Factors Influencing Success and Intelligence

• Intelligence is one of the most important concepts in psychology and it is largely determined by genes.

• There is no relationship between intelligence and happiness at the individual level.

• Both the political right and left use intelligence to support their respective positions. The right uses intelligence to argue that differences between people exist and that luck is a major factor in success, while the left uses intelligence to argue for large-scale redistribution.

• Intelligence is not the only factor that matters in life.

• There is a simple and highly effective formula for avoiding poverty: Finish high school, get a full-time job, and get married.

• Norms and rules are especially helpful in an environment of abundance.

• In a society in which decent norms have been undermined, prosperous and smart people are better equipped to navigate difficult questions such as "What behaviors will lead to happiness and fulfillment."

• People know that honesty, marriage, etc. are good for themselves and their kids, but knowledge isn't enough to motivate behavior.

• Norms and the associated feelings for upholding them (pride, enhanced self-esteem, gratification, etc.) and the feelings for failing to meet them (guilt, shame, anxiety, etc.) are far stronger motivators of behavior than mere knowledge.

• Individual traits respond to incentives more than others. The admiration and respect of others is a powerful incentive. Status is a fundamental human motive, and people will often work just as hard to attain status as they would other critical resources.

• If you confer status on work ethic and industriousness, you can actually raise the number of people who work hard—even if it goes against their natural habits, they will counteract their inclinations.

• If instead you undercut the value of hard work by saying it’s a sucker’s game, or that hard work is a scam, then hard work becomes a lower status activity, and people may not work as hard.

• The "success sequence" is a set of behaviors that lead to success in life.

• It is easy to complete, and most people can achieve it if they try hard.

• The success sequence is not difficult to complete, and most people can achieve it if they try hard.

• Graduating high school is easy. American high schools have low standards, and teachers don't want to fail anyone. Almost any student who puts in a little effort will graduate. I did zero homework and regularly ditched my classes yet still managed to graduate.

• In ninth grade, I spilled a Powerade on my desk and used my biology homework to mop it up. Then I gently placed the sheet, dripping in red liquid, in the teacher's submission pile to be graded. The next day the paper had dried into a pinkish color. I got a C-. American teachers, especially in low-income schools, do just about all they can to avoid failing a kid. Even if he all but dares them to do so.

• The steps of the success sequence are within reach for the vast majority of people, but some people are more likely to achieve success than others.

Explore the factors influencing success, intelligence, and societal norms through this insightful quiz. Learn about the relationship between intelligence, happiness, and success, and understand how individual traits respond to incentives. Gain valuable insights into the success sequence, its achievability, and the impact of societal norms on individual behavior.