I said this to a friend recently. We were talking about the way that the most intelligent, and especially the most creative, individuals end up getting frustrated with the educational system and leaving.

It struck me recently, though: Why is this a bad thing?

Why is it that I have this assumption that the greatest minds end up at the top?

They have a duty to humanity, of course, to put their talents to good use. Just ask Oppenheimer. He'll tell you all about it.

One of the smartest people I know turned down a job as Chief Engineer of Sun Microsystems. He decided that he wanted to become a wandering street performer instead.

Is this a tragedy?

Bertrand Russell said that the only truly happy person he met worked as a lowly gardener. Was he more intelligent than any of us?

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