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The fun thing is that it doesn’t even matter how smart you are to begin with beyond a surprisingly low threshold.

> it doesn’t even matter how smart you are

If you care about being "happy"? Sure.

But plenty of things require a bit more than "a surprisingly low threshold". You're not going to be Jeff Dean (for example) if you're just "smart".

Why do you need to be Jeff Dean? Might as well say you’re not going to be Tom Brady by being smart.

Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned a specific name. The point is, some things are impossible to do unless you are extremely smart.

So, in response to your first comment, "it doesn't even matter how smart you are" is not accurate unless you specify the context you're referring to.

Sure and certain things are impossible to do unless you’re extremely strong. So what? Pure intelligence, like strength, is generally not the limiting factor

Yep, in many situations intelligence beyond a certain threshold isn't the limiting factor. That's the qualifier missing from the first comment that I addressed. In some situations (that HN members may be disproportionately interested in), it is and it matters.

OK

imo most people give up before their intelligence would become the true limiting factor

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