For as long as I can remember, I've been described as "intelligent." Whether it was IQ, SAT scores, or just grades in math, science, literature, etc, I always did well. Usually very well.
But it's only hit me--too belatedly--over the past few years that I'm not "smart."
My brother-in-law Jon is "smart." He may be intelligent as well, but his strong point is his smarts.
He joined the Air Force when he was in his 20's, and got free schooling for plumbing/heating/AC.
When he was discharged, he went to work for some of the most reputable companies in the area.
And he made good money. On top of that, he got tons of union benefits, including a pension plan I'd kill for.
While I was working away at doing a ground-up restoration of a car I'd always wanted--a Jag XKE--Jon was busy buying properties. He started with a couple of four-family units, sold them, and then bought a couple of eight-family apartment buildings.
By the time Jon met my sister-in-law, he had both apartment buildings. My SIL is a tiny young lady, so she was pretty exhausted after all the work he put her through in rehabbing the units.
A few months ago he struck out on his own. Being the cynic that I am, I didn't think he'd do well, since he told me he wouldn't pursue the customers he'd worked for at his previous employers. When I got canned from my studio manager job in 1987, I went right after the clients I'd worked for previously.
Well, his (their) business is going bananas. He has more work than he can handle, and he can't even hire enough guys to take care of it all.
The upside for my wife and I is that Jon and his wife need someone like my wife who knows book keeping, invoices, quotes, taxes, and who is very good at keeping a business organized.
Bottom line, though, is that my sister-in-law and her kids will never want for anything. Jon's already worth over a million, and he's just 42.
My point in this thread is that it just doesn't matter how "intelligent" you are when judged by academic standards. If that were so, I should have been a millionaire decades ago.
There are "smarts" that can be taught, or are inherited. I don't know how they're delivered, since I never had them.