects.
    • jojofleetfoot, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0alcohol
  • diggface5000, on 10/10/2007, -4/+5Some of the most brilliant people in the world can spend their lives researching (physics, genetics, ect) and never see a significant breakthrough in their life. Their work may not be completed until after their death. Result: they are not going to be insanely rich.
    A person of average intelligence will usually be better equipped socially to deal with the world of business which is where a great deal of the wealth comes from.
    • LOVEgoesMLM, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Great user name diggface5000. Just joined Digg. This is the first artical that I shared with my wife.

      A lady selling townhomes said the company perfers people with out a licence because it is less liabliaty.

      Less intelligent people are more likely to be willing to do unethical things and many companies perfer them to people who are intelligent and will ask questons and not just do what they are told.

      A human resoruce person once told me not to put my GPA on my resume becasue it looked like I was braging. She thought I had a 4.0 because I had put 3.2/4.0

      Why do unethical people like Dan Casey thrive?
  • ehalasey, on 10/10/2007, -0/+27I've quite often found that there are a lot of terribly intelligent people who have a difficult time getting ahead professionally specifically because they find playing politics to be degrading. I suppose that certainly supports the theory that smart people are more likely to go against the grain than trying to fit in and ultimately means that their successes, though not monetary, are probably far more substantial on a personal level.
    • DrMonkeyLove, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3That's actually my case. I'm a software engineer. I realize that playing politics and sucking up, and schmoozing would get me more pay, and let me move further up the career ladder, but you know what? I'm a talented engineer. I don't have the patience to suck up and kiss ass. I just want to be an engineer and do what I enjoy. Being management, or something equally non-technical would be the most painful thing in the world for me.
      • queenstarsha, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1yep. i could have doubled my salary two years ago by becoming management and dealing with all the bureaucracy and paperwork. but i loved the work i was doing. i turned down the offer.
    • H0tKarl, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1If it wasn't for people like you, none of my work would get done. Thanks.
  • queso74, on 10/10/2007, -7/+1Emotional intelligence is a better predictor of success in life than IQ.
    • jimmiss, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2As I understand this whole EQ situations, Emotional Intelligence = Coolness. Yes, people who appear 'cool' get more promotions. But don't label it as a type of intelligence. Social skills aren't intelligence, neigther are carpentry skills.
      • 808kick, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1You must be a killer with the ladies
  • jonathansoeder, on 10/10/2007, -4/+11FTA: ""It is still not well understood why some people are rich and others are poor,"

    What complete nonsense. It is very well understood why some people are rich and some are poor. It has been for over a century.

    One group of people own the means of employing people, and another group has to be employed. The group which owns the means of employing people can pay 10 dollars for an hour of labor which produces a good or service which can then be sold for 100. Repeat that process for 40 hours a week, for more than one employee, and voila. You have wealth.
    • jkizzle, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2agreed, marx had this down years ago.
    • kingraoul3, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1"It is still not well understood why some people are rich and others are poor," in canonical bourgeois thought.
  • gmurray, on 10/10/2007, -1/+11Obviously written by someone who is not smart. ;)
  • wassim2k, on 10/10/2007, -1/+10Another fabulous USA Today hack piece.
  • TnTBass, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Perhaps it's because the really smart people know that money cannot buy happiness?

    Well, unless her name's Happiness...
    • Schmidtopolis, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1In which case she's a stripper, and you better have some expendable cash.
  • santiago1, on 10/10/2007, -0/+13 Wealth is measured not by how much you have, but by how little you need.
    -somebody said it, not me
  • l0rdn1k0n, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3what about doctors?
    • jcm267, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2What about them?
    • jkizzle, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2i know alot of really dumb med students. studying not= brains
    • Smight, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0by the time they become doctors they are 30 and $300,000+ in debt
  • manicallday, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2I think being rich has more to do with organization and how to prioritize than intelligence.
  • sQPha7e, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5It's a matter of who is ruthless... take Bill Gates for example.

    "There are two kinds of people. Sheep and sharks. Anyone who is a sheep is fired. Who is a sheep? " -That 80's Guy
    • cadams, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1The Keyser Söze theory to personal success?

      I'll agree with that being a useful means to success.
  • fr0ng, on 10/10/2007, -3/+5Your dum, moran.
  • tripstreet, on 10/10/2007, -1/+16Let me throw this into the mix: maybe the smart people are too intelligent to become corporate CEOs, unethical lawyers, or any of the other mainstream professions that our society recognizes as well paying. By too intelligent, I guess what I mean is being smart enough to realize that the path to wealth ultimately (for the vast majority of cases) requires morals/ethics taking a back seat to profit margins, along with sacrificing long hours at a personally unrewarding job. Maybe the smarties choose to value living fulfilling lives over striving to make the most money possible, ANY WAY possible, everyone else be damned. I, for one, do not equate wealth with anything I aspire to do/become in my life, but hell, maybe I don't speak for the majority. Maybe it really is all about the benjamins..
    • Smight, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I think this is probably the best explanation.

      How many books and movies are there where the main character is naive about what it ethical choices have to be made to succeed in their career until it is too late. The moral most people take away is that money must corrupt since the character was poor and ethical then became rich and unethical. I think the real story is the steps to become rich corrupted and not the wealth specifically. An intelligent person decides ahead of time if they want to play by those rules instead of waiting until it's too late.
    • willin, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2A quote I remember from a HR (Human resources) class: The key to American management is its homogenity - managers are almost invariable white with IQs between 115 and 130. If your IQ is above that upper limit you'll be marked as a flake and have little chance of ever being promoted.
      • mlblac02, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Good quote. Creepy too. So is that what they teach you in business school? Be smart, but not TOO smart...
  • tuxidomasx, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3It doesnt necessarily pay to have a high potential for intellectual aptitude.

    but i believe it can certainly pay to be smart

    having a high IQ doesnt make you smart...

    recognizing and taking advantage of a good opportunity, learning what you need to know, making good judgments and decisions, prioritizing for life, having foresight... thats what i consider "smart"

    and, in my experience, smart people get what they want-- whether it be wealth, a good job, or even a sexy wife.
    • aukxsona, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2And that is the very portrait of the person I would hire.
      • draftingtableX, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Just remember there's a big difference between an educated and well-reasoning person and an impulsive psychopath, that may not be evident within the first year or so.
    • jimmiss, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1recognizing and taking advantage of a good opportunity, learning what you need to know, making good judgments and decisions, prioritizing for life, having foresight... thats what i consider "smart"
      --------------------------------------------------
      No one will disagree with you there. But have fun finding someone who isn't intelligent who fits in that category.
  • benphoster, on 10/10/2007, -1/+14It looks like someone in the marketing department of USA Today knows their demographic well enough to write a piece that would make them feel better about themselves.
    • queenstarsha, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1thanks. your witty retort made me feel better about myself (and my pathetic bank account).
  • CraigJ, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5It's not how smart you are, it's how hard you are willing to work to get what you want.
    • ajb2015, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Keep telling yourself that. It makes reality hurt less.
    • queenstarsha, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1it's also "what you want." for a lot of people, money is not #1.
    • jojofleetfoot, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0The harder I've worked, the more likely my bosses have been to take credit for it.
  • temporal, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3I'd like to see a study with a person's sense of empathy factored in.
    • noumuon, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1intelligence can be (arguably) measured in the form of your intelligence quotient. there is no such measure of empathy. any means to test and rate empathy that are presently available would be far too easy to manipulate. you cannot fake logic.
    • queenstarsha, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1as someone who frequently curses her overactive mirror neurons, i suspect empathy screws you, too. for example, someone empathetic (me) didn't invest in halliburton in 2003, even when they knew it'd be gangbusters. sure, making money on people's deaths is okay with some people. i call them republicans.
  • unclefire, on 10/10/2007, -1/+8This study was done by somebody with not alot of intelligence. There are too many factors involved to easily tie IQ/intelligence to wealth. Motivation, drive, luck, family situation, etc. etc. That said, clearly some level of intelligence helps you to make more money-- a really good programmer will always be "wealthier" than a convenience store clerk (assuming said clerk is not a smart cookie who simply is ok with working at 7-11). Intelligent people tend to go into professions which require that intelligence - doctors, lawyers (debatable, but still), scientists, computer geeks, etc. People of limited intelligence tend to end up in low paying menial jobs-- And then there's "professionals with skills" (Plumbers, Electritians etc.) That later will make decent living (not rich per se unless they own decent size businesses), but are not usually the sharpest tools in the shed. Then the you're so smart, you're stupid. Einstein is well known as a scientist and ginourmous brainiac. Yet, its reported that he couldn't understand how his wife baked a cake. Point is, some of these really smart people are only really smart in a narrow area and lack the other skills to make them smart. I've seen many a college prof or braniac that I thought was clueless (except in their field of study). Which brings me to my last point--- Common Sense. There's smarts and there's common sense. They're not the same. I've known many people who are quite smart, but lack any reasonable form of common sense. I think this is what leads to the 140 IQ people who can't manage their own finances.
  • fortressgame, on 10/10/2007, -5/+5Don't confuse general intelligence, or scientific intelligence with intelligence in making money. Completely different. Most highly intelligent technical people have not applied any of their intelligence to making money, and they reap what they sow. This is the same reason they can't get laid - haven't applied their intelligence to learning anything about women.

    Tipstreet, you are an idiot.



  • spyd3rweb, on 10/10/2007, -1/+6If you get to be too smart, you begin to realize money is completely worthless, and is just a tool to get you to work your life away.
    • aukxsona, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1It is a tool...but not to get you to work...to facilitate trade.
      • Afreyt, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Producing goods for trade, in some circles, is called WORK!
        • LuciusBrutus, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Yeah, Wall Street produces tons of goods! Think of all that paper changing hands!
    • SpykerSpeed, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Without work, many people don't feel their lives have purpose or they aren't fully utilizing their God-given talents.
      • rkritzer, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0And then you get to the next tier, where you're doing too much with your life because you're trying to fully utilize all of your God-given talents.

        Which is actually surprisingly fulfilling despite it being a ton of work.
  • BehnoodMarvazi, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1I think it largely depends on Robert Kiyosaki's Cashflow Quadrant. Which quadrant (employee, self employed, business owner, investor) you a part of will determine how much money you make and how hard you work to make it.
    • unclefire, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0That's a scary thought I had as well.. I don't think Kiyosaki is all that intelligent necessarily-- he just knew what it took to get rich.
  • ReturnToFreedom, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5Perhaps truly wise people realize that scientific, philosophical, or other intellectual pursuits will make one look back on one's life with greater satisfaction than increasing the number of zeros in one's monthly bank statement.
    • jkizzle, on 10/10/2007, -4/+1perhaps you are wrong, sir.
      • ReturnToFreedom, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0You make a compelling argument.
      • bosks, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3When you're on your death-bed, who's gonna hold your hand?
        That $100 dollar bill won't feel sorry for you.
  • enginbeering, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7I like this part about why smart people tend to get into financial distress.
    ...
    — They may have a better memory and are more likely to remember financial mistakes on their surveys.
    • aukxsona, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2That was funny...

      but I wonder if it isn't combination of Good memory, too busy, and think they will be able to "float" around ut.
  • Pic0, on 10/10/2007, -6/+4Yea, look at all the people that can't get a job because they didnt go to middle school, the government gives them money every month while everyone else is giving the government money!

    They are so ***** smart.
  • ThatGirlTasha, on 10/10/2007, -3/+4I don't see any mention of student loans-my husband went to Yale law but our $1,500 a month loan payment is not so prestigious.

    Also, I think smarter people tend to have expensive habits (no not heroin) . Healthier foods cost a fortune (fruits vs. chips), our kids are all in expensive classes, and Amazon's Prime may give you free shipping but just clicking 'buy" and then receiving a book two days later is an expensive hobby.
    You may say 'library' in response- but can I get an 'Amen' when I say fines?
    • Leadhyena, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Holy crap did you say $1500 a month?!? No wonder lawyers look to get paid so much.
    • schoate09, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1No he didn't.
    • ThatGirlTasha, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1 @Leadhyena ya-and that's with with Yale helping out with their COPE program (Yale pays a portion until his income reaches a certain amount) otherwise it would be $2,000.

      One of our best friends is a union sheet metal worker who never went to school, we both have four kids and both of us wives stay home, we have the exact same disposable income-to the dollar.

      As a result, we get together for spaghetti / raman noodle and movie rental night every week.
    • jojofleetfoot, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0I wonder if the survey took into account women who spent their poor hubbies into oblivion...
  • Lister169, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1"Look at all of the moochers and hangers-on. See, that's what happens when you become rich and famous. That's why I avoided it."
  • phmfthacim, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5I can just see digg users:
    "I always knew I was smart!"
  • crapmatic, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2How much is the Bush family worth again?
    • Kugo, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1BINGO. But that family fortune in no way is due to W. And besides: W isn't dumb. He's just suffering from a couple of things. Warped politics and a nerve malady.
  • Puppetx, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Perhaps this is because smart=not greedy/selfish
  • o0joshua0o, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Sometimes a person's financial situation is dominated by factors that he or she can't control. Imagine getting right out of high school and having to work to support your sick, single, uninsured parent.

    Now imagine a complete idiot who inherits millions of dollars from her successful parents.

    Are these people rich or poor because they did or didn't work hard enough, or because of their intellectual apptitude? The answer is no.
    • SpykerSpeed, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0So... the rich kid's parents are dead and the poor kid's parents are still alive? I think a lot of rich kids would give up that money to be able to see their dead parents for a few more years.
  • jkizzle, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1the dumb risktaker will always beat out the smart steady guy. thats why the human with only 20% of his brain working beat out the smarter apemen
    • SpykerSpeed, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1That's right, it's interesting that rich people tend to risk their money on ideas they think will be successful, while poor people squirrel it away and collect the interest. The rich person, even if they lose all their money, is contributing more to society because they are giving business concepts a shot at success.
    • draftingtableX, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1"Beat out" in terms of money, MAYBE What if your goal is integrity? How have you won that game by taking risks?

      The above reply assumes far too much.
  • melondoc, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0Yes, it seems obvious, but seeing and responding to opportunities quicker than the other guy is most important. Problem is, "intelligent fools" can get wrapped up in overthinking or following set rules without question. A great short story about this: http://fridayreflections.typepad.com/weblog/2007/08/when-opportunit.html
  • Afreyt, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1They've got it all wrong. Once you have money, you're allowed to be stupid on tests.
  • bloggrrl, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Intelligent people more likely to become sickened by the systems in which they work, which doesn't really lend itself to getting ahead financially...
    • 3Den, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0Your job is not what gets you ahead financially in most cases. Take jane average, double her salary, triple it even, and she'll go out and buy a second car, put her kids in a better school, and buy a bigger house with a higher mortgage payment, and still be concerned about making all those payments. She will still have trouble occasionally paying bills on time and still be concerned about money on a regular basis.
  • iStunT, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Yeah, but if your rich, it dosen't nessasrily mean your happy. No matter how rich or poor you are everyone wants a 10 percent raise.
    • SpykerSpeed, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0That's because with every 10% raise, you'll spend 10% more. It's called the "rat race".
    • LuciusBrutus, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Yeah, but if you are poor, it likely means you are unhappy.
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