Importance of IQ

Summary

The speaker candidly shares their journey with a low IQ score of 70, highlighting its impact on their academic and professional life, particularly at McDonald's. They emphasize the importance of IQ for success, especially in intellectually demanding fields. Despite initial struggles, they managed to improve their cognitive abilities through consistent reading and learning, which led to better job performance. The speaker advocates for tailored educational approaches based on individual IQ levels and suggests that those with lower IQs should consider alternative paths or self-improvement before pursuing higher education.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The speaker emphasizes the importance of IQ in determining success, particularly in the workforce and areas requiring intelligence.
• 📉 The speaker shares a personal experience of scoring a low IQ of 70 at age 17, which put them in the bottom 2% of the population.
• 📚 Despite working hard, the speaker struggled academically, suggesting that the one-size-fits-all approach in schools can be detrimental to students with different learning needs.
• 🔄 The speaker believes they overworked themselves, which might have hindered their academic performance.
• 📈 The speaker has managed to improve their IQ by studying for shorter periods, highlighting the possibility of enhancing cognitive abilities.
• 🍔 Working at McDonald's was challenging for the speaker due to their low IQ, but they found it easier after working on improving their cognitive abilities.
• 🏆 The speaker suggests that both practice and IQ are necessary for success, and having a higher IQ can make learning new tasks quicker.
• 🎓 The speaker advises against pursuing university education if one's IQ is below average, recommending improving IQ first through activities like reading or creating content.
• 📊 Referring to Jordan Peterson's advice, the speaker suggests an IQ of at least 115 for university, as it's a more realistic threshold for academic success.
• 🚫 The speaker discourages university for those with lower IQs, arguing it can lead to stress and mental breakdowns, and suggests alternative paths for personal development.

Q & A

What is the significance of IQ in determining success in life, particularly in the workforce?

IQ is significant because it can make a difference in areas requiring intelligence. A higher IQ can facilitate better performance and adaptability in various tasks and challenges.

What was the speaker's IQ score at the age of 17, and how did it affect their academic performance?

The speaker scored a 70 on an IQ test at 17, which is lower than 98% of the population. This resulted in poor grades in school despite their hard work, indicating difficulty in keeping up with academic demands.

How did the speaker's low IQ impact their experience working at McDonald's?

The speaker struggled with the mentally demanding job at McDonald's, only mastering a couple of stations after a year and nine months, which was mentally exhausting for them.

What changes did the speaker make to improve their IQ, and how did it affect their work life?

The speaker began studying for half an hour a day and later increased it to 30 minutes. This effort led to an improvement in their IQ, making their work at McDonald's easier and allowing them to learn new tasks more quickly.

Why does the speaker believe that working too hard might not be beneficial for everyone?

The speaker suggests that working too hard can lead to overworking and not necessarily better results, especially for those with lower IQs. They argue that a more tailored approach to workloads based on individual capabilities would be more effective.

What is the speaker's opinion on the one-size-fits-all approach in the school system?

The speaker criticizes the one-size-fits-all approach in schools, stating that it doesn't account for individual differences in intelligence and can lead to students being overworked or underchallenged.

How does the speaker suggest improving one's IQ, and why is it important?

The speaker recommends reading for at least 30 minutes a day to improve IQ. They believe that a higher IQ opens up opportunities and makes learning new skills and tasks easier.

What advice does the speaker have for someone with a lower IQ considering university?

The speaker advises against university for those with a lower IQ and suggests improving their IQ first through reading, studying, or engaging in activities that stimulate the mind before considering higher education.

According to the speaker, what is the minimum IQ suggested by Jordan Peterson for university students?

Jordan Peterson, as mentioned by the speaker, suggests that university students should ideally have an IQ of at least 115 to succeed without excessive struggle.

Why does the speaker think that high IQ alone shouldn't be the sole criterion for attending university?

The speaker believes that while a high IQ can be beneficial, it shouldn't be the only factor in deciding to attend university. They emphasize that there are other options and paths to success that don't necessarily require a university education.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 The Struggles and Importance of IQ

The speaker shares their personal experience with a low IQ score of 70 at the age of 17, highlighting the challenges they faced academically and in the workforce, particularly at McDonald's. They emphasize the importance of IQ for success in life, especially in jobs requiring intelligence. Despite their low score, they managed to improve their cognitive abilities through daily reading, which made their work easier and allowed them to learn new tasks more quickly. The speaker suggests that a high IQ is crucial for picking up skills and progressing in various job roles, and they advise against pursuing university education for those with below-average IQs, recommending instead to focus on activities that can enhance IQ before considering higher education.

05:02

🎓 University Considerations and IQ Improvement

The speaker discusses the pressures of attending university, especially for individuals with lower IQs, and suggests that improving one's IQ should be a priority before considering higher education. They reference a historical video from the 1950s where only those with IQs of 120 or higher were encouraged to attend college, arguing that this selective approach makes sense. The speaker recommends part-time studying, reading, or engaging in creative activities to gradually enhance IQ. They also mention Jordan Peterson's view that an IQ of at least 115 is necessary for university success, unless one is willing to work exceptionally hard. The speaker concludes by advising against university for those who are not intellectually prepared, suggesting alternative paths like developing skills and interests that can lead to personal growth and success.

Keywords

💡IQ

IQ, or Intelligence Quotient, is a measure of a person's cognitive abilities. In the context of the video, the speaker discusses how their low IQ of 70 made it difficult for them to succeed in school and at work, particularly in tasks requiring intelligence. The video emphasizes the importance of IQ in determining one's success in life, especially in the workforce.

💡Success

Success in the video is tied to an individual's ability to perform well in various areas of life, particularly in the workforce. The speaker suggests that IQ plays a significant role in achieving success, as it can affect one's ability to learn and adapt to new tasks and environments.

💡Workforce

The workforce refers to the labor force engaged in the services and industries of a country. In the video, the speaker discusses how their low IQ impacted their ability to work effectively in the workforce, specifically at McDonald's, where they struggled with tasks that required mental agility.

💡One-size-fits-all

This term refers to a solution or approach that is applied universally without considering individual differences. The speaker criticizes the school system for being one-size-fits-all, implying that it does not account for varying levels of intelligence or learning capabilities, which can lead to students like the speaker feeling overworked and underperforming.

💡Overworked

Being overworked means to work excessively, often leading to burnout or decreased productivity. The speaker describes feeling overworked in their studies and at work due to their low IQ, which affected their ability to learn and perform tasks efficiently.

💡Improvement

Improvement in the video is discussed in the context of increasing one's IQ through practice and learning. The speaker shares their personal journey of improving their IQ by reading and studying, which subsequently made work and learning new tasks easier.

💡University

University in the video is mentioned as a place of higher learning that may not be suitable for everyone, especially those with lower IQs. The speaker suggests that having a higher IQ, ideally above 115, could be beneficial for university success, as suggested by Jordan Peterson in one of his videos.

💡Mental breakdown

A mental breakdown refers to a sudden failure in the ability to cope with stress or pressure, often leading to emotional or psychological collapse. The speaker warns that pushing individuals with lower IQs into university can lead to mental breakdowns due to the stress of keeping up with academic demands.

💡Opportunities

Opportunities in the video are presented as chances or prospects for advancement or success. The speaker argues that improving one's IQ can open up more opportunities, such as being able to learn new skills and take on different roles at work.

💡Stress

Stress in the video is depicted as a negative force that can result from being in situations that are too challenging or demanding. The speaker talks about the stress they experienced due to their low IQ, both in school and at work, which was alleviated as their IQ improved.

💡Reading

Reading is highlighted in the video as a method for improving one's IQ. The speaker shares their personal strategy of reading for half an hour a day, which they believe has contributed to their cognitive improvement and ability to perform better in various tasks.

Highlights

Importance of IQ in success and workforce

Personal experience with an IQ of 70 and its challenges

Difficulties in school due to low IQ despite hard work

Critique of the one-size-fits-all approach in the school system

The realization of overworking and its impact on learning

Improving IQ through daily reading and its effects

The struggle of working at McDonald's with a low IQ

The mental strain of physically demanding jobs with low IQ

The benefits of improving IQ for job performance

The importance of practice and IQ in learning new skills

Observation of university-educated individuals learning quickly due to higher IQ

Advice on not going to university if IQ is below average

Recommendation to improve IQ before considering university

Jordan Peterson's view on the minimum IQ for university attendance

The historical context of IQ and college attendance in the 1950s

The idea that high IQ doesn't necessarily mean one should go to university

The suggestion to focus on activities that improve IQ for personal growth

The potential stress and mental health issues from attending university with a low IQ

Transcripts

so i'm going to tell you the importance

of iq in terms of your

success in life particularly in the the

workforce

um any anywhere area where there's a

certain amount of intelligence required

um iq will make a difference um

so yeah you know i did an iq test when i

was 17 i got a

70 which means 98 of the population have

a higher iq than i do

and you know it's impossible to get by

with and like well it's not impossible

it was very difficult

to get by with an iq that low um you

know i got very bad grades in school

even though i worked very hard

and um yeah that's the thing so

um working hard well there's such things

working too hard i think that's what i

did

i worked too hard when it came to my uh

studies

and that's the problem with the school

system you know it's one-size-fits-all

oh if you're not getting good grades

because you're not working hard enough

but if you get really good grades it

means you're very hard worker and

that's a very one-size-fits-all it's a

big issue because no it's not always

because

the person i wasn't working hard enough

because you know i was

well personally i was overworked and you

know personally i think i should have

done less

um to get better results and um i've

learned that the hard way i've managed

to increase my queue for a bit just

studying for half an hour a day um last

few months i've been reading for 30

minutes every day

i thought that would help improve my um

my youtube but hasn't

i realized that um you know in order to

get good at youtube you have to

do it's a specific skill you have to

actually do it talk to a camera

that's what i'm trying to do now so um

i'm going to say uh so

um yeah you know iq is very important

because when i joined a queue of 70

i was going to work on mcdonald's i was

struggling it was a mentally

head-wrecking job

uh i only got ever got the hang of two

stations really

in my one year nine months at mcdonald's

i was chicken back from grill

and well kind of got the hang of fries

um i could keep up on fridays if i was

really determined

and of course lobby as well that's the

easiest station known

to humanity so yeah having that iq of 70

it made my life very difficult head was

wrecked after every shift

and um as soon as i started trying to

improve my iq

um it just became easier my head wasn't

wrecked after every shift and

you know now i'm working mcdonald's

working out a different mcdonald's

restaurant now

and um i just find it easier you can

pick things up a lot quicker

you know i mean um like wraps like

on the line i was at mcdonald's for a

year and nine months and i left and i

never knew how to make a wrap

but yesterday when i was flexing on the

line i was able to

learn how to make a wrap like that you

just you learn a lot quicker when you

have a high iq

okay you need two things you need

practice and you need

iq so you know when i was at mcdonald's

the first time i had the practice not

the iq

but i've improved my iq since i left and

um

yeah it just comes easier you know and

then that's the thing

so yeah of course if i were to um

when i was working mcdonald's the first

time yeah you know those people who are

new they're very smart they went to

university but they're new to their job

they're beginners so obviously they

weren't as good at me as say chicken

bachelor grill

but they pick it up a lot quicker than i

do you know what i mean so that's the

importance of like you it helps you pick

things up

you know what i mean and um when you're

like you have 70 you don't really learn

anything

in fact you sit there you pay attention

and you try to learn information you

don't learn anything

and the teacher is saying oh you're not

working hard enough you know pay

attention class but i am you know you

got to get out of

this uh one size fits all if you treat

every stream

differently depending on what standard

they're asked

you know if they treated me like a guy

from an iq of 70 they gave me a workload

that would be suitable for a guy with an

iq of 70.

i would have done much better and i

would have improved but because

you know they they assumed i was as

smart as the average person

i didn't improve i was overworked and

i've improved

massively just for you know reading half

an hour a day you know 30 minutes uh

university students would laugh at that

but that's what's helping me improve

myself

okay and yeah i was bored just working

chicken batch and grill the whole time

at mcdonald's so

now i'm like right i need to improve my

brain and try to get the hang of more

stations

because you know i don't be just stuck

on that same

job those same two stations the rest of

my life i want to be able to

progress get the hang of all the

stations if you know what i mean so

that's why it's important to um improve

your iq

it will open many opportunities to you i

don't need to go to university to do

this

in fact if you're below average like you

i'd strongly suggest not even bother

trying to go to university i think you

should have an iq of at least 115

if you want to go to university that's

what jordan peterson said in one of his

um

his videos he was talking to a group of

university students

and he said chances are none of you have

an iq below 115

unless you work like an absolute horse

to keep up with working like the horses

and sustainable

so yeah that'll be my advice you know if

you like you say 19 you're 18 you would

go to university

don't go improve the iq first maybe get

a job and just maybe do a little bit of

studying or reading

or art or something that will improve

your iq in your free time

and um yeah if you do that and improve

your iq

get up to 115 then consider going to

university i think

they should do i watched a video from

the 1950s

and a youtube video and um it was a

group of people who scored 120 or higher

in their iq test

and um in a year group and these people

were told oh you guys should be going to

college and um that made a bit of sense

because you know they

they only told the intelligent people to

go to college um

you know you they there's they're saying

to the kids right you need to get this

standard in order to go to university i

think that makes a lot more sense

um but still having said that uh just

because we have high iq doesn't mean you

should

go to universe you should go to

university there's other options

if you know what i mean so that's just

the way it is

and it's just the way it is so um yeah

um

what should i say now um yeah do that

improve improve your iq you know because

if you have an iq of like 90 or 80 or

whatever

low iq and you're being pressured to go

to university

well it's going to be very uh painful

it's gonna be very stressful

a lot of people mental breakdowns

because they're really not smart enough

to go to university but they're

pressurized into into going and it's

just not a good idea

i think they'd be better off to be told

right just study for under maybe 30

minutes a day

45 minutes a day um just you know read

just you know make youtube videos do

something you enjoy do art

do music whatever and just slowly

approve our cue that way

um now make a lot more sense if you know

what i mean