I will put it this way. As a general rule, the cleverest people I know tend to be the biggest ****s, the least fun to be around and the least likely to get their round in.
When it comes to voting the vast majority of people vote in their own self interest and even the stupid ones are generally able to work out what that is. Intelligence is not needed when it comes to voting. Or getting your round in.
We're all stupid. Just stupid in different ways. Doesn't seem to be much point in getting all out of shape about it. When I meet and interact with people I don't try to identify how stupid they are, but in which ways they are intelligent or interesting or attractive. We just have very different priorities, it seems.
The Americans have a word for this, which is 'smart'. Smart meets not getting your round in because you are cleverer than everyone else and have uniquely worked out that if you don't ever get a round in you get you keep all your money and can go on to enjoy wealth and status. This makes you smart.
See also many other ruthless examples of fiscal cùntery whereby screwing people over is something to aspire to because it shows how smart you are.
It sounds like our priorities are pretty much the same to me.
"We will both have developed reliable techniques for discerning the levels of intelligence of people that we meet."
"When I meet and interact with people I don't try to identify how stupid they are, but in which ways they are intelligent [...]"
"Plenty of strikers can score goals," he said, gesturing to the famous old stands casting shadows around us.
"But a lot have found it difficult wearing the number 9 shirt for The Arsenal."