From Facebook, referring to my posts:
I would never deny the value of a High-IQ person over a Low-IQ person. However, there are many things that might easily allow a Low-IQ person to beat a High-IQ person at any skill.
Patience and Discipline are the most important of those things, followed by Experience and Lowered Neuroticism. These are the qualities that can defeat a High-IQ person.
Any skill?
No way, but there is truth to what he says. You can certainly get far in life with a normal IQ or even a low IQ. Charles Oglivy, the founder of modern American advertising, took repeated IQ tests and always scored ~95. He was one of the most successful men in the history of this country. Elvis Presley scored 70 on an IQ in school but he was one of the greatest entertainers of all time. 70 is borderline IQ, verging on retarded, but it didn’t stop him from being famous and wealthy. Muhammad Ali had an IQ of 85. That’s low normal. But he was very charming, had delightful verbal skills almost like a pre-rapper and was funny as Hell. An IQ of below 100 is often not a barrier at all to success at least in America.
America is a nation of IQ haters. It is completely unacceptable to discuss this matter or even write about it. You would not believe the grief I get for even daring to write about it. Most people you meet flip out when you mention IQ, especially high IQ, and start getting upset and angry. However, almost all of these are people who apparently do not have very high IQ’s. Every single high to very high IQ person I have ever run into likes to talk about this subject, and they are not bothered by it at all. The truth is that most Americans hate IQ and high IQ discussions because their own IQ isn’t very high!
I fail to understand why Americans are so bizarre about this.
A high IQ is simply a talent, and inborn one, a gift. So many people are born with gifted talents. Think of all of the musical, artistic, literary, mechanical, thesbian, dancing, singing, mathematical, athletic and even socially talented born geniuses there are out there. Americans admire anyone who has any of these natural inborn talents.
“Ooohhh ahhhhh wow she is such a great artist, oh wow, impressive.”
All inborn talents, even beauty, are respected and even cheered on except for brains!
Yes lower IQ people can outperform higher IQ on many tasks and even jobs, and many lower IQ people can and do still earn a lot of money. Brains, even brilliant brains, will only get you so far in society.
Now to the suggestions in the argument above. I believe they are not valid. I have been around many people in my life, high to low IQ, and I would say that high IQ people are much more likely to be patient and disciplined than lower IQ persons. Yes, lower IQ people are less neurotic, but they also often suffer from other disorders such as mood, psychotic, character or substance use disorders.
I have a hard time understand why some anxiety disorder (neuroticism) is such a big deal. Generally speaking, these are pretty minor mental illnesses, you know.
At any rate, IQ is correlated very well with work performance, attendance, discipline, all the sort of things that lead to success on the job. I would hire a higher IQ person over a lower IQ one in a heartbeat. IQ is correlated with many things that will help you be successful and healthy in life.
A lower IQ person is no more likely to have a lot of experience than a high IQ person is. Anyway, all of the Renaissance Men I have known who were experienced and very good at all sorts of things had high IQ’s. Your lower IQ guy is often good at one thing, say being a short order cook in a taqueria.
Also, below a certain level, low intelligence is downright dangerous. Dumb people are sort of dangerous solely on account of being dumb. Haven’t you noticed that in life?
Stupidity is dangerous!
