There’s a lot of “smart” people in prison

I think it was Jensen Huang who said that out of all the attributes that has made him successful, intelligence is not one of them. It sort of makes sense from someone who perceives himself to be an intelligent person. My personal experience is that intelligence can be isolating and actually work against you in the modern workforce, which prioritizes teamwork and conformity to improve efficiency and output. High intelligence can actually hinder your career success (I believe). That’s not to say, however, that I won’t benefit in the future. Maybe it’s just a long-term sort of thing. 

At the end of the day, it’s not really just about intelligence, it’s also about ethics, morality, perseverance, and vision. Much like in high school where colleges make you write personal statements, your life’s trajectory has to make sense through a narration with words. The most successful people in the world who have biographies written about them are simply just people who’s personal statements have been immortalized. 

Intelligence without morality and a sense of righteousness can manifest as apathy, but also as criminality if it is combined with the intent to harm and transgress. I think that’s what I mean by the title. Intelligence in and of itself is not very important. It’s how you use it.