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Most over-rated and under-rated intellectual careers

Rational Agnostic

Well-Known Member
I am curious as to people's perceptions of which careers require the most intelligence. For instance, doctors and lawyers are assumed to be among the most intelligent members of society. Yet, in my humble opinion, while they are certainly vital and important careers, I believe that the intelligence of people in these fields is somewhat over-rated. In contrast to this, I believe that Computer Programmers are significantly more intelligent than doctors or lawyers, yet their intelligence seems to be largely under-rated by society. I want to be clear that I am not trying to put down doctors and/or lawyers. They are very important members of society, and I appreciate all of them. I am referring specifically to the level of intelligence required for the field. In this case, I feel that Programmers are rarely mentioned as being in the class of the intellectual elite, though they should be acknowledged as being among the more intelligent members of society, as the logical and systematic thinking required to be a professional Programmer greatly exceeds the level that is required to be a doctor or lawyer, or any of the professions traditionally recognized as being the professions of "smart people."
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
I am curious as to people's perceptions of which careers require the most intelligence. For instance, doctors and lawyers are assumed to be among the most intelligent members of society. Yet, in my humble opinion, while they are certainly vital and important careers, I believe that the intelligence of people in these fields is somewhat over-rated. In contrast to this, I believe that Computer Programmers are significantly more intelligent than doctors or lawyers, yet their intelligence seems to be largely under-rated by society. I want to be clear that I am not trying to put down doctors and/or lawyers. They are very important members of society, and I appreciate all of them. I am referring specifically to the level of intelligence required for the field. In this case, I feel that Programmers are rarely mentioned as being in the class of the intellectual elite, though they should be acknowledged as being among the more intelligent members of society, as the logical and systematic thinking required to be a professional Programmer greatly exceeds the level that is required to be a doctor or lawyer, or any of the professions traditionally recognized as being the professions of "smart people."
And still can't get Windows to function as advertised. ;0-
 

Skwim

Veteran Member
Well, if we're talking under-rated in terms of pay, I'm pretty sure public school teachers and instructors at community colleges (who are often adjunct and don't get paid enough to make a living off it) take the cake on this one.
My thoughts as well. IQ point for IQ point, I believe teaching is the most under-rated intellectual career of all.

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Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Well, if we're talking under-rated in terms of pay, I'm pretty sure public school teachers and instructors at community colleges (who are often adjunct and don't get paid enough to make a living off it) take the cake on this one.
I'd certainly go for higher pay if teachers are tested every so many years to ensure acdamic standards are kept and up to date with pay grades respective to what they teach.
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
While I think there is most likely some correlation between occupation and IQ, I wonder how high it is?

Having said that, some years ago, my older brother, who is head of database management for a mid-sized corporation, reported to a man who was an actuary. The actuary could read with perfect comprehension page after page of almost pure mathematics at the same pace most of us read English. He had two or three brothers and was considered within his own family to be "the slow one". His brothers were physicists.
 

Jumi

Well-Known Member
In this case, I feel that Programmers are rarely mentioned as being in the class of the intellectual elite, though they should be acknowledged as being among the more intelligent members of society, as the logical and systematic thinking required to be a professional Programmer greatly exceeds the level that is required to be a doctor or lawyer, or any of the professions traditionally recognized as being the professions of "smart people."
It's not the easiest subject, but is it harder than being a doctor? A doctor needs an understanding of a wide range of sciences. People can be programmers in their spare time, but can they be doctors also...?
 

Mock Turtle

Oh my, did I say that!
Premium Member
I suspect that scientists, perhaps involved in physics or some other fundamental field will require the greatest intelligence - having to keep so much information and concepts juggling about - but programmers, of which I have been a very poor example, will also require such - having to constantly solve problems - which to me is the essence of intelligence - someone who can solve problems over a wide range of issues. And one need not necessarily be that scientific to do this - but invariably it does help - being more grounded in reality perhaps. I don't think it is necessarily how much knowledge one has - it's more about what one does with it.
 

Orbit

I'm a planet
My husband is a computer programmer who is very intelligent, but not all programmers are all that intelligent. It's a bell curve, like everything else. There are good programmers who are under-rated and bad ones who are over-rated. The reason doctors enjoy a high level of prestige isn't necessarily because people think they're geniuses--it's because they can save your life, and that's a very valuable skill. Again, there are good and bad doctors too. Teachers are underpaid, but is it because we don't think they're intelligent? I'm not sure pay and intelligence are always correlated.
 
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