Do you need High IQ to be successful?

[jtracy]

There is a basic problem with this whole argument. The fact is that IQ does not necessarily measure intelligence. Of course it is irrelevant to success, because it doesn't really measure anything except how good you are at taking tests, and that has nothing to do with anything in real life. We would all agree that dogs have a very low IQ and yet they have been known to find their master on the other side of the country with nothing to guide them. Most people couldn't even find someone in the house next door without instructions. The point is that someone who has been tested to have a very low IQ could still have a talent (or maybe even several) that would allow them to become very successful at certain types of tasks. After all, all you really need is a talent in one area, nobody can be good at everything.

And yes, we really need to think about what success really means. I personally beleive that you are only successful if you are happy about what you are doing. It has nothing to do with how much you have. It mostly has to do with what kind of a person you are. There is no way that IQ measures what kind of person you are.

[Revolution]

aaaaaaaaaargh, you obvioulsy read my prev. post... NOT!!!

[smartile]

Hi Power,

I think it's more important to have a high E.I. ~ Emotional Intelligence

Since our decisions are primarily driven by emotion, I think it may be a good idea to practice learning how to manage your emotions.

E.I. beats I.Q. any day.

[shivraj]

Attitude is more important than aptitude that determines ultimate altitude in life !

[fourwinds]

Just be High On Life and Success Will Always Follow

[RichC]

High IQ (in it's general sense) hinders as much as helps. It often leads to overthinking, procrastination and examination of all possible outcomes and needs a high degree of self-discipline exerted over it to stop analysis paralysis in decison making. People with high IQ tend to take a more thought based approach than instinctive in my experience and over thinking leads to fear.

This does not mean to say that high IQ people are less successful. It just means that they consider more variables when reaching decisions. Lower IQ tends to rely more instinctively on their choices when based on decisions and thus tend to make them quicker, however tend to make more mistakes. Less over thinking means less fear.

It all balances out with success. To say one or other is more successful is too simplistic in my view as I know of some exceptionally successful high IQ people. Each bracket just has different challenges to overcome.