Often it was believed that super intelligence leads to financial

Question

Often it was believed that super intelligence leads to financial success, but a study by Malcolm Gadwall identified determination as the most important predictor of success. It certainly helps to be smart, but there are plenty of people as smart as Bill Gates who have achieved next to nothing. The study further concluded that there are aspects called components of determination that are more relevant than others, and more importantly, some of these components can be cultivated while others are innate. One of these components – sheer willfulness, the desire to get something when you want it, no matter what – is most important. Unfortunately, the study concluded that a good deal of willfulness must be inborn because it is common to see families in which one sibling has much more of it than the other sibling. Circumstances can alter it, but at the high end of the scale, nature seems to be more important than nurture. But a strong willed person needs to be disciplined and not self-indulgent, making discipline the second component of determination. Hence, determination implies your willfulness is balanced by discipline. This is because the stronger your will, the less anyone will be able to argue with you except yourself, and someone should argue with you because everyone has base impulses, but if you have more will than discipline you'll just give into these impulses and as a result end up on a local maximum such as drug addiction. Another important thing that the study concludes is that discipline can be cultivated, and in fact does tend to vary quite a lot in the course of an individual's life, and since determination is the product of will and discipline, you can become more determined by being more disciplined. The last component that the study discovered – another malleable one – is ambition. If willfulness and discipline are what get you to your destination, ambition is how you choose it and the fact that ambition is malleable means there is a lot you can do to increase it. Hence to summarize, determination consists of willfulness balanced with discipline and aimed by ambition - fortunately at least two of these three qualities can be cultivated.   1 
 1. The author is primarily concerned with

A. comparing and contrasting the roles played by intelligence and determination as a predictor of financial success.
B. determining the most important components of determination that lead to financial success.
C. discussing the three components of determination that have proven to be the strongest predictors of financial success.
D. proving that anyone who possesses sheer willfulness can be financially successful.
E. disproving the notion that one needs innate intelligence to be successful.

2 
 2. Why does the author cite the example of Bill Gates in the passage?

A. To prove that one does not need to be smart to be financially successful.
B. To cite an instance in which smart people are successful.
C. To emphasize his point that there are people smarter than Bill Gates.
D. To emphasize his point that determination trumps smartness as a predictor of financial success.
E. To prove that Bill Gates was one of the most determined people in the world.

3 
 3. The author of the passage will most likely agree with which one of the personalities to not have the potential to be financially successful?

A. Someone who loves money, is ambitious to the core, finishes something when he/she decides and indulges in expensive gifts regardless of whether he/she can afford it.
B. Someone who is extremely strong headed yet disciplined but possesses little ambition.
C. Someone who is extremely malleable and disciplined and intends to be a CEO.
D. Someone who is not very determined because of their tendencies of giving into life’s desires yet is so obstinate that he finishes something once he decides to regardless of the circumstances.
E. Someone who has great ambition, is stubborn and headstrong and is willing to give up everything to achieve his/her goals.

Nikhil · Accepted Answer

1. The author is primarily concerned with

A. comparing and contrasting the roles played by intelligence and determination as a predictor of financial success.

INCORRECT  The author compared intelligence with determination only in the first paragraph.

B. determining the most important components of determination that lead to financial success.

INCORRECT  The author didn't determine the important components of determination. The author discussed about the components of determination

C. discussing the three components of determination that have proven to be the strongest predictors of financial success.

CORRECT  This option presents the scope of all the paragraphs.

D. proving that anyone who possesses sheer willfulness can be financially successful.

INCORRECT  Partial scope as this option talks about only one component of determination.

E. disproving the notion that one needs innate intelligence to be successful.

INCORRECT  Partial scope. This option doesn't talk about the components of determination

2. Why does the author cite the example of Bill Gates in the passage?

A. To prove that one does not need to be smart to be financially successful.

INCORRECT  The passage mentions that Bill Gates is smart

B. To cite an instance in which smart people are successful.

INCORRECT  The passage cited Bill Gates to mention about people that are smart and determined.

C. To emphasize his point that there are people smarter than Bill Gates.

INCORRECT  The passage didn't mention about people smarter than Bill Gates

D. To emphasize his point that determination trumps smartness as a predictor of financial success.

CORRECT  Author introduced Bill gates to provide an example where determination trumps smartness

E. To prove that Bill Gates was one of the most determined people in the world.

INCORRECT  The author didn't talk about most determined people

3. The author of the passage will most likely agree with which one of the personalities to not have the potential to be financially successful?

A. Someone who loves money, is ambitious to the core, finishes something when he/she decides and indulges in expensive gifts regardless of whether he/she can afford it.

INCORRECT  The personality presented in this option lacks discipline but has willfulness and ambition. Since discipline can be acquired, this personality can be financially successful.

B. Someone who is extremely strong headed yet disciplined but possesses little ambition.

INCORRECT  This personality has discipline and willfulness but lacks ambition. Since ambition can be acquired, this personality can be financially successful.

C. Someone who is extremely malleable and disciplined and intends to be a CEO.

CORRECT  This personality lacks willfulness which is innate quality and cannot be acquired. Hence this personality cannot be financially successful

D. Someone who is not very determined because of their tendencies of giving into life’s desires yet is so obstinate that he finishes something once he decides to regardless of the circumstances.

INCORRECT  The personality presented in this option lacks discipline but has willfulness. Since discipline can be acquired, this personality can be financially successful.

E. Someone who has great ambition, is stubborn and headstrong and is willing to give up everything to achieve his/her goals.

INCORRECT  This personality has all the qualities to be financially successful

CounterSniper · Answer

According to the passage determination consists of 3 traits 
 1.will (willfulness)
2.discipline 
3.ambition

2 out above 3 can be cultivated namely discipline and ambition.

question 3 wants us to find the person  who is probably low on will  , as it cannot be cultivated

A. Someone who loves money, is ambitious to the core,  finishes something when he/she decides  and indulges in expensive gifts regardless of whether he/she can afford it.
---The bold part indicates will !!
---Out

B. Someone who is  extremely strong headed  yet disciplined but possesses little ambition.
---This guy too has Will
---Out

C. Someone who is  extremely malleable and disciplined  and intends to be a CEO.
---all that is mentioned is malleable and disciplined.
--- could be the answer

D. Someone who is not very determined because of their tendencies of giving into life’s desires yet is so obstinate that  he finishes something once he decides to regardless of the circumstances. 
---will is there
---out

E. Someone who has great ambition, is stubborn and headstrong and is  willing to give up everything to achieve his/her goals. 
---again will is there
---Out

Gagoosh · Answer

Q 3.

Per the passage, the most important component is the willingness, which one can not acquire and should be innate. This component is a must have, since other can be acquired. A malleable person is easy to influence and hence has/no low will, therefore does not have the potential to be financially successful.. hence C is correct.

workout .. need insights

guys, need kudos

AliciaSierra · Answer

3. The author of the passage will most likely agree with which one of the personalities to not have the potential to be financially successful?

A. Someone who loves money, is ambitious to the core, finishes something when he/she decides and indulges in expensive gifts regardless of whether he/she can afford it.
 INCORRECT  The personality presented in this option lacks discipline but has willfulness and ambition. Since discipline can be acquired, this personality can be financially successful.

B. Someone who is extremely strong headed yet disciplined but possesses little ambition.
 INCORRECT  This personality has discipline and willfulness but lacks ambition. Since ambition can be acquired, this personality can be financially successful.

C. Someone who is extremely malleable and disciplined and intends to be a CEO.
 CORRECT  This personality lacks willfulness which is innate quality and cannot be acquired. Hence this personality cannot be financially successful

D. Someone who is not very determined because of their tendencies of giving into life’s desires yet is so obstinate that he finishes something once he decides to regardless of the circumstances.
 INCORRECT  The personality presented in this option lacks discipline but has willfulness. Since discipline can be acquired, this personality can be financially successful.

E. Someone who has great ambition, is stubborn and headstrong and is willing to give up everything to achieve his/her goals.
 INCORRECT  This personality has all the qualities to be financially successful

workout , how could you say this person lacks willfulness ? Option says , this person intends to become CEO. "Intends to become CEO" is not willfulness ?

Shrey9 · Answer

1. The author is primarily concerned with

A. comparing and contrasting the roles played by intelligence and determination as a predictor of financial success.

B. determining the most important components of determination that lead to financial success.

C. discussing the three components of determination that have proven to be the strongest predictors of financial success.

D. proving that anyone who possesses sheer willfulness can be financially successful.

E. disproving the notion that one needs innate intelligence to be successful.

Hey, its a main idea question, and I mostly get these ones wrong, as the case here, too..
I wanted to ask.
The paragraph/passage does contain more about the three components, but isn't the main point disproving the notion that was discussed in the 1st Paragraph..

I would be delighted if any expert can take out time to answer this question

Debashis Roy · Answer

VeritasKarishma   GMATNinja

Q3 Option (c) states "intends to be CEO"... So how can we say that willingness is missing?

Pls shed ur thoughts
Thanks

KarishmaB · Answer

There are 3 important aspects:
Will (if I want it, I want it) - which is mostly innate and cannot be taught
Discipline (not to indulge oneself) - which can be taught
Ambition (want to be successful) - which can be taught

For one to have potential to be successful, one NEEDS Will since it can't be taught.

A. Someone who loves money, is ambitious to the core, finishes something when he/she decides and indulges in expensive gifts regardless of whether he/she can afford it.
Has will (finishes something when he/she decides), has ambition but perhaps not very disciplined (which can be taught). He does have the potential.

B. Someone who is extremely strong headed yet disciplined but possesses little ambition.

Has will and discipline but no ambition (which can be taught). Has the potential.

C. Someone who is extremely malleable and disciplined and intends to be a CEO.

Is malleable so has no will which cannot be taught. Hence, doesn't have the potential. Only discipline and ambition cannot help.

D. Someone who is not very determined because of their tendencies of giving into life’s desires yet is so obstinate that he finishes something once he decides to regardless of the circumstances.

Has will but not discipline (which can be taught). Has potential.

E. Someone who has great ambition, is stubborn and headstrong and is willing to give up everything to achieve his/her goals.

Has will and ambition. Perhaps has discipline too. Has the potential.

Answer (C)

VerbalBot · Answer

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Often it was believed that super intelligence leads to financial

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Often it was believed that super intelligence leads to financial

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