Smart or Smarter?

Which is it better to be, smart or hard working. Often, I've marveled at those who are able to simply finish their work or unwind spectacularly difficult pieces of math. We've seen how it all happens, they simply sit there with a pencil in their hands and in less than half an hour, they nearly set the paper aflame with their brilliant brilliance; while leaving us mere mortals in the ashes of their smoldering intelligence.

Geniuses. Pfft. 

Of course, if you belong to the same class as I am, the is the dude who marvels at the marvelous. You would probably understand where I'm coming from. Once, I took 45 minutes to finish an algebra question, finding it right, I decided to treat my self to a celebratory half hour television sit down. Upon inspecting my beautiful work, I found that it was wrong. I refused to do anymore mathematical equations for the rest of that horrid day. Needless to say, my brain's not too well suited to numbers. Or most other logical proportions, calculations or equations for that fact. 

Hoewever, i was reading today about Stanley Ho, one of the richest men in the world and the person whose ever paid the highest price every for a portobello mushroom. He is also known as the "King of Gambling" due to his monopoly over Macau gaming industry for 35 years.

"Ho studied in Queen's College, Hong Kong, in which he attended class D because his academic results were unsatisfactory. Having realised studying assiduously is the only way to improve his social status after his father's bankrupcy, Ho worked extremely hard in school. Eventually, His hard work paid off and earned him a scholarship to the University of Hong Kong.^[1] He became the first student studying in Class D to be granted a university scholarship.

While at the University of Hong Kong, he lived in Ricci Hall and was an active hall member. In addition to his major subject, he also became fluent in English, Japanese and Portuguese." (wikipedia)

and the next person I clicked on was Margaret Thatcher. British Prime Minister

"Thatcher was brought up a devout Methodist and has remained a Christian throughout her life.^[8] After attending Huntingtower Road Primary School, she won a scholarship to Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School.^[9] Her school reports show hard work and commitment, but not brilliance." (wikipedia)

Looks like its more about hard work then intelligence.