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Woe from the mind: how intelligence prevents success
Sometimes the smartest people do the stupidest things.
Several users of Quora decided to answer the sore question: “What stupid things do smart people?” The answers shed light on how smart people drown themselves without knowing it, and how to avoid it.
© Heng Swee Lim
Here are some of them.
1. Smart people think too much and do too little.“Because it is easy to think intelligent, it is harder to act. Research and planning in moderation are useful, but they create a dangerous illusion of progress, says Silicon Valley entrepreneur Chris Ye. If a smart person is a perfectionist, they may fall into the trap of this seemingly productive procrastination and hang on to the details rather than finishing the project.
2. They have a herd instinct.Andrew Young of Venture for America described this trend in detail: graduates of the best universities go to prestigious areas like finance and consulting instead of doing what they really like.
New York-based entrepreneur Lee Samel agrees: “A lot of smart people are often left behind because they’re brought up in an academic grovelling atmosphere and don’t know what they really want or try something out of the ordinary.”
3. They avoid risk.Usually, very smart people tend to strive for high results and end up in a company with equally high-performance and motivated employees. But then their motivation can narrow to the fear of shame. This leads to “closedness and reluctance to try something new, which they are not good at because they are afraid to stop being “smart” in the eyes of colleagues,” says programmer Pankai Kumar.
4. They don't try anymore.People who have achieved success due to their high intelligence often become lazy. “They throw away the further development of innate talents and begin to lag behind those who initially give less and are not endowed with high intelligence, but are more active and practiced,” says Semel.
5. They underestimate social skills.Some smart people don’t realize that intelligence is just one component of success, and personal connections are a powerful tool in a professional environment. “They never try to improve their social skills, they never learn to keep in touch, they never promote themselves. And those who are successful in this relationship, they are belittled in every way, adds Semel.
6. They are unaware of their cognitive failures.Consultant Danita Krause says that the smartest people are so used to relying on their intelligence that they fail to understand that their picture of the world is as susceptible to prejudice as other people. A study by University of Toronto professor Keith Stanovich shows that strong minds are more prone to narrow thinking than less sophisticated people in intellectual activity.
7. They think being right is the most important thing.For many smart people, strong logic connects with a strong ego, and because of this dangerous combination, they begin to think that when you are always right, it brings you universal love (in fact, the opposite). It's bad when people argue over something they don't know much about. But it can be even more embarrassing when they stubbornly try to argue with entrenched beliefs.
8. They equate education with intelligence.Impressive academic merit leads some to think that the level of intelligence will be determined by a university diploma, says sociologist Liz Pullen. In many cases, the diploma of an elite university does reflect the level of achievement, but there are countless examples when people without a higher education are much more qualified due to their real experience.
9. They underestimate others.Of course, confidence in one’s abilities is a necessary prerequisite for success, but people who are used to being praised for their intelligence often become arrogant. “I’ve seen brilliant minds accidentally give the other side the lion’s share in negotiations, and sometimes outright deceived because they believed that intelligence gave them an insurmountable advantage,” Romero said.
10. They bury themselves in theory and do not see reality.It happens that intelligent people in leadership positions are purely theoretical and forget that they are dealing with real people. “It can be normal when it comes to entertainment, or if the consequences of this attitude don’t affect everyone else,” says writer and designer Oliver Damian. But when these ingeniously constructed systems lead to things like subprime mortgage securities, big problems arise for everyone.
11. They're too independent.Smart people don’t try to develop the healthy support base that everyone needs to succeed. "Without good support, anyone can start sliding down the slide, especially when facing difficulties, making a serious miscalculation or falling victim to the malicious behavior of others," says Quora user Andrea Martin. How to develop a support base? “It’s a method to be in the company of the most mature, friendly, competent people you can find.” published
P.S. And remember, just by changing your consciousness – together we change the world!
Source: ideanomics.ru/? p=4402
Several users of Quora decided to answer the sore question: “What stupid things do smart people?” The answers shed light on how smart people drown themselves without knowing it, and how to avoid it.
© Heng Swee Lim
Here are some of them.
1. Smart people think too much and do too little.“Because it is easy to think intelligent, it is harder to act. Research and planning in moderation are useful, but they create a dangerous illusion of progress, says Silicon Valley entrepreneur Chris Ye. If a smart person is a perfectionist, they may fall into the trap of this seemingly productive procrastination and hang on to the details rather than finishing the project.
2. They have a herd instinct.Andrew Young of Venture for America described this trend in detail: graduates of the best universities go to prestigious areas like finance and consulting instead of doing what they really like.
New York-based entrepreneur Lee Samel agrees: “A lot of smart people are often left behind because they’re brought up in an academic grovelling atmosphere and don’t know what they really want or try something out of the ordinary.”
3. They avoid risk.Usually, very smart people tend to strive for high results and end up in a company with equally high-performance and motivated employees. But then their motivation can narrow to the fear of shame. This leads to “closedness and reluctance to try something new, which they are not good at because they are afraid to stop being “smart” in the eyes of colleagues,” says programmer Pankai Kumar.
4. They don't try anymore.People who have achieved success due to their high intelligence often become lazy. “They throw away the further development of innate talents and begin to lag behind those who initially give less and are not endowed with high intelligence, but are more active and practiced,” says Semel.
5. They underestimate social skills.Some smart people don’t realize that intelligence is just one component of success, and personal connections are a powerful tool in a professional environment. “They never try to improve their social skills, they never learn to keep in touch, they never promote themselves. And those who are successful in this relationship, they are belittled in every way, adds Semel.
6. They are unaware of their cognitive failures.Consultant Danita Krause says that the smartest people are so used to relying on their intelligence that they fail to understand that their picture of the world is as susceptible to prejudice as other people. A study by University of Toronto professor Keith Stanovich shows that strong minds are more prone to narrow thinking than less sophisticated people in intellectual activity.
7. They think being right is the most important thing.For many smart people, strong logic connects with a strong ego, and because of this dangerous combination, they begin to think that when you are always right, it brings you universal love (in fact, the opposite). It's bad when people argue over something they don't know much about. But it can be even more embarrassing when they stubbornly try to argue with entrenched beliefs.
8. They equate education with intelligence.Impressive academic merit leads some to think that the level of intelligence will be determined by a university diploma, says sociologist Liz Pullen. In many cases, the diploma of an elite university does reflect the level of achievement, but there are countless examples when people without a higher education are much more qualified due to their real experience.
9. They underestimate others.Of course, confidence in one’s abilities is a necessary prerequisite for success, but people who are used to being praised for their intelligence often become arrogant. “I’ve seen brilliant minds accidentally give the other side the lion’s share in negotiations, and sometimes outright deceived because they believed that intelligence gave them an insurmountable advantage,” Romero said.
10. They bury themselves in theory and do not see reality.It happens that intelligent people in leadership positions are purely theoretical and forget that they are dealing with real people. “It can be normal when it comes to entertainment, or if the consequences of this attitude don’t affect everyone else,” says writer and designer Oliver Damian. But when these ingeniously constructed systems lead to things like subprime mortgage securities, big problems arise for everyone.
11. They're too independent.Smart people don’t try to develop the healthy support base that everyone needs to succeed. "Without good support, anyone can start sliding down the slide, especially when facing difficulties, making a serious miscalculation or falling victim to the malicious behavior of others," says Quora user Andrea Martin. How to develop a support base? “It’s a method to be in the company of the most mature, friendly, competent people you can find.” published
P.S. And remember, just by changing your consciousness – together we change the world!
Source: ideanomics.ru/? p=4402
