I spend too much time on Twitter. Sometimes it’s helpful though. The Tweets I see can be pretty stupid, but a broken clock is right twice a day. Sometimes I see something good. Something that makes me think. I remember seeing a Tweet somewhere which went something like this:
“IQ believers seem to think that they would simply be able to reason their way into a well-paid, safe life”.
My eyes nearly popped out of my head. To be perfectly honest, I almost threw my phone away in surprise. That is exactly what happens. Pretty much any idiot can figure out a clear path to life that’s better than 80% of those living around them if they focus. A lot of people are wayward, and aren’t trying to excel in life. A smart person should be able to figure out how to live well, wherever they are.
Humans are limited by the upper bounds of their environment. If you start your career in a poor country, you’re going to be poorer than someone who got started in a wealthier one, all else being equal. But you can always do better than average if you’re smart.
I live in a poor country. We’re in the top 100 wealthiest countries on the planet, but just barely. It’s a lot poorer here than China, for example (although we have a younger population). There are lots of people in my country who are living good lives. The “top 20%” of income earners are more than able to get by in this country. Not all of them have degrees. Not all of them were born with every possible advantage.
The people I’m thinking of don’t earn as much as Americans. That just isn’t reality. But they can certainly earn a living, and it’s quite literally because they aren’t stupid. They work hard and stay focused. They don’t follow the crowd. They do productive things, like construction or computer technology. If they have degrees, they don’t solely rely on them. Those without degrees love learning and are always looking for opportunities to improve themselves. They are nerds, in the sense that they are smart, and they aren’t stereotypically cool. They certainly aren’t involved in any ghetto stuff.
The people think clearly, are disciplined, and are unafraid to do the long, boring work in the short term are likely to be those running the show in the long term. These people may or may not be nerds in your mind, but I find that a lot of nerds I’ve met embody these traits. If you agree with me, you should see nerds becoming increasingly successful as you age. This is especially true of people who are willing to engage in complex activities. People willing to do research, proof reading, painful manual labour, and other difficult, complex, or unpleasant activities are best rewarded by society. Doctors and lawyers are some of the biggest nerds out there. They can reliably make millions of dollars a year with some business skills. They have a license to print money as long as they’re healthy, and they get a fair bit of respect in society. Influencers make money, but that’s only because they bring in a lot of eyeballs. Overall, it’s those who are smart and curious who go furthest. Also, your favorite influencer is probably a nerd. It’s just that they made entertaining you their point of focus.
Being a nerd doesn’t necessarily mean being socially awkward, out of touch, or making yourself unlikable. But it does involve focusing and using your brain. It probably means becoming an expert in some field. It definitely means hours, days, and weeks of hard work, learning, and practice. There are ways to make money fast. Sometimes, money can even be made overnight. But most people will need to nerd out a little in order to succeed.
Thanks for paying attention.
