Are weathy people smarter than the working class?

No

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by Brenda Nelson

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Having money does not mean that one person is smart, nor does lack of money mean that one is stupid. Being smart does not mean a person is going to acquire wealth, nor does it mean they want to. Intelligence and wealth are not necessarily interlinked.

One measure of how smart a person is, is the IQ test, a test of a persons Intelligence Quota. People who score within the top 98% percentile are welcome to join an international non-profit organization, Mensa International. Many of these Mensa members hold menial working class jobs. In many cases wealth means very little to these people, whose past time often involves solving games and puzzles.

For some people the pursuit of wealth is unjust, as wealth cannot exist without poverty. That is to say that a person cannot acquire wealth without taking it from others. For every one that gains, some lose. Many highly intelligent people have adopted a life philosophy of poverty as a way of maintaining an equilibrium. These people feel no need to be wealthy in order to be happy. They have found a deeper meaning to life than wealth and possessions.

Similarly there are many people who find pleasure in working. They may find it rewarding in its own right. There are people who find purpose in routine and need a reason to get up in the morning. Similar to the lost feeling some people experience when they retire, these people are smart enough to know that they need a job for reasons that are not only financial.

There are certainly a good many of wealthy individuals who did not acquire their riches as a result of their own smartness. Some inherited their money, a few had a luck factor, winning the lottery or making a lucky investment. As such it would be totally wrong to say that wealth is a sign of intelligence.

Having money can improve a persons education, or the education of their family members. It can be argued that education is an indication of how smart a person is. Education and IQ are two different things. A persons Intelligence is basically a measurement of how their brain works. Education can be bought, however it may be said that a person with a higher IQ is a better learner of some subjects.

The only time that being a member of the working class may actually impact on how smart a person is, is if their job puts them at risk for brain damage. A few jobs in the past put people at risk of exposure to some chemicals which may impact a person's thinking process. Of course brain injuries, as seen in boxers, have resulted in a lowering of their thinking abilities.

Overall being a working class level person does not mean a person is less smart, or less intelligence than a person who lives a wealthy lifestyle. Additionally being rich does not make one smart.

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