In the real world, very smart people fail and mediocre people rise. Part of what makes people fail or succeed are skills that have nothing to do with IQ. Also, the idea that intelligence can be gauged by an IQ test is erroneous. — Camille Paglia
Intelligent people are brilliant in their ways. If you can grasp concepts quickly, remember lots of facts, or have the brain needed for advanced math and science, it would be tough to go against your intelligence.
But many intelligent people don’t become successful because they lack the right mindset.
Here are the top 6 reasons why some smart people don’t become successful.
#6 They resist change
We can’t be afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the pond that you are in, but if you never venture out of it, you will never know that there is such a thing as an ocean, a sea. C. JayBell C.
Intelligent people think their intelligence will give them the edge in any situation.
So when change occurs, they refuse to adapt and become obsolete.
Change is an essential part of life. Even the status quo must change to keep up with the competition.
Smart people who avoid change have a tough time in business because they don”t evolve with their audience or industry.
If an intelligent person can’t accept change, he will never be able to progress further than his current situation.
#5 New people
The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences. — Eleanor Roosevelt
When you are smart, you can easily find opportunities to promote yourself, but it is hard to convince potential mentors or employers of your value.
Intelligent people with the right ambitions often overvalue their unique talents and mistakenly believe they are too valuable to be judged.
So they find it challenging to approach influential people who could help them achieve their goals and acquire life lessons.
#4 They are not willing to take risks
Every risk is worth taking as long as it’s for a good cause, and contributes to a good life. — Richard Branson
Successful people put themselves in situations where they can learn about new things. They are willing to take risks that other people reject, knowing they can cope with mistakes and rejections.
Intelligent people are often unwilling to be vulnerable to try something new or get input from others. They believe they already have everything they need and don’t have any energy or extra time to accept change.
#3 Smart people believe they deserve success
Success is not guaranteed, but failure is certain if you aren’t truly emotionally invested in your work. — Biz Stone
Being smart is one thing; it doesn’t mean success is guaranteed. Many outstanding brilliant minds don’t become successful because they believe they are better than everyone else.
They cannot accept that their intelligence, knowledge, and skills might not be enough to get what they want.
This obstacle prevents most intelligent people from achieving their goals.
It’s essential to know your strengths and weaknesses. Entrepreneurship and business are challenging, requiring persistence, patience, and hard work.
#2 Smart people don’t commit to a decision
Successful people can make decisions, take action, and stick with them.
Intelligent people tend to overthink problems and hesitate too much to make a choice.
They often have difficulty when they’re trying to decide between multiple solutions.
Instead of deciding or taking action, they spend lots of time thinking about what could go wrong. It makes them less likely to succeed.
#1 They go at what is exciting at the current moment
Many smart people work on a project because they feel they can make a difference.
Smart people often act on their instinct and passions. They prefer to follow what is happening in the industry or market rather than doing something to help them progress further in life.
As responsibilities increase and as they turn into professionals, they often lose their enthusiasm to do things that are exciting at the moment.
Conclusion
There are always more smart people outside your company than within it. — Bill Joy
In a nutshell, some smart people are not as successful as they could be because they do not possess the right mindset.
They believe their intelligence is always enough to get by, so they resist change, refuse to reach out to new people, and avoid risks.
Being smart is reasonable and undoubtedly necessary, but you must understand how your intelligence can be used.
To be successful, you have to consider how your intelligence can turn into the edge you need to succeed.
Book recommendation: Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail (amazon affiliate link)
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