I think the posts focusing on what you consider to be within your control and influence are more useful than a bland judgement of "smart or not smart."
You can be smart, but if you focus on external variables, if you choose to limit the efforts you'll put forth to create value out of your ideas, or spread knowledge that has value, or you put your ideas out there and they fail but you just blame everyone else - it doesn't really matter how smart you are or even if the ideas have value. It matters that you've taken whatever influence you have over the end result and handed it over to everyone else.
Similarly, there's just not a lot of value of idly lamenting that your ideas are great but not recognized by others. That the world is "populated by idiots."
Certainly, many of us have had ideas we cherished that didn't take off - most of us have seen smaller successes compared to Chris' game sales in the early 80s. That kind of success could certainly alter anyone's perception. Perhaps my own humble life has prevented me from becoming too focused on my own genius, but I also recognize the perspective from moments in my past. At this point, I feel like I'm fortunate to have a brain that works well enough to have the career I have, as well as the home life I enjoy. It's not going to make me super wealthy or even slightly famous, but I can extract a lot of joy out of my life. And it will not benefit me to complain that the potentially good ideas of my past will not be realized. But it's certainly possible as the balance of years ahead shrinks in comparison with years past, I'll find myself more focused on what could have been and wish the world did more to appreciate me.
You can be smart, but if you focus on external variables, if you choose to limit the efforts you'll put forth to create value out of your ideas, or spread knowledge that has value, or you put your ideas out there and they fail but you just blame everyone else - it doesn't really matter how smart you are or even if the ideas have value. It matters that you've taken whatever influence you have over the end result and handed it over to everyone else.
Similarly, there's just not a lot of value of idly lamenting that your ideas are great but not recognized by others. That the world is "populated by idiots."
Certainly, many of us have had ideas we cherished that didn't take off - most of us have seen smaller successes compared to Chris' game sales in the early 80s. That kind of success could certainly alter anyone's perception. Perhaps my own humble life has prevented me from becoming too focused on my own genius, but I also recognize the perspective from moments in my past. At this point, I feel like I'm fortunate to have a brain that works well enough to have the career I have, as well as the home life I enjoy. It's not going to make me super wealthy or even slightly famous, but I can extract a lot of joy out of my life. And it will not benefit me to complain that the potentially good ideas of my past will not be realized. But it's certainly possible as the balance of years ahead shrinks in comparison with years past, I'll find myself more focused on what could have been and wish the world did more to appreciate me.