[MichaelZuo]

Maybe some fraction of incompetent interns are playing a kind of double game, where they merely pretend to be really caring.

But I doubt that’s the norm. There really are a lot of not so smart people of all ages out there in positions way beyond their actual capability.

Edit: And in a lot of situations the dumb and hard working are way more dangerous than the smart and lazy.

With the dumb and lazy being somewhat better, so I partially agree with the parent.

[dgfitz]

In my 15 years, I’ve had a lot of interns, and a lot of indirect interaction with other interns. I can usually spot a genuine one in about a day at this point.

[caseyy]

Show horses and workhorses – Hillary Clinton was all about that and say what you like about her, this distinction is quite wise.

There is also the latin saying "res, non verba" – that one is proven by action rather than words.

[sureglymop]

I'm sure there are also a lot of competent smart people who may happen to have other issues in their lives affecting their output. Maybe they are burned out, have some family drama, have health issues, etc.

I for one am glad if 10 interns get a chance even if only 1 turns out to be truly useful. It's a matter of empathy and I hope it prevails because what real purpose do we have without it.