He was arguably one of the smartest men that have ever lived. John von Neumann wasn’t known just for his enormous contribution to various fields, mental abilities but also adhesiveness to the businessmen and the super-rich.
I am successful and you run this country
No doubt, John von Neumann was naturally inclined toward prominent circles. Such a person comes along once in a century.
He considered himself (and rightfully so) as immensely successful. Therefore his alliances to businessmen and the super-rich were something natural.
He though: “I am the one of the most prestigeous man on this planet. Thus I belong to the place where the businesmen or the super-rich are.”
“I am the best mathematician alive, they are the best as well and they rule this country!”
The other side of the issue is that his far less intelligent (therefore enormously intelligent) colleagues had distant position to the rich and shadow eminences.
But let’s have the evolutionary perspective!
John von Neumann and evolutionary psychology
John von Neumann was way too smart to contribute to this still pseudoscientific field. This is a target for people with a lot of standard deviations below. But we can easily explain his behavior.
Prestigious circles emerge from deep-seated evolutionary tendencies where humans, driven by the need for status and social hierarchy, seek environments that offer advantages in resource access, mate selection, and social learning. These circles serve as hubs for individuals to demonstrate competence, acquire valuable knowledge and skills, and form alliances that enhance collective efficacy and mutual support. Access to prestigious circles historically conferred adaptive benefits. These include such as increased reproductive success and survival through enhanced social standing, coalition building, and opportunities for innovation and cooperation. Thus, the existence of prestigious circles can be understood as a manifestation of evolutionary strategies aimed at maximizing individual and group fitness in social contexts.
Moral issues
I am sorry, but someone who sees the Jewish nation as the chosen one and starts the lecture as “The gentile invented this…” cannot be morally good (from a common morality standpoint).
He also proclaimed about the Soviet Union: “If you say why not bomb them tomorrow, I say why not today? If you say today at five o’clock, I say why not one o’clock?”
Some people idealize or idolize him, but this is just an evolutionary strategy.
People tend to ascribe highly successful people to some psychiatric diagnosis (since they are jealous). John von Neumann was rather more normal than where the average is.
Conclusion about the Neumann and the super-rich
He reassured his own success and aligned with the rulers of the USA. His stance was immoral and intelligence consequently doesn’t mean greater morality.
While his scientific contribution can be scarcely matched, his moral legacy remains mixed.
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