As a general rule of thumb, people tend to vastly overestimate their abilities and believe themselves to be exceptions to rules and tendencies. Right now you’re probably thinking how you’re way smarter than I am, and I’m thinking the exact same thing. We believe we’re special and have far more intricate inner-lives than others. That’s quite normal because we experience life only from our own perspectives, and we’re privy only to our own thoughts. Nonetheless, a shocking 65% of all Americans believe themselves to be of higher-than-average intelligence, according to this study. Wow! That’s a big number!

It’s easy to make fun of wannabe geniuses who shoot themselves in the foot with their comments, but real intelligence shouldn’t be made fun of. According to various studies, having a high IQ makes it more likely that you will be successful and rich and will live longer. Now, this doesn’t mean intelligence is the only factor that matters (and far from every scientist agrees with the conclusion about future success), but the importance of IQ shouldn’t be waved away, as though it means nothing.

Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon developed the first IQ (intelligence quotient) test in 1904, after the French government demanded they find a way to differentiate between lazy children and those with mental handicaps. The so-called Simon-Binet test, which was a combination of logical reasoning, finding rhyming words and naming objects, quickly became popular in the West.

The test was then modified in 1916, and called the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale. This became the standard IQ test used in the United States. Naturally, the test was revised and tweaked countless times, but it still remains popular to this day.

The IQ test didn’t make everyone happy, though. Psychologist David Wechsler thought the Stanford-Binet test was too limited, so in 1955 he created his own intelligence test: the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale or WAIS. In modern times we currently have the fourth incarnation of the test, known as WAIS-IV. Wechsler also made tests specifically for children and preschoolers.

Who’s the smartest person you know? Are you one of the rare people who don’t necessarily think they’re smarter than average? What do you think about IQ being an important predictor of success? Let us know in the comments!