Is IQ a Good Predictor of Future Success?
There are many intelligence tests, perhaps the most popular being the IQ test. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about the IQ test in general, and many people have sought to capitalize on those misconceptions for profit. For example, an IQ test usually needs to be administered, so chances are if you are taking an IQ test from something like an app it’s probably a scam. Measuring a person’s IQ is a valid way to measure a certain type of intelligence, and there is some validity to it but there are also multiple factors to consider and be aware of when it comes to using the results as a predictor of any sort.
Firstly, there are different components of intelligence and there are different intelligence types. This is important to be aware of because not everyone has all types of intelligence or skill sets. Another factor to keep in mind is that success is not solely measured by intelligence there are many factors that that will dictate how successful a person in any aspect of their life. The person’s disposition, socioeconomic status, and even experiences, any one of these (in addition to others) can sway the tide in a person’s life.
Life isn’t so simple that one single test can determine a person’s potential and the outcome of life in its entirety. That is not to say intelligence doesn’t have its place or that it isn’t useful, only that even really intelligent people mess up and make mistakes, and you don’t necessarily have to have the highest IQ to achieve success. In this like it’s all about living and learning, both from others and past mistakes. So, it doesn’t matter what others say. As Napoleon Hill once said: Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”