But they're not based on the same things. There is no truly solid basis for high school popularity, at least as far as I've found - later on things obviously depend on your income level, your networking abilities, the people you associate with and are physically near, etc.

I'm not sure people who win Nobel prizes were popular amongst the kids in high school ( don't mean to be stereotypical...)

You might be good looking, be good at sports ( good in a high shcool level, not a championship level) or have all the girls staring at you, but you, dearie,need a background plan or some talent to rely on And I've read people on here saying beauty is a talent, but if you start drinking too much or doing drugs to fit with the clique like some of the popular kids no, you're lost

In my opinion success has nothing to do with being popular or not.

Yeah of course being social helps in a lot of situations, conections are always handy, it gets things done faster. But sometimes you just need the right people around you. I do not support loners at all though.

What's the formula of success? God ****ing knows if there was one, everyone would be rich. I like to believe that doing things differently is what gets you "success" but who knows i may end up a 40 year old poor drunk bitch at gay bars

All this coming from one of the most well known and social gays of my city (not trying to brag or be Regina George here it just is what it is).

Doesn't apply to me and my life. I wasn't popular and yet I'm not doing so good. The popular girls are all successful, travelling the world etc. The popular boys also seem to be doing well for themselves.

well when I was younger I was kind of nerdy and goofy looking and now I'm hot and an excellent dresser.

All the popular hot guys I had crushes on in middle school and high school all look like crap now.

Hmmm, I don't really agree with this...the popular kids at my school were not the ones who did drugs and all that, they were the people who were generally at the top of the class while still being classy.

They were nice to me....I don't get why we should wish for misfortune for them.

You don't think it's often the case that how rich you (read: your parents) are, your level of social skills, and who you're friends with will have bearing on how popular you are in high school?

They lose because in high school, they live in a reality where the only thing that matters is going to the hottest parties, looking the hottest, and acting like the fakest hottest ****'s in order to get faux attention from their peers. Unfortunately when they leave high school they keep this mentality and realise the real world does not work like this at all - meaning that many of them fail to adapt and just flop into oblivion because they have nothing else going for them. Just observing high school failures who didn't even make it to university and continue to waste their lives away with their weekly washed up clubbing routine makes you realise that the tables do indeed turn.

Not saying this is inaccurate but my brother was popular in school and he's doing pretty good right now and I'm kinda popular and taking mostly AP classes.

Everyone in this thread who's saying "this is a lie" has probably finished high school and they're right. Anyone saying "omg this is so true!" is probably still in high school.

It's a lie propagated to give outcasts and bullying victims hope. You probably sit there thinking "ha, one day you're gonna be my garbage man!" or "I'm gonna come back to the 10 year reunion and be so successful and they'll all be really poor!" - That's not going to happen.

In life, it's all about who you know, then what you know. Popular people have more networks which help their careers. They might have been mean to you in high school, and with time, they'll grow to feel guilt and regret it. But to say they won't be successful, and all the outcasts and underdogs will, is a generalisation that's just not true.

As you get older, you'll come to realise that the social dynamics of high school continue to exist long after you've left the campus on your final day of senior year.

I agree with this to an extent. I don't think it's this dramatic but the element of being lost after leaving your popular crown is definitely there. See: Cady Heron.

I think the popular kids who are class clowns are more likely to "lose it" later as the OP put it, because they spend more time trying to impress their peers and less time doing homework and studying.

well come to think bout it most popular rich girls are also spoiled,mean (abusing outcast/ classmates that not on same level)! when that 1 girl has friends that are stuck up,self-obessed,lazy,liars then your high school goes downhill from there.

Because usually popular kids are the ones who don't work hard, only have their looks, are messed up in some sorta way, etc.

they don't........

But you said you're 15/16 in other threads... How can you end up well if you haven't even started?

I only graduated from high school last year, so I can't really comment either way. I'm sure it's true in some cases, but it's probably a generalization.

This.

Someone needs to stop watching so much Disney Channel movies.