Quinn saying "paradigm shift" as a way to imply superiority and aloofness seems right in character to me. She's wanting to send the message that she's way ahead of Tommy in terms of thinking about potential consequences, and that she's not concerned about how things play out.
As for her intelligence or lack thereof, it's pretty firmly established that she's desperate - she fell behind on payments even before getting mugged, and her attempted bold expansion of the "restaurant" fell apart on her with both Mona and Maya slipping off the hook. She's been getting reckless, and making bad decisions, but it's because she's been living on the edge and almost fell over, not because she's actively stupid.
Of course, she's also not as smart as she likes to think she is, but that can happen to people at any level.
People always seem to overhype Quinn resourcefullness. For a drug dealer she is pretty fucking stupid and naive. Leaving aside the fact she got mugged on the middle street she SHOULD know, had to bail on a previous compromise(The DIK graduation ceremony) and chose to lose a customer in Tomy instead of just fake an apology or something when she needs money AND loyal customers more than ever is so incredibly idiotic. The idiot ended up buying from Vinny, which we know overprices his merchandise so they BOTH lost in that stupid argument xD
Also, can we talk about the fact the idiot was trying to groom FUCKING Maya into joining the restaurant? Like, this to me says she has been winging it in who she chooses to work with this WHOLE time. She is not the"planner" type, she is "let's do this and see if it lands" type and we KNOW there are other girls who would be more in line for the line of "work" Quinn wants, hell, Sarah found 2 random dorm whores without trying xD
Maybe I'm bias Quinn is my least favorite character, for a multitude of reasons, but I've NEVER seen her as someone smart, she is someone who thinks of herself to be smart which shows why she pretty much never succeds on her own and has to be bailed by other people constantly.
-Coming short on money with her earnings? No problem, Sage's got her a private party with a really wealthy contact that buys from her.
-Lose a customer in Tomy because of stupid pride? No problem, Lily and her friends realize they've been buying from the most expensive dealer and she wants to change and start buying from her.
-Failed to make Maya quit "hell week" after she realized (VERY tardly) that she wasn't "restaurant" material? No problem, Sage is stupid or desinteristed enough in pursuing the rumor (EVEN WHEN SHE KNOWS IT WAS QUINN THAT TOLD HER!) so she doesn't have to deal with Sage poking around in her reasons for telling Maya about the free tuition.
-Confronted by Vinny after "stealing" his customers? No problem, Lily saved her ass again.
I wouldn't be surprised if wathever ends up happening with the Riona kidnapping, Quinn will suffer absolutely no fucking consquence despite her continously stupid choices being the reason said event happen. After all, nobody cares and the person who SHOULD care (Sage) is busy moping about her parents divorce and her friend (Camilla) has been in the background for a while now...
