Are rich or poor citizens more likely to be the smartest?

Question

Do you feel that poor people work & study harder, because they must to survive,

Or do you feel that rich people, who have wealth handed down to them, have the more intelligent minds?

Which people do you consider smarter, & why?

Answer 1

The rich are smarter, no debate. It's very well established statistically (and pretty obvious in real life) that high income correlates with high intelligence.

You make a big mistake saying that the rich have their wealth handed down to them. In the US at least, the vast majority of the wealthy (most of whom are unknown small business owners) are quite self-made. For every Paris Hilton there are a hundred owners of the local car dealership or successful lawyers or retired business executives.

And these rich people work far harder than poor people. Most rich people got rich by being professionals or business owners and working outrageous hours. You cannot work 80 hours a week and be poor.

It's unusual for someone with high intelligence to be poor. Longitudinal statistical studies following large samples of the population have confirmed this beyond doubt. They may be middle class rather than rich, but the only thing that can keep them poor is some unusual circumstance like drug abuse or disability. On the other hand, we all know it's as common as dust for people of low intelligence to be poor. That's usually why they're poor.

Answer 2

It doesn't really matter as far as with what you're born with--that's a matter of genetics and chance. (Poor people have the same ammount of chance with being born "smart" as rich people.) However, with environment as a factor, a person that is in poverty is exposed to only about 10 million words when they are in the toddler stage. Now compare that with those children from the middlee class, who are exposed to about 20 million words in their toddler years. Now, if there's someone that is a professional at home, then that increases to 30 million words. However, it doesn't mean that it's necessarily so--if you're poor and have someone that's around you that believes in education and reads a lot, then you'll be exposed to more. If you're rich, it doesn't mean that you have some nanny reading books to you all day long, either. So, that changes as well. The thing that matters most is where your values are. It doesn't matter if you're poor, rich, black, or white. If your parents respect education and see it as something that is something worthy of obtaining, then you'll be more likely to become educated. However, if your parents see it as something that gets in the way, then you might see it as burdensome and not go on to pursue an education. Most rich people want to stay rich, and therefore work very hard at keeping what they have, and most poor people work very hard at trying to get more than what they have. Yet, there are some that are willing to sit back and not do much of anything and hope that someone else will take care of it all for them! So, to make the long answer short--it depends on the person!

Answer 3

That's a tough question. I would say that wealthier people are generally more predisposed to intelligence, because their parents most times are intelligent and have worked their way up to their status (this is not true of all, by any means). On the other hand, poor people are more genetically predisposed to less intelligence because their parents are often undereducated. Again, not true of all. I would say rich people are more educated, and poor people are less educated, generally. As for whether they are smarter, well education does not denote intelligence or smarts. Some very intelligent people never finished high school.

In conclusion, I would just say that wealthier people are probably more positively correlated with higher intelligence (based on genetics) whereas poor people are more negatively correlated with intelligence. Not for all, but just as a loose generalization.

Answer 4

Not all , but many poor people are poor for a reason. Lack of marketable skills, lack of education, and lack of motivation. Does this sound like a smart person or a smart way to live? Obviously those folks who have disabilities or misfortune befall them are not included here. Intelligence is debatable and if we use I.Q. as the determinant, then race my be relevant. I hate to say this, but according to the book, The Bell Curve; the Asian race is smarter than the white and black population. Compare the number of white, Asian, Hispanic, and black people on public aide or living in poverty. Do we all have the same opportunity to learn and develop skills? I doubt a poor black child in Mississippi would have the same chances of higher education as my white son living in an affluent part of Illinois. If anyone can make it , it would be in our nation: but to assume that everyone has the same chance is a bit naive. My opinion.

Answer 5

The person who works and studies hardest is the one most likely to have a broad education and general knowledge, regardless of social background.
That's fine by me......

Answer 6

Most of the top billionaire as per forbes.com were not born billionaire at the time of their birth. They became billionaire by their own efforts.

However, most of their businesses have been subject to fine or penalty for BREAKING THE LAW.

Being nice is better than trying to be smart. lol