[quote=jficquette]While a relatively high IQ doesn’t guarantee success, IQ is largest correlating factor to how much people make. Its also the largest correlator for those who commit crime. The average IQ of those in prison is between 70-75.

The Human animal is defined by its intelligence. Whatever defines a species and how the individual members fit relative to that determines how the spoils are divided.

John[/quote]
I have not read any of Rand’s works. They are just too damn long. I tried once but quickly lost interest. (And this is from someone who has read a lot of Tolstoy!)

John, I think you are giving too much creedence to an IQ test that doesn’t take into account what the intelligence is focused on or how it is measured. Setting aside the violent offenders, most people in prison these days were petty criminals (drug-related) trying to get ahead in the only way they had available to them. While many were unsuccessful at traditional forms of education, I am sure they were plenty “street smart” until they got caught. I don’t think you or I would last one day in their street environment. By the same measure, that makes us of a low IQ.

The only way to test my theory, sadly, is we need to throw the management of most Wall Street firms in jail, since they managed to lead criminal activites and not get caught, largely through influence over the laws themselves. Buy the votes on a bill that makes stealing legal. There’s IQ for you…The petty criminals just didn’t steal a large enough amount of money.