There are a lot of smart people and then there are a lot of people who think they are smart because they have been told that and made good grades all through school. There are a lot of people who work hard all day. Some spend the morning digging a big hole. They spend the afternoon filling it up. They worked hard all day, but what did they really do. Some very smart people work very hard at doing nothing. To them it might be a game to see how much they can get without doing anything.

At first I though it is thought who take risks that separates them, but then some people who are smart work really hard to plan to rob a bank. They get rich for a while but is that a good answer. It is part of it, but no. Others work extremely hard and are very smart and take tremendous risk to deal in drugs, whether growing, transporting, selling, or even backing those who do. Some get rich but most end up in jail or a grave. So that pretty well says that taking risk isn't the only answer.

Then there are those who have a good, ethical, and moral vision who work hard, are smart, and take risk. They also can make it without having to look over their shoulder every stop of the way to be successful. But then some of them fail. The secret for them is they get back up and do it all over again.

So being smart, working hard, and taking risk isn't all the answer, but it pretty well assured that if you don't do those things, you will only either inherit it, marry it, or steal it. Knowing where you are going is many times more important than actually getting there.

All an opinion based on experience.

Originally Posted by LcJ

There are a lot of smart people and then there are a lot of people who think they are smart because they have been told that and made good grades all through school. There are a lot of people who work hard all day. Some spend the morning digging a big hole. They spend the afternoon filling it up. They worked hard all day, but what did they really do. Some very smart people work very hard at doing nothing. To them it might be a game to see how much they can get without doing anything.

At first I though it is thought who take risks that separates them, but then some people who are smart work really hard to plan to rob a bank. They get rich for a while but is that a good answer. It is part of it, but no. Others work extremely hard and are very smart and take tremendous risk to deal in drugs, whether growing, transporting, selling, or even backing those who do. Some get rich but most end up in jail or a grave. So that pretty well says that taking risk isn't the only answer.

Then there are those who have a good, ethical, and moral vision who work hard, are smart, and take risk. They also can make it without having to look over their shoulder every stop of the way to be successful. But then some of them fail. The secret for them is they get back up and do it all over again.

So being smart, working hard, and taking risk isn't all the answer, but it pretty well assured that if you don't do those things, you will only either inherit it, marry it, or steal it. Knowing where you are going is many times more important than actually getting there.

All an opinion based on experience.

+1.

Always told my kids that I was FAR more concerned with the kind of people they grew up to be than if they became a "success" based on worldly standards. I think this may be why they are all doing quite well.

Indeed Lyle!

We are each gifted with abilities, which we can use or not, as is our choice.
Those abilities can be improved by use.
Those abilities can be used to improve our lot - but there are no guarantees on success (as many other forces come into play).

I look on it this way, if you work at it you enhance your chance of getting somewhere - if you don't then you are purely in the hands of Lady Luck (and Lady Luck seems to like those that try to help themselves.. )!

I've been pretty lucky!

There is intellegence and there is wisdom.

One needs to be creative....:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=aTFJhxSDH7o

Originally Posted by Norman Adlam

Indeed Lyle!

We are each gifted with abilities, which we can use or not, as is our choice.
Those abilities can be improved by use.
Those abilities can be used to improve our lot - but there are no guarantees on success (as many other forces come into play).

I look on it this way, if you work at it you enhance your chance of getting somewhere - if you don't then you are purely in the hands of Lady Luck (and Lady Luck seems to like those that try to help themselves.. )!

I've been pretty lucky!

My life's experience has taught me those that do what they should be doing to the very best of their ability seem to be some of the luckiest people I know. The best part is they don't feel guilty about what they have. Rich is relative and being such will no more insure happiness as being poor will assure misery. Those things come from withing.

I have also been lucky, but I choose to call it Blessed. To each his own and it should be his to own.

Originally Posted by UlteriorModem

There is intellegence and there is wisdom.

Agreed - and both are gifts which we are born with and can make use or not!

I figured it was by how much I take home from what I know and the level of griping I do looking at the taxes and complaing about those not pulling their own weight. with the exception of the corrupt political class that are just legalized felons.

Originally Posted by Norman Adlam

Agreed - and both are gifts which we are born with and can make use or not!

It snot funny if we don't.

When I look back on my career as a professor, I think, "Not too shabby." I think a good part of success, or not, is how you understand the culture that you work in. I was fortunate, in graduate school, to be surrounded by dedicated people, both faculty, and fellow graduate students, who operated the way I think an academic should. My supervising professor let me work very independently. So, when I got a job at an young university, I knew how to teach well, and to get a research program going pretty much on my own. I have colleagues, smarter, better educated, and harder working, who are unknown off campus. I think it is largely a matter that they don't see the culture the way I did.

Originally Posted by Jim Thomerson

When I look back on my career as a professor, I think, "Not too shabby." I think a good part of success, or not, is how you understand the culture that you work in. I was fortunate, in graduate school, to be surrounded by dedicated people, both faculty, and fellow graduate students, who operated the way I think an academic should. My supervising professor let me work very independently. So, when I got a job at an young university, I knew how to teach well, and to get a research program going pretty much on my own. I have colleagues, smarter, better educated, and harder working, who are unknown off campus. I think it is largely a matter that they don't see the culture the way I did.

One doesn't know what one doesn't know. That's a very important concept.

Successful people are really serving others because they are willing to put up with the rest of us and produce something we want/need. Sometimes it is even something we don't even realize we want/need. How many of us needed a "smart phone" or an Android Tablet or an E-Reader. But we now find them almost irreplaceble...

Just remember - most of those successful people put up with our crap/ignorance/stupidity every day. And many of them are still able to do it with a smile.

Originally Posted by kf2qd

Successful people are really serving others because they are willing to put up with the rest of us and produce something we want/need. Sometimes it is even something we don't even realize we want/need. How many of us needed a "smart phone" or an Android Tablet or an E-Reader. But we now find them almost irreplaceble...

Just remember - most of those successful people put up with our crap/ignorance/stupidity every day. And many of them are still able to do it with a smile.

Excellent point. Never thought about it before but you make it sound like what it really is, giving others the chance to be productive without being in a leadership position.

Originally Posted by Jim Thomerson

When I look back on my career as a professor, I think, "Not too shabby." I think a good part of success, or not, is how you understand the culture that you work in. I was fortunate, in graduate school, to be surrounded by dedicated people, both faculty, and fellow graduate students, who operated the way I think an academic should. My supervising professor let me work very independently. So, when I got a job at an young university, I knew how to teach well, and to get a research program going pretty much on my own. I have colleagues, smarter, better educated, and harder working, who are unknown off campus. I think it is largely a matter that they don't see the culture the way I did.

how nice of you to step into a thread about success being measured in dollars and start spewing your "academic achievement" BS FYI, academic research DOES NOT PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE...IT ONLY SUCKS DOLLARS FROM THE POCKETS OF REAL AMERICANS.

Originally Posted by ZAGNUT

how nice of you to step into a thread about success being measured in dollars and start spewing your "academic achievement" BS FYI, academic research DOES NOT PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE...IT ONLY SUCKS DOLLARS FROM THE POCKETS OF REAL AMERICANS.

Not really true in all cases by any stretch of the imagination. Some cases yes, but not a blanket statement. Of course we had a lot of agricultural research long before such became the vogue. Ever heard of Blue Rose Rice? Then some ag departments like the one at Tuskegee under the leadership of George Washington Carver didn't have much and added a lot, not a little, but a lot to agriculture and especially to Alabama and Georgia. Without the funding of other places he spent his time doing what he could. The peanut industry can thank GWC for there being such and that is no longer peanuts.