I know it's 3 am and I need to be asleep, but I need to get this thought down before my stream of consciousness wanders off somewhere else...
So I was having a discussion with Mom today about smart people, and I commented that some of the smartest people I've ever met work at some of the most pedestrian of jobs. A dishwasher at Huddle House, a grocery-store manager, a bricklayer, a clerk at Barnes and Noble, and a casino employee were among the first that came to my mind. And Mom wondered aloud why so many smart people take jobs that are "beneath them."
And, what can I say? For years I've been one of those as well. In the last few years I've worked as a waiter, a barrista, a grocery-store cashier, a tire salesman, a "sales associate" at Bed Bath and Beyond, and a gas-station attendant.
And it finally occurred to me: there is absolutely no correlation between intelligence and motivation. Someone of average intelligence who's actually motivated will succeed despite their shortcomings, whereas a super-genius who lacks any particular passion or drive will end up stumbling into whatever keeps the bills paid.
I'm not saying this to toot my own horn; I'm just stating a fact here: I had the highest SAT score of anyone in my graduating class. I was a master of "nerd pursuits" such as geography bees, spelling bees, and the trivia bowl team. I was in the Beta Club, National Honor Society...you get the idea. As a result, everyone in my hometown had really high expectations/hopes about what I'd do when I left this town...
...but I ended up dropping out of college after three lackluster years and spent the next several years drifting aimlessly around the Lowcountry of South Carolina. What was the point of pushing myself? I could always find a job that'd cover my meager expenses, and there's something rather zen about not having to make decisions about anything more lasting or meaningful than which bar I'd be hitting that night.
What changed? The Iraq War.
The war became my Great Motivator . Before my five-year "working vacation," (aka The Great Snooze), I had been active in politics. The war re-awakened that particular passion. I realized that (again, not trying to sound conceited here; just stating a fact) I'm better-informed than 95% of the voting public as to what's really going on. But, if I'm not actually out there doing anything about it, then I have no more impact than your typical moron who decides who to vote for based on who he'd rather have a beer with.
So, I went back to college, made some contacts, and began working my way up.
And I'm rather proud of what I've accomplished so far: in 2008, three out of the five candidates I worked for won their races. I may have entered the rat race a few years late, but I'm catching up quickly...
But I still can't judge the unmotivated geniuses out there. Some people, despite their intelligence, just never manage to find anything that'll hold their attention long enough to make a career out of it. Hey, if they're happy with whatever it is they're doing, then as far as I'm concerned, they're ahead of the game.
On some level, I kind of miss that myself.
So I was having a discussion with Mom today about smart people, and I commented that some of the smartest people I've ever met work at some of the most pedestrian of jobs. A dishwasher at Huddle House, a grocery-store manager, a bricklayer, a clerk at Barnes and Noble, and a casino employee were among the first that came to my mind. And Mom wondered aloud why so many smart people take jobs that are "beneath them."
And, what can I say? For years I've been one of those as well. In the last few years I've worked as a waiter, a barrista, a grocery-store cashier, a tire salesman, a "sales associate" at Bed Bath and Beyond, and a gas-station attendant.
And it finally occurred to me: there is absolutely no correlation between intelligence and motivation. Someone of average intelligence who's actually motivated will succeed despite their shortcomings, whereas a super-genius who lacks any particular passion or drive will end up stumbling into whatever keeps the bills paid.
I'm not saying this to toot my own horn; I'm just stating a fact here: I had the highest SAT score of anyone in my graduating class. I was a master of "nerd pursuits" such as geography bees, spelling bees, and the trivia bowl team. I was in the Beta Club, National Honor Society...you get the idea. As a result, everyone in my hometown had really high expectations/hopes about what I'd do when I left this town...
...but I ended up dropping out of college after three lackluster years and spent the next several years drifting aimlessly around the Lowcountry of South Carolina. What was the point of pushing myself? I could always find a job that'd cover my meager expenses, and there's something rather zen about not having to make decisions about anything more lasting or meaningful than which bar I'd be hitting that night.
What changed? The Iraq War.
The war became my Great Motivator . Before my five-year "working vacation," (aka The Great Snooze), I had been active in politics. The war re-awakened that particular passion. I realized that (again, not trying to sound conceited here; just stating a fact) I'm better-informed than 95% of the voting public as to what's really going on. But, if I'm not actually out there doing anything about it, then I have no more impact than your typical moron who decides who to vote for based on who he'd rather have a beer with.
So, I went back to college, made some contacts, and began working my way up.
And I'm rather proud of what I've accomplished so far: in 2008, three out of the five candidates I worked for won their races. I may have entered the rat race a few years late, but I'm catching up quickly...
But I still can't judge the unmotivated geniuses out there. Some people, despite their intelligence, just never manage to find anything that'll hold their attention long enough to make a career out of it. Hey, if they're happy with whatever it is they're doing, then as far as I'm concerned, they're ahead of the game.
On some level, I kind of miss that myself.
Thanks for the b-day wishes.