A Surprising Observation
Have you noticed a strange phenomenon? Those who have truly achieved something in the tech field are often not the ones who love chasing new products the most.
When I worked in Silicon Valley, I knew some top engineers whose phones might be three or four years old, and laptops from five years ago, yet their work efficiency was astoundingly high. Meanwhile, some colleagues with average technical skills were always the first to get the latest iPhone, MacBook Pro, or various “productivity tools.”
What psychological principles hide behind this phenomenon? Why do truly smart people not love chasing the latest tech?
1. They Focus on “Marginal Utility” Rather Than “Absolute Performance”
High-IQ individuals usually have stronger “marginal utility analysis” capabilities. They ask: “Will upgrading this product really bring significant practical improvement to my work?”
Real Case: A senior engineer once told me: “My current MacBook Pro 2019 runs my code perfectly fine. Why spend $3,000 on a new one? If I invest that money instead, the returns in five years would be much more meaningful than the performance boost of a new computer.”
This is typical rational decision-making. They evaluate not how flashy a product is, but the “return on investment.”
Psychology Principle: Cognitive Resource Allocation Smart people know that focusing on product specs consumes cognitive resources. They’d rather spend their energy solving real problems instead of researching which phone camera has 0.1x more zoom.
2. Natural Immunity to “Marketing Speak”
High-IQ groups usually have stronger ability to identify ads and marketing strategies. They can easily see through exaggerated terms like “revolutionary,” “breakthrough,” and “most powerful ever.”
Example: When Apple says “thinnest iPhone ever,” average people think “wow, amazing.” But smart people think “what practical meaning does 0.5mm thinner have for me? Will it affect battery life?”
Psychology Principle: Critical Thinking Research shows that people with higher IQs are more likely to activate “System 2 thinking” (slow thinking) rather than relying on intuition and emotion for decisions. They question, analyze, and compare instead of being led by beautifully packaged ads.
3. They Understand the “Technology Maturity Curve”
People who truly understand tech know that any new technology goes through “hype period → trough period → maturity period.” They wait until technology truly matures and prices become reasonable before buying.
Classic Case: Foldable Phones When first-generation foldable phones came out in 2019, they were expensive with tons of problems. But many people bought them to “try something new.” Smart people? They waited until 2024 when technology matured and prices dropped.
The result? Early adopters paid high prices to be “testers,” while later users enjoyed better experiences at lower prices.
Psychology Principle: Delayed Gratification Ability High IQ strongly correlates with delayed gratification ability. They can resist the impulse to “have it now” and choose to wait for better timing.
4. Focus on “Tool Essence” Rather Than “Status Symbol”
Smart people view tech products as tools, not status symbols. They care about “what problems can this tool help me solve” rather than “how will others see me with this thing.”
Real Comparison:
- Average person: “I need the latest iPhone to look more sophisticated”
- Smart person: “My old phone still meets my needs, why change?”
This mindset difference comes from intrinsic motivation vs extrinsic motivation. Smart people are more intrinsically motivated; their confidence doesn’t need external items to prove itself.
Psychology Principle: Self-Efficacy High-IQ individuals usually have stronger self-efficacy. They know their value lies not in what products they use, but in what value they can create.
5. Avoiding “Sunk Cost Fallacy” and “Upgrade Trap”
The smartest people are best at avoiding various cognitive traps. They know that once you start chasing new products, you fall into the “upgrade trap” - feeling the need to upgrade every year, spending money every year.
Psychology Mechanism of Upgrade Trap:
- Buy new product → brief satisfaction
- Few months later → get used to it, satisfaction disappears
- New product launches → start craving again
- Repeat cycle → endless consumption
Smart people break out of this cycle. They set clear “upgrade standards”: only consider upgrading when existing tools truly can’t meet their needs.
6. Time is the Most Precious Resource
High-IQ people usually have strong time awareness. They know that researching new products, learning new tools, and adapting to new systems all require time costs.
Time Cost Calculation:
- Research new products: 2-3 hours
- Purchase and setup: 1-2 hours
- Learn new features: 5-10 hours
- Migrate data: 2-4 hours
Total might be 10-20 hours. Using this time to learn new skills or create value would have higher returns.
True Wisdom: Knowing When “Not to Act”
Finally, the greatest trait of smart people is: knowing when not to act.
In this “new is good” era, staying still actually requires greater wisdom. Because you have to resist:
- Social pressure (everyone else using new products)
- Marketing temptation (various exaggerated promotions)
- Fear psychology (afraid of being left behind by the times)
But truly smart people know that what really matters is not what tools you use, but what you create with those tools.
Advice for Regular People
If you also want to cultivate this “smart consumption habit,” try:
- Set upgrade standards: Clearly define when you need to upgrade
- Calculate true costs: Include money, time, and learning costs
- Wait for tech maturity: Let others be testers, you enjoy mature products
- Focus on tool essence: Ask yourself “Will this really improve my productivity?”
- Resist social pressure: Your value doesn’t depend on what products you use
Remember, the smartest consumption decision is often “not consuming.” In this tech era full of temptations, maintaining rationality might be the rarest ability.
What about you? Are you someone who always wants the latest products, or a smart person who waits rationally?
