Steve Jobs’s Definition of “Smart” Will Make You Rethink Your Actions

Research shows IQ is a 'reasonable' predictor of financial success, but this is not the entire truth because there are plenty of high-IQ individuals living modest lives and plenty of wealthy people who are not geniuses.

“Research is piling up telling us that IQ is a 'reasonable' predictor of financial success. However, as you very well know from your own life, that is not the entire truth, as there are plenty of high IQ individuals who live modest lives, and plenty of wealthy people who aren't geniuses.”

Steve Jobs identified the ability to 'zoom out' and see the whole picture—like viewing a city from the 80th floor rather than getting lost in reading stupid little maps—as the key characteristic of a smart person.

“A lot of [what it means to be smart] is the ability to zoom out, like you're in a city and you could look at the whole thing from the 80th floor down at the city. And while other people are trying to figure out how to get from point A to point B reading these stupid little maps, you could just see it in front of you. You can see the whole thing.”

Smart people make connections that seem obvious to them but are perplexing to others simply because they have developed the skill of 'zooming out' to get a better view of the big picture.

“Jobs masterfully notes that smart people often make connections that seem obvious to them, but perplexing to others — simply because they have developed the skill of 'zooming out' to get a better view of the big picture.”

According to Steve Jobs, the way to increase intelligence to become a 'smart' person is by having unique life experiences that are different from what everyone else has.

“According to the visionary — it's all about having unique life experiences. 'You have to not have the same bag of experiences as everyone else does, or else you're gonna make the same connections and you won't be innovative.'”

It's probably not the information itself that successful entrepreneur-leaders like Lütke value about books, but rather how they change perspective.

“It's probably not the information itself that these leaders value about books, but rather how they change their perspective.”

People gain experiences and lessons through interpersonal interactions and shared activities that they would never have been able to get just by their own intellectual effort.

“We'd do something together that I'd never think of doing on my own. In the end, I'd be left with experiences and lessons that I never would've been able to get just by my own intellectual effort.”

The rule of thumb for becoming truly smart in today's professional world is to gather experiences that few others in your tribe have, which is how you learn to see things in a visionary way.

“But the rule of thumb is clear: if you want to be truly smart in today's professional world, you have to gather experiences that few others in your tribe have. That's how you learn to see things in a way that might be called visionary.”

People who are open to experience and extroverted will seek out the most interesting, non-standard situations in life and gain invaluable perspectives as a result, which connects to the research findings and Jobs' theory.

“These findings tie in nicely with what Jobs said — people who are open to experience and extroverted will seek out the most interesting, non-standard situations in life — and gain invaluable perspectives as a result.”

Steve Jobs recommended having unique life experiences including going to Paris and being a poet for a few years, going to a third-world country, falling in love with two people at once, and noted that Walt Disney took LSD.

“You might want to think about going to Paris and being a poet for a few years. Or you might want to go to a third-world country — I'd highly advise that. Falling in love with two people at once. Walt Disney took LSD, do you know that?”

It's not necessary to travel or take LSD to gather interesting experiences and form a value-adding perspective—alternatives include reading and devouring online courses.

“It's not necessary to travel or take LSD to gather interesting experiences and form a value-adding perspective of the world. Your vehicle of choice could be reading, or devouring online courses.”

When the speaker recalled the key turning points in their own life, they realized that it was never a 'genius idea' or 'an amazing realization' that shaped their path, but rather people they met who challenged their core assumptions.

“After a while, I realized that it was never a 'genius idea' or 'an amazing realization' that shaped my path — but people. I'd meet someone. I'd have my core assumptions challenged.”

Tobias Lütke, Shopify's billionaire founder, was described by Tim Ferriss as one of the most aggressive readers he'd ever met, and spoke in depth about books that changed his life on Ferriss's podcast.

“Tobias Lütke, Shopify's billionaire founder, was described by Tim Ferriss as one of the most aggressive readers he'd ever met. It's probably not the information itself that these leaders value about books, but rather how they change their perspective. On Ferriss's podcast, Lütke went in-depth about the books that changed his life — carefully describing each one of them.”

Books are the easiest way for introverts to gather unique insights that shape their own worldview and expand their mental horizons.

“Books are the easiest way for introverts to gather unique insights that shape their own worldview. They expand your mental horizons, so it makes sense that someone who's read 100 classic business books can spot a rising trend or a missed opportunity before anyone else.”

Someone who has read 100 classic business books can spot a rising trend or a missed opportunity before anyone else because reading expands mental horizons.

“They expand your mental horizons, so it makes sense that someone who's read 100 classic business books can spot a rising trend or a missed opportunity before anyone else.”

Many successful entrepreneurs are avid readers, including Divyank Turakhia, a 35-year-old Indian tech billionaire who has read 800 hours a year every year since age 15.

“These findings tie in nicely with what Jobs said — it's also safe to say that any significant career step up will require a decisive innovative move. These findings also help explain why so many successful entrepreneurs are avid readers. Divyank Turakhia, a 35-year old Indian tech billionaire, has once said that since the age of 15 he has read for 800 hours a year, every year.”