We’ve all seen people with lower IQs or less education getting rich. Meanwhile, more intelligent individuals struggle financially. You may wonder what’s going on. How is it possible that those with less intellectual horsepower can make millions? How do people who are less “intelligent” by academic standards excel? By optimizing their mindset and behaviors for generating wealth.
The truth is that conventional measures of intelligence like test scores, degrees, and brainpower don’t predict money-making ability. Generating serious wealth has more to do with mindset and skills than raw smarts—the financially successful leverage key philosophies and behaviors to profit.
By optimizing strategy over intellect, taking risks, and executing rapidly, the seemingly more simple-minded are trouncing the educated on the path to riches. Making bank requires less about intelligence and more about cultivating a money-focused mentality.
Read on to learn the fundamental concepts that allow the less academic types to master moneymaking and how you can do the same. It’s time to discover how people that you think are not as smart as you are making millions.
A key concept in economics, the corporate world, and entrepreneurism that is important to understand is that conventional measures of intelligence like IQ or academic scores are not necessarily correlated with financial success.
People considered less intelligent excel because they prioritize taking swift action over perfection, emulate those already rich rather than textbook knowledge, capitalize on opportunities immediately, understand human psychology and how to get attention better, and care more about results than process.
Essentially, they have a mindset of focus, hunger, strategic skills, and hustle rather than just raw intellectual horsepower. While intelligence helps, it matters far less than the right money-oriented mindset and skills. Practical strategic abilities to make money trump academic smarts.
How people dumber than you are making millions:
- They don’t overthink things and execute ideas quickly rather than waiting for perfection. They focus on taking action.
- They pay attention to opportunities in the market and current events and capitalize on them rapidly by investing, trading, or creating content.
- They learn from and emulate the success strategies of people who are rich rather than listening to people who are not wealthy.
- They understand the psychology of what captures people’s attention and interest and create products, services, and optimized businesses to feel real demand in the market place, even if they don’t have all the answers at the beginning.
- They prioritize making money over things like perfectionism, rules, etc. They care more about results than process.
- They take significant risks and put themselves out there rather than playing it safe. Speed and action are more important than avoiding potential mistakes.
They Execute Ideas Quickly; Others Wait for Perfection
Many people obsess over perfecting ideas before acting. Meanwhile, those making millions execute quickly. Rather than agonizing over details, the wealthy-minded jump on opportunities immediately, even if execution is imperfect. They understand that speed matters more than perfection in business. Many people spend months planning and minimizing potential mistakes. The money-minded take action now and course correct later.
By constantly seeking perfection in concept first instead of executing, many people miss out opportunities. The financially successful capitalize on opportunities rapidly before they disappear. They fail fast, learn quickly, and move forward. Many avoid failure at all costs. But the aspiring wealthy understand that mistakes are part of the game.
Their bias towards action lets them hit the market and generate returns and profits for months or even years before the perfectionist crowd leaves the planning stage. Remember – a mediocre product today is better than a perfect product someday. Execute fast, test, tweak, and improve.
Many People Learn from Academics, While the Aspiring Rich Learn from the Wealthy
In school, many are taught broad academic concepts by intelligent professors. However, these educators often need real-world business and wealth-building experience to teach what actually works in the real world. Meanwhile, the financially successful learn directly from those who’ve already made fortunes through reading, study, or mentorship.
Academics teach theoretical and generalized knowledge. The rich provide lessons for specific, tactical tips based on what worked for them. While many keep pursuing improving their intellectual capabilities, the money-minded learn profitable wealth-building strategies.
Traditional education doesn’t teach you step-by-step how to start a business or make your first million. Schools give degrees, not wealth. To get rich, learn from people who have already made their fortunes. Do what they did. Emulate their mindsets and behaviors.
Many Depend on Intellect, the Wealthy Understand Psychology
In business, more than being smart is needed. Logic and reason alone won’t make people take action. Emotions are more potent motivators. While many obsess over facts and figures, the financially savvy grasp emotional drivers like pain points and desires.
The money-minded make more than just logical arguments. They craft stories and products that people relate to on a deeper level. Most people would think to play to the rational mind—the wealthy minded play to primal human motivations like greed, fear, and the desire for status.
Dollars flow to those who best leverage human psychology rather than sheer intellect. Smarts don’t matter if you can’t relate to people’s emotional needs. Understand what truly drives human behavior and decision-making if you want to profit in business, products, entertainment, or investing.
Most People Care About Process, the Wealthy Care About Profits
Making money is a game; the only rule is generating more revenue and profits. Many prioritize process over profits—meanwhile, the financially successful care about one thing only – the bottom line.
The money-minded don’t let ethics, integrity, or rules stand in their way. They take pride in being flexible to whatever it takes to maximize cash flow. Many play by the rules and refuse to compromise principles. But the wealthy see profit as the highest principle.
If your goal is wealth, stop judging strategies based on your personal opinion or predictions about how it will do. Start asking one question only: Will this make me money? The money mindset means doing whatever is most profitable, and stop thinking you know everything before receiving feedback from the market place in results. Process matters less than results.
Most People Avoid Risks, the Wealthy Take Massive Action
Fear of uncertainty and potential mistakes causes many to move forward cautiously, if at all. Meanwhile, the wealthy take significant calculated risks and bold action.
The money mindset says to fail fast and fail often. Many wait for perfect certainty before making a move. The financially savvy take imperfect action now. You think data minimizes risks. They know the real threat is lost opportunity.
So throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks. You learn by trying. While many carefully analyze, the money-minded embrace trial and error. They know some failures are inevitable. The reward comes to those willing to risk failure repeatedly.
Mindset and Skills Matter More Than Pure IQ
Making millions isn’t about smarts; it’s about mindset and abilities. You either have the hunger, drive, and skills to make money, or you don’t. Blaming lack of wealth on intelligence is an excuse. Adopt the money mindset:
- Speed and action over perfection
- Learn from the wealthy, not academics
- Leverage psychology, not just intellect
- Results over process
- Embrace risks and fail forward
Combine that mindset with strategic abilities. Then, like the less academic who’ve excelled financially, you too can start raking in the millions.
Key Takeaways
- Speed triumphs over flawlessness. Take imperfect action now, not the perfect step later.
- Imitate the prosperous, not the academic. Learn from those who have already attained wealth.
- Leverage human emotions, not logic. Appeal to psychology over intellect.
- Outcomes eclipse opinions. Do what maximizes profits.
- Risk failure for reward. Be bold and act before you have all the data.
Conclusion
Generating wealth has less to do with intelligence and more with adopting the right money-focused mindset and abilities. Conventional measures of smarts like IQ or school performance don’t predict financial success. Shift your mindset about financial success to be like the less cerebral ones who have mastered moneymaking. Prioritize swift action over perfection. Study and emulate the already affluent. Understand human motivation – rely on more than just data. Focus solely on profitability, not process. And don’t fear failure – be willing to take risks for the chance of a big reward. Combine this mental model with strategic skills; you, too, can excel financially regardless of your academic credentials. Work on your money mindset for true wealth, not just your intellect and academic knowledge.