Nassim Taleb is likely wrong about IQ and talent
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Notes -
which would be true in a society that does not have division of labor or social stratification, which excludes every modern society. Even in antiquity smarter people were valued or had higher status, such as politicians, priests, generals, etc.. A comatose person has an IQ of zero. Yes, when taken to its extreme Taleb's argument is correct. To say that high IQ only measures test-taking ability ignores that such skills correlate in almost all aspects of life in which technical ability is an asset. People who score below 20 on the wonderlic, corresponding to an IQ of < 100, will almost always do worse at g-loaded activities than those who score above 30 (IQ above 125). It sucks that it is this way it is. It would unlock a lot of economic growth and productivity if IQ 100 people can be trained, at no added cost ,to do what 130 IQ people can do, but this does not seem to be the case.
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