If someone isn't "book smart" or even the brightest... should that condemn them to a life of poverty?

Question

This seems to be the case much of the time... not all, but much...

if a person grows up in a poor home and isn't the smartest... he's pretty much doomed...

you can work hard all your life, but without a degree (if you just can't cut it in college) or even just above average intelligence... you're not going anywhere...

it seems like all of those that make it out of poverty are very intelligent... not even really the hardest workers... and it doens't have to be book smarts, but just business smarts... but still, above average intelligence...

so is that fair for those that weren't blessed by God with business/book intelligence?

... will stay in poverty?

Leogirl0804: hollywood and sports only represents a very small percentage of "success" in very odd fields... most wouldn't bank on becoming an actor or a basketball player... and these fields aren't real indicators of 99 percent of the market...

CAN ANY OF YOU READ... I SAID IT DIDN'T HAVE TO BE BOOK SMART... BUT SMART IN OTHER WAYS

c13reasons: what's your point... I know many of those areas, SOME MUCH BETTER THAN YOU.... and there aren't a lot of rich people in those areas... and there isn't a lot of education either?

birdsnakecat: have you "been there, done that"?

if you have been there, you know there are many HARD WORKERS that aren't making it out of poverty working two jobs and 60 hours a week... and they would laugh at you and tell you, that you clearly haven't been there and you have no idea what you're talking about?

BeachBum: hey... if you want to fight me too... fine... but if you're going to get mad over petty things like stars... the cause will never grow, because those who should be fighting for it will be too caught up in fighting amongst themselves...

Answer 1

It all depends on your definition of success. One does not need to make a lot of money in order to not be stuck in poverty. You're right though. It does always seem, with very few exceptions, that people who lack the innate ability to make it through school or get their foot in the door on their own accord, are often found in the lower classes. I don't believe that this makes them any less successful. I tried for years after high school to find a way to be happy without going to college, but I couldn't do it. I think people need to accept their station in life. Don't get me wrong, if someone finds themselves in the lower classes, but has the drive and skill to rise above, and they know it, then they should be able to. On the other hand, if they are in the same situation but without the drive and skill, they most likely know it in their hearts that they need to accept their reality and find happiness in it. I think we would all find the majority of people equate success with happiness. If someone doesn't have the know how to better their situation, they need to find happiness in what they have and not what they want.

Answer 2

After glancing over the answers, once again I find the lack of insight that my fellow Americans suffer from very depressing.

1. Hard work has only maybe 10% to do with success. 80% of the wealth in the USA is inherited. If you don't agree just think for a minute, how many ppl do you know that have started businesses or gone to great colleges didn't have someone finanically backing them? Pt is they had the advantage that a lot don't have.

2. Minorities have a harder time being successful. They often are nto included in the social groups where many ppl get their advantages. There is also an exra barrier that minorities have to overcome that most white men have no clue on nor have any understanding of. This is the mental affect of growing up being taught that you are less; therefore, why should you expect more from yourself when society expects nothing from you. IE, racial slurs. A lot of white males fuss about being politically correct because they don't understand what I just explained. Slurs have a negative affect in this manner. I personally get very fussy hearing, '... runs like a girl..' or '.. that is so gay...' both imply a negative. And I remember growing up and feeling that I was not as worthy to things as much as the boys. That makes me very angry now that I am an adult.

3. Being male has a lot to do with success. I know a lot of ppl find this one controversial but it is very true. Think about how many women you know that had children and married then woke up 36+ with no career and a husband divorcing them. Also, the blue collar jobs that many many many males make a great living off of do not exist for the female store clerk. I know LOTs of men that are carpenters, electricians, satellite installers, etc.. that make more than my sister does and she is a mechanical engineer. Those guys are definitely NOT the brightest nor spent one day in college.

g, dont bother to give me best... you insult my intelligence when you only give me 4 stars.

Answer 3

There are many paths to wealth - very few of them depend on talent, most depend on behavior. For example, if you get married and have kids before you are 20, you will probably be poor your whole life. On the other hand, if you have your first child after age 25, you will probably not live in poverty. Drug use and alcohol use are also big predictors of poverty.

Avoid purchasing on credit, and saving a small portion of your earnings is 'hard', but it gives you power to control your future. Those that work at a "dumb job" and save their money will be much wealthier than those that work at a higher paying job and lease their car, rent their house, and live off credit cards. The "dumb saver" will be able to decide whether to retire at 55, the "smart spender" will not be able to retire, possibly even at 70.

What you refer to as 'business smarts' may be something a bit different: the ability to save money, or make only necessary and important purchases. It's not an issue of fairness, or blessing by God. In fact, those that live frugally, as the Bible suggests, and not paying attention to material things, are those that end up the most wealthy!

Answer 4

Sorry, I'm not buying it. I've met too many people in my life who have done very well and didn't have the benefit of a good education. I have also met way too many college educated morons who did nothing but take up space and ruined their life by drinking, drugs or making every wrong choice they could. Don't ever give up when life looks the worse. Believe in yourself and don't worry about what others think. Of course if you make the mistakes over and over listen to advice from those who sincerely want to help you.

Two houses down from me there is a young man from my neighborhood who graduated from Harvard, went on to get his doctorate at Brown University and is now a professor at Providence College. We do not live in suburbia but live right in the heart of the city. What he accomplished to me is remarkable and if he would have listened to most people he never would have reached his goal. For an old fool like myself I find his story inspirational. Don't ever give up!

Answer 5

Not true at all, it comes down to what one is willing to settle for...

I was in a spot once with no jobs available (except minimum wage) and no prospects. I took a ladder and a pickup truck. Went door to door offering to clean gutters on houses. .50 cents a foot, average house has 100 foot of gutters, so average of 50 dollars per house. took about 15-20 minutes to get on roof clean gutters and be done. Then I offered add in service, $1 per seam in the gutters to reseal involved nothing more than a few seconds with a chaulking gun.

While I was doing all of this stuff I got to see the house and note needed repairs i.e. shingles, chimney, decks, anything needing repaired. I sold this info to other contractors (referrals) and made money on the side. Went from broke to about $6,000.00 per month in 2 months time.

I am no Einstein, necessity is the mother of all invention...

Answer 6

Success and money is not determined by intelligence or class. Hard work will win every time.
Stand up, get some backbone, work hard, save and invest your money. You will end up better off than most people making more money than you. (People who make big easy money will blow most of it.)\
Don't believe the democrats when they say: don't work, we'll take care of you. They want you down at the bottom and voting for them.
BEEN THERE. DONE THAT. Believe in yourself. You can do it.

Answer 7

We have a president of the U.S.A. who isn't "book smart" or even the brightest. He was just lucky enough to come from money. All of those things you have named work against you, if you are trying to get out of poverty, but where you are born and whom you are born to affect you as well. Much more than we as human beings like to admit.

Answer 8

people could use their intelligence to help teach people with poverty who can't get a proper education. Then the formerly poverty stricken people can use their intelligence to teach the new poverty stricken people and so there will be less poverty (In theory)...

Answer 9

beeen to africa lately? how about china? or thailand? or micronesia? or appalacia, the ozarks, south texas? no? than what are you trying to say? poor people can't be smart. make money? that has nothing to do with anything. books don't make people smart, it comes to any who learn, in spite of books.

Answer 10

People get paid by the value of the work that they do. If you have the smarts to do a more valuable service then you should be paid more.