How smart is Elon Musk?
Have you ever wondered, “What is Elon Musk’s IQ?
With a reported IQ of 160, Elon Musk is widely considered one of the smartest individuals in the world (Source)˳
UPDATE: March 2023
Musk is planning on building his own Utopia in Texas˳
Elon Musk: There are those who love him, those who hate him, and those who would like to get a 1:1 hardcover to keep in front of their desk to feel inspired while working˳
In any case, it cannot be denied that he is one of the most fascinating minds currently in business on the globe (yes, I said globe, this article is not for flat-earthers, shoo): visionary entrepreneur, marketing man, and unpredictable social media celebrity,
Every one of his ventures leads to discussion, from trying to connect the human mind to computers to selling portable flamethrowers to smoking a joint live on Joe Rogan’s podcast˳ And then they call him “the real Tony Stark”˳
How smart is Elon Musk? He has a frightening intelligence˳ In fact, with an IQ of 160, Musk is in the top 2% of the smartest people on the planet˳
In addition, he must have methods, principles, and secrets that we can steal from him and try to apply˳
By reading this post, you discover Elon Musk learning methods in addition to learning the answer to the question, “How smart is Elon Musk?”
Here they are, Elon Musk learning “secrets”˳
UPDATE: Is Elon Musk Smart?
You will find more information that answers the question, “How smart is Elon Musk?” by viewing this video˳
Multi-Disciplinarity
This is the first characteristic, the first distinctive trait of Elon Musk learning style: He is not limited to one field˳ On the contrary, he seems to programmatically seek the study of several subjects at the same time˳
In interviews I read with his mother and brother, they tell of how as a child little Elon devoured up to two books a day˳ Any book, on any subject, he was even obsessed with˳
And so far everything is ok, you have to be greedy for knowledge of all kinds, but if it were enough to learn a thousand different things to be like him we would all be able, but what distinguishes his way of learning from that of the thousand students who navigate between dozens of exams university is the search for links between the various subjects˳
How smart is Elon Musk? Musk investigates the thin thread that unites physics, computer science, finance, engineering, philosophy, economics, neuroscience, and so on and so forth˳ This focus on the relationship between the different areas it deals with allows you to remember what you learn more easily˳
The Tree of Knowledge
These are words spoken, indeed written, by Elon himself: “It is useful to imagine knowledge as a semantic tree and make sure you have the principles before going into the details˳”
Musk knows that you have to start from the fundamentals, from the basic elements, the simplest, and build complexity starting from those same principles˳
How smart is Elon Musk? Just as chess players start studying the game from the endings, not from the openings, in the same way, Elon does not throw himself headlong into complex problems, but tries to go back to the simplest elements, but on which the whole discipline is based˳
He deconstructs what he wants to learn, tears it up, and arranges it in a sequence that is not always the one evident at first glance˳
To learn well, and quickly, therefore, it is necessary to analyze carefully and only then proceed step by step˳ In short, opening the book and starting from page 1 is not always the correct way˳
Mental Models
This is the strategy that I find most fascinating of all˳ It is a direct consequence of the reasoning on the fundamental principles of each discipline that we have just described: the construction of mental models that can be reproduced and applied in different fields˳
Starting from the fundamentals, we begin to notice repeating patterns, sequences, so to speak “universal” principles, which go beyond simple information and become cognitive strategies, a toolbox always ready to take action˳
To build this “library” of mental models, there are three main tips:
Taking advantage of the strategy called chunking, or segmenting and merging knowledge;
Compare and contrast the different information to derive the underlying structure˳ Always try to pose problems and notice differences and similarities˳
Master some knowledge This information more than others allows the development of effective cognitive strategies˳ It is as if some ideas and information are able to upgrade the software of our minds˳
Among these, learning foreign languages, understanding the scientific or empirical process, classical and argumentative logic, physics, great scientific theories such as the theory of evolution; mathematics˳ Understanding and practicing these specific ideas opens the mind, tests it, trains it, and prepares it to apply the same principles to every learning challenge˳
With time and practice, mental shortcuts begin to be applied, semi-automatic strategies that save mental effort˳ It is as if we were creating a sort of crystallized intelligence, ready-made, which saves time and effort˳ We sharpen our ax for a long time, before cutting the tree˳
Challenge and Compare
This is simple: Elon Musk never sits on his laurels˳ Never˳
How smart is Elon Musk? He goes on a sporadic search for new ideas and people capable of stimulating him˳
Yes, you can also participate in such activities˳ For instance, if you’re over-burdened by your academic responsibilities, then definitely consider delegating some work to a paper writer and working on improving your studying technique instead˳
The environment is essential: If you think you are the most intelligent and prepared person in the room, change the room˳ Then, there is always someone to confront, discuss, and even argue with˳
The challenge and exposure to people who are better than you and interesting to you, who develop new theories and hypotheses, keep you trained˳
Immersion and Application
Here it is a question of obsession˳ You don’t become an aerospace engineering expert within a few years by studying for half an hour a day˳
You have to be hungry to learn, you have to dream of the things you are passionate about at night, immerse yourself in them, spend every minute of your free time thinking about them, doing research online, talking to other enthusiasts, following YouTube tutorials˳
Plus, you have to practice and get your hands dirty˳ Theory and practice are not two separate moments when it comes to effective learning, they must be carried out together, right from the start˳ The geek and the theorist must become the same person, always and in any case˳
Don’t you feel it? Too extreme? Perhaps˳ After all, there is a price to pay to learn how smart is Elon Musk˳
Habit of Learning
Learn a lot, always learn, constantly learn˳ Musk has repeatedly stated that he includes time to read and learn in his weekly work schedule, along with commitments as Space X CEO, Tesla president, engineer, etc˳
You can’t think of snapping your fingers and becoming a learning hacker, you have to slowly build habits that become unshakable over time˳ He starts giving you half an hour a day to read a new book, which then becomes an hour, then maybe two˳
How Smart is Elon Musk: Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion: How Smart is Elon Musk?
When you have applied these principles and definitively embraced the concept of “lifelong learning”, or learning for life, perhaps… you will have become just like Elon Musk!
Now you know the answer to the question, “How smart is Elon Musk?”
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