What sector has the smartest people?

[Anonymous]

I'm in Mensa, and a lot of the people there seem to be in IT.

[Anonymous]

Engineers and physicists. Too bad lawyers get higher prestige....I know some really average lawyers, but have never met an average engineer.

[Anonymous]

I work with incredibly smart people. I do pharma patent litigation. Most of my colleagues have PhDs from good schools in biochemistry, immunology or organic chemistry. They also have top law degrees and can write beautifully. The best also have great skills in public speaking, strategic thinking, negotiations and networking. It isn't uncommon to have to speak with a scientist-inventor, Fortune 500 CEO and Federal judge all in one day, tailoring information to each.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:are you comparing the smartest people in each field? Or asking overall which field is more likely to be attracted to smart people?

because, several of the smartest people I have run across are lawyers. but there is no doubt the field as a whole probably just passes average. barely, when you consider all the people out there doing divorces and traffic tickets and scamming immigrants. doctors overall are much smarter, but seemingly very few geniuses. Some. I think a lot of people in media are bright (and interesting!) but no geniuses. At all, as far as I can tell. Academia probably all very smart but it seems most of them are convinced they are geniuses. And, um, a few probably are.

I know less about straight science and tech fields. I assume the space industry if full of serious geniuses! But heck if I know. I know a couple of software engineers who are freaking brilliant.

I'd add to this that think tank type places in DC seem to uniformly attract bright folks, but very few truly brilliant ones (those tend to be doing their research in academia at top universities, although they occasionally dip into the think tank on a limited basis to consult for money or speak or something).

Large nonprofits tend to be above average (but slightly below think tanks) generally speaking...but with the occasional crazily brilliant person who happens to just be extremely passionate about the area. Usually it's not hard to figure out who they are if you work there.

[Anonymous]

Depends on what type of "smart" you mean OP...IQ, EQ or what? It seems like a stupid question. There are smart people in every field. If you are talking IQ -- engineers, lawyers, doctors, bartendars who can't make it in the 9-5 world.

EQ -- media, politics, public relations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Engineers and physicists. Too bad lawyers get higher prestige....I know some really average lawyers, but have never met an average engineer.

Maybe its because I went to an engineering school for undergrad, but I know TONS of below average engineers. Lots may be able to do their narrow function or answer specific technical questions, but cannot communicate to save their life or come up with any sort of vision for a project. They are also often terrible, terrible managers of people.

[Anonymous]

It would figure that the smartest people would go where the money is. That used to be investment banking, maybe it is something else now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It would figure that the smartest people would go where the money is. That used to be investment banking, maybe it is something else now.

Quantitative finance/hedge fund management. I think an average hedge fund person blows an average I-banker out of the water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It would figure that the smartest people would go where the money is. That used to be investment banking, maybe it is something else now.

Some smart people choose passion over money though.

[Anonymous]

Impossible to quantify/determine. Intelligence is also multidimensional: in IT you'll find people with great technical knowledge, in the arts you'll find creative people, in athletics you have people with kinesthetic intelligence, etc.

[Anonymous]

Agree with 9:56. There's also street smart vs book smart. Lawyer here and the three most well-rounded intelligent people I've spoken/worked with were a librarian who spend more than 40 years working at a college library doing a bibliography, a solo attorney who really travels for a living than work, and a policy analyst whose father was the chair of one the largest international development banks.

[Anonymous]

The smartest people are generally not motivated by money. They go for interesting work. The smartest people I have met are the people with PhD's in the physical sciences or math.

And of those, the smartest are the ones that forgo the $$$$ for pure research positions. And I say that as an applied researcher (more $$$$, less freedom; I have to do what is needed).

Academia has the smartest of the smartest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The smartest people are generally not motivated by money. They go for interesting work. The smartest people I have met are the people with PhD's in the physical sciences or math.

And of those, the smartest are the ones that forgo the $$$$ for pure research positions. And I say that as an applied researcher (more $$$$, less freedom; I have to do what is needed).

Academia has the smartest of the smartest.

Yeah the single smartest person I know who also has smart colleagues has a PhD in a science field and has made enough contributions to their field by 40 that they actually have a reasonable chance at being a Nobel Prize winner down the road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Artists

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Engineers and physicists. Too bad lawyers get higher prestige....I know some really average lawyers, but have never met an average engineer.

Not commenting on the clear chip on your shoulder nor do I have any real opinion on lawyers, but happy to report that I've met enough (very) average engineers for the both of us.