Anonymous wrote:There are different kinds of "smart".

I was book smart but made poor choiced in career, mate, etc.

What is "smart"? What benchmarks do you use for intelligence? My grandfather had untreated dyslexia growing up, never went to college, became a plumber, built a multimillion dollar plumbing and heating business, invested very well, had a NW of close to $10M and retired in his 50s after having six children and paying for all of them (and their children) to go to college. My grandfather valued education, despite not having a lot of traditional education, and was a great investor and businessman. In contrast, my parents who collectively have two masters and a PhD (and have been working for 45+ years) make a combination of $160K working for state government and a local community college.

Smart people - in the DC sense - are risk adverse.

Generational wealth plays a big role in many peoples' success and that has nothing to do with intelligence.

Anonymous wrote:The older I am the more I am learning that only the smart people are the ones who are able to make real money. They are creative, diligent and understand how the world works and how to solve problems and improve their lives.

If you cannot do that then, I’m sorry you are dumb.

so money is your report card? So tell us do you make a lot of money?

Anonymous wrote:In contrast… I think that the most intelligent among us set ourselves up to get the life we want. That usually ends up meaning “enough” money, plus other fulfilling things like family, community, hobbies, home, health.

I'll go with this. My life is structured to minimize unpleasantness and superficial duties that annoy me.

Anonymous wrote:The older I am the more I am learning that only the smart people are the ones who are able to make real money. They are creative, diligent and understand how the world works and how to solve problems and improve their lives.

If you cannot do that then, I’m sorry you are dumb.

Mother Theresa, Ghandi, and Jesus would like a moment of your time.

I don’t want to work hard enough to be rich. I like my low key life where I spend a lot of time with family or enjoying hobbies. Or just relaxing! All the rich people I know are always working.

In contrast… I think that the most intelligent among us set ourselves up to get the life we want. That usually ends up meaning “enough” money, plus other fulfilling things like family, community, hobbies, home, health.

Anonymous wrote:We also know lots of brilliant MIT people. Some of them are millionaires (usually because the started a company), others make very little but have a HUGE amount of freedom over their time.

I don't know a single highly intelligent person who is just dutifully climbing a corporate ladder. Wealthy yes, highly intelligent no

Well then you don’t know my MIT alum SIL. Many of her (female) school friends are right alongside her.

Anonymous wrote:We also know lots of brilliant MIT people. Some of them are millionaires (usually because the started a company), others make very little but have a HUGE amount of freedom over their time.

I don't know a single highly intelligent person who is just dutifully climbing a corporate ladder. Wealthy yes, highly intelligent no

So you're saying a highly intelligent person isn't working a 9-5 but they started up a business?

There are different kinds of "smart".

I was book smart but made poor choiced in career, mate, etc.

Who says I'm not rich?

Anonymous wrote:The older I am the more I am learning that only the smart people are the ones who are able to make real money. They are creative, diligent and understand how the world works and how to solve problems and improve their lives.

If you cannot do that then, I’m sorry you are dumb.

My uncle played pro Baseball in the MLB and made millions. He is the wealthiest person in our family but not the smartest.

There’s a lot of dumb luck in life

Anonymous wrote:The older I am the more I am learning that only the smart people are the ones who are able to make real money. They are creative, diligent and understand how the world works and how to solve problems and improve their lives.

If you cannot do that then, I’m sorry you are dumb.

Einstein was a pretty smart dude, one of the smartest to ever live. By your definition, he should have been one of the richest. But he wasn't. At the time of his death in 1955, his net worth amassed to a total of $65,000. He once said. “I refuse to make money out of my science. My laurel is not for sale like so many bales of cotton.”
Everyone isn't purely driven by money and getting rich.