Source: TW
Viewing the world from the vantage point of 100-130 IQ is the most dangerous type of existence. It’s not really an IQ thing, but a general intelligence thing that we each understand intuitively yet struggle to measure satisfactorily.
Don’t think of the test, but of a generalized power level. Which each point you gain until you hit the 2nd quartile, you grow more locally powerful, while gaining global adversaries. In this range, odds are you’d be better off as a dumber person who just listens to your betters, or ideally removing yourself from the dominance hierarchy by accepting the lot of a mid level person.
In doing the later, you have 1 of 2 advantages - either the ability to move in silence, or as an interface. You only get fucked if you strive.
Example of being an interface - you’re an AP student, all good, but not exceptional everywhere except maybe AP trig or AP comp. Instead of competing against millions of clones of yourself, you go to trade school and join a local construction company or go into HVAC. Suddenly you’re overpowered, you’re better than 99% of your peers, and as long as you don’t imagine that validation to be evidence you’re destined for something greater your results will be top quartile. 5-10 years later you’re running your own company or taking over as CEO after working your way up. This shit isn’t hard, your choices are easy and for most of them you have an advantage at making the right ones. Do you want to be the MVP of JV or warm the bench but get that varsity letter - when put this way, it’s obvious how retarded it is to play games you can’t win. You have great work life balance, a beautiful wife, kids, making millions each year, meanwhile your AP “betters” are going out of their way to be your friend so they can sell you debt or be your lawyer, OR dying inside as they search for the validation they got from their parents and teachers.
If you’re moving in silence - maybe you go to nursing school, or become a teacher, or go into sales or something. You don’t have the qualities of a leader, but you, again, are OP in this space. Similarly, your results will be better because in 5-10 years of winning every game you play, you’ll be experienced and the ideal follower for those with the potential for greatness.
As a society, we actually used to be a lot better at funneling mid IQs into the right life. We aren’t anymore because of the collapse of the middle class, a responding vicious cycle that optimized for achievement, and multiple psyops: the most obvious being you HAVE to go to college or you’re a loser, others being that going to college is a legitimate guarantee of higher future earnings or access to higher quality mates, that the trades and service work afford no opportunity, and spending all your money on trip to San tropez/michelin 3 star/nice car/hot city rent will make you happy.
If you’ve read zero to one this might sound familiar, your prospects are not too different if you’re above 2nd quartile. The difference is that while pursuit of mandatory growth obligations is a lot more likely to result in a prosperous existence that satisfies your basic wants, you’re likely wasting time, effort, and spiritual energy that if spent elsewhere might result in outsized returns.
Ultimately, regardless of who you are, I think the takeaway is that you should play games you know you can win, and resist the call of societal sirens, being open to contrarian paths.