Strength vs. Smarts

 

Someone asked me the other day, "What matters more when striving for success?  Strength or intelligence?  The strongest survive, right?"  In a way, I suppose so.  But based "strength" being physical strength, I started to develop an opposing opinion.

See, Social Darwinism suggests a survival of the fittest; that the inferior will fall to the superior groups.  And your "superiority" can be determined by a number of things.  I suppose back in ancient history, physical strength did matter.  Now, it's who has more money, guns, or influence.  Anyway.  I hate to say this, but physical strength is no longer an attribute that can make you the most successful.

For example, when you're trying to succeed at most any job, how do you excel?  Generally, you do so through hard work, you get promoted based on the consistency, quality, and intelligence of your work.  However, if I were to take a desk, throw it through a wall and then say, "Hey, boss- see, I'm a beast, I threw that desk.  Promote me?"  I'd be fired.

In most jobs, white-collar ones, promotions don't take place because of any display of strength.

I mean, I remember in elementary school when the strongest kids were feared on the playground.  I'd always admire whoever ran fastest or who could throw a ball farther.   In high school, those same thoughts carried over.  The people who did well in sports generally had more friends, while the "nerds," if you will, didn't.

But, having more friends doesn't necessarily suggest a greater chance at success.  Besides that, I don't really think a lot of kids in sports have friend because they're good at the sport.  I believe it's because when you get involved in extra-curricular activities, you build a social network with people that you probably wouldn't if you spent your time reading, studying, and playing PC games.  (I only did maybe two of those in high school, and it wasn't studying.)

If you look at our top athletes, you'll see that they're on top because they're strongest or most accurate with the football.  But on that note, they're also some of the most intelligent players.  Peyton Manning is a great quarterback, but I think a lot of that is due to his in-depth understanding of the game, and how smart he is.

So, I guess I'm saying an individual can succeed on intelligence alone.  To succeed with strength, as in having a winning season or establishing a career with athletics that you can thrive off of, you still need intelligence.

I guess I'd reword that little theory, "survival of the fittest."  More specifically, I'd probably say "survival of the smartest."

And no, I'm not saying unintelligent people should be eliminated or they're insignificant.  I'm just comparing what muscles will get you further in life; your brain, or everything else.  And strength isn't a bad thing.  While the cerebral cortex is a huge addition that we have that differs us from other living things on this planet (yes I know we're not "things), strength has it's pros as well.  Firefighters and soldiers are all strong people (physically, and mentally), and their success in their job is based on it.  Just don't get the wrong picture, here.

Of course, there are a lot more factors that determine your success, such as your hard work, determination, social skills, and personality.  Those traits sometimes outweigh intelligence, and usually matter more that physical strength.

And if you look at where the world is going... the internet, social networks, and technology is running everything.  And who's designs the phones you rely on?  Who built that social network you put all your information on?  Some of the smartest people are behind a lot of the things you have that make your clock tick.

So what do you think?  I'd like to hear your feedback.

Fact of the day:  You're 3 times more likely to die from a car accident than a bullet.  Think we should consider outlawing cars as well as guns?

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