do you think criminals are smart?

It's individual.

IT depends on what you mean by smart. I think that anyone can be criminal if they desire to be such. I am not sure how the criminal mind works but I dont really think that they are extremely smart. We can assume that they might be well educated or have read alot of books or are even a product of their surroundings.

Criminals come from a total cross section of society, so obviously there are very intelligent criminals and rather stupid ones as well. The intelligent criminals are the ones that surprise me, because they should be able to make a very good life for themselves without the need to break the law. I cannot understand why an intelligent person would take the risk of imprisonment when so many other options exist.

I actually think that a lot of them are really dumb. Because if they are real smart then they would never be caught in the first place. I was informed by my mother that a neighbor of ours was able to get 2.2M from the bank that he worked with. I think that he is real dumb! Banks have the best security and auditing system that there is just no chance of having such money go unnoticed. Like what Oprah said to Pres. Clinton. What were they thinking? Do they really think that they would never be caught? Or it would never get out or be known what they have done? Investigation also nowadays have become more sophisticated so more and more criminals should really think hard of executing their plans. If not, they would just become one of those dumb ones who got caught.

Some criminals are very smart, but unfortunatley they are using their gifts and talents for evil instead of good. Some criminals are just dumb though. If everyone used the talents they have for the good of the world. It would be a way better place.

The smartest people make the best criminals - because they are smart! :p Criminals who do not get caught are smart. Even those who get caught ultimately (depending on which stage) are pretty smart too. It is all a matter of choice. A fine thin line which decides if someone be good or bad.

Animals are incredibly smart, intuitive and for the most part, diplomatic.If our dog even senses that we might be arguing, she comes and stands between us and puts a paw on whomever is speaking louder, and kisses our faces.They are incredibly loving too, they don't have idiotic societal hang-ups like humans do.

Firstly, I don't think smart is a good word for any criminal because very often they do something stupid enough to get them caught, when they think they're safe. However, from a planning point of view, or scheming, if you prefer the word, they can be classed at very smart, because they can outwit the police for quite a time. Hmmm, or is that simply that the police can't think along the same lines as a criminal? Brightest Blessings.

I don't think they are smart at all. Wasting their life away in jail is stupid. And almost always they eventually end up there. If they are smart, why not use their brains to make a living legally? Why take from others? And have you seen some of the stupid things that criminals do? They are a lot of things, but I don't think smart is one of them.

Criminals are extremely smart this is why they can get away with what they are doing for so long . Like you said they leave behind clues and yet some of them never get caught . They cleverly disguise themselves as someone that everyone likes and when they are caught family and friends are usually stunned and have a hard time believing this was the person then knew . Look at Ann Rule , she writes novels on the criminal mind and has interviewed hundreds of criminals and yet her best friend was a serial killer and she never once guessed . It would be so much easier if they were not so clever because then they would be much easier to catch .

Some criminals are like the smartest people of our soceity. And though I may not like what they do, they do gain some respect and a little admiration from me..especially if they didn't get caught and left few clues for years. A majority of criminals these days are idiots though..and that's why most prisons are overflowing.

Well i do think that there are criminals that are smart and there are does that are not. They just choose another path in life, that is more risky for them, and usually they lack their morals. I met some people that do those things that are geniuses by their way of thinking and planning things, i just wish they would do somthing more suitable for this brilliant mind they have, but i do not think i can influence them.

Hello,mskzalameda,the criminals are always found to have a high IQ,especially those criminals involve in big crimes. They must be very good in planning for committing the crime,they always get the detectives into trouble since they cannot solve the case in short time.The criminals may get caught finally,his plan is good but not perfect and there are so many smart detectives in the investigations and flaws of the plan will be found out finally.

I feel that a general rule cannot be applied. Just like amongst good people there are all kinds of people - from extraordinarily intelligent to unbelievably dumb, there must be different criminals having different intelligence levels. So accordingly some criminals get caught easily and some take a very long time, while very few some never get caught at all. Moreover, it should be understood that being criminal doesn't make them smart or dumb. Criminal nature is just a tendency.

they are smart in evil ways i guess and not to be tolerated..i believe everything you do especially if bad will come back at you hundred fold times same as in doing good things to people..

i would rather say that criminals are smart only till the time they are not caught by the police.

I think criminals are bold and brave.Not all of them are smart though.The smart ones are those who get out of it,leaving no trails and clues as you said. It really required the nerves to do something like that.And it requires the brains to get away with it

i think they have a best plan for it. If something will be in exchange to big money, you better do that successfully. I think criminal are smart depending on what they are researching, their victim.

I do not think criminals are smart. If they are that smart, they would not be called criminals. They would be called master minds. Criminals are called criminals because they are caught by the law for going against the law.

I think criminals are smart to an extent, obviously not smart enough to not get caught. most often they end up getting caught because they become too confident or want to play games because they think they can outwit the legal world. Most often they end up in prison because they give themselves away. Committing the crime is easy to do, but not getting caught is very difficult, especially in this day and age when we have forensive investigators who can figure things out! There is always something left behind to tell the tale!