How smart do you have to be in order to succeed? This is a question that has been debated for centuries. New research suggests the answer may surprise you: not very. A study by sociologists at Harvard and Stanford looked at 1,500 kids from 20 different countries who participated in IQ tests when they were 10 years old and then followed up with them when they turned 30. The results show that there is no clear relationship between IQ and success later on in life, like higher income or better job status. study showed that people who were not very smart when they were young went on to be extremely successful later in life, and vice versa.
One of the most interesting findings was that there is no correlation between how intelligent you are and your happiness levels later on either. People who had a higher IQ score at age ten did turn out to be slightly happier than those who had a lower score, but the difference was so small that it could have easily been due to chance.
This study shows us something very important: we cannot predict success and happiness based on IQ scores or even academic performance when people are in school. It is good news for all of you out there who may not have been the smartest kid in your class. It may be harder for you to achieve certain things, but it is by no means impossible!
Of course, this study does not mean that intelligence doesn’t affect success at all; there are many other factors besides IQ scores that impact how successful people become. For example, researchers found that self-control as a child was more important to success than intelligence.
Still, this study does suggest that you don’t have to be the smartest person in order to succeed; hard work and dedication can go just as far! It is also good news for all of those people who struggle with their studies or otherwise find themselves academically behind.
It is good to remember that even the most successful people out there are only human, and nobody’s perfect! Just because somebody has achieved something doesn’t mean they don’t have problems too, like everybody else. So, if you find yourself struggling with your studies or dealing with issues at work or in your personal life, just remember that you are not alone.
What do you think? Do these results surprise you at all? How much impact does intelligence have on your life and happiness levels? What can we learn from this study about how to become successful in the future? Let us know what you think!
