Would you rather be smart, or beautiful?
Would you rather be smart, or beautiful?
A genie appears before you and says you must choose to be very physically attractive, but slightly below average intelligence, or very intelligent, but slightly below average attractiveness? Which would you choose, and why?
I’m currently neither. Since I’m already used to not being intelligent, I’d go with being beautiful. Then I could always work to increase my intelligence if I wanted.
Attractive, it's wild how people are more likely to help you in either small or greater acts or be willing to overlook some of your flaws.
I chose Chameleon from the Xanth universe.
Clever but slightly below average attractiveness? Yes, I'll take that. It would be a double upgrade for me.
Smart, being beautiful would just get attention from boring people
But if you're not smart then those would be your people.
I don't want to be boring
The only people you fool are other stupid people though.
That's cool though, there's so many of us that you'll never run out of fools to dupe.
Why so many people think being smart means getting phd's and good job/money?
Good job, phd's require discipline not smartness and often being attractive gets you better confidence/charisma, thats far far more important for getting good money or recognition than smartness
Alina Habba is that you?
"I can fake being smart."
Clearly there are limits to this rule
A good job and a PhD require already having money too. This is why beautiful people on OF keep winning, funding their PhDs
In EU PhDs are always paid and often easier to get into than finding a job (at least right now based on my friend circle)
Wouldn't smartness imply discipline?
Nope. Some degree for sure, but once you've jumped over whatever hurdle you needed to jump, you just rest on your laurels until the next time you need to rise to a challenge, or until you fuse into the furniture.
My intelligence makes me depressed, so beautiful.
As someone with below average intelligence I can tell you it really doesn't. Trust me, having a low intelligence doesn't make your life easier it just makes it harder and puts you at a massive disadvantage. It's the most soul crushing experience there is. You can become beautiful but intelligence is forever, be thankful for what you've got.
I am lucky enough to already be both, so I don't have to choose, thank you very much.
Ignorance is bliss, so I'll take beauty. I just want to be happy.
Amen brother, beauty all the way
I mean slightly below average is not bad attractiveness wise. Less hassel to some degree, especially if your a woman. below average intelligence though can really hamstring you. Intelligence all the way. Doesn't say gorgeous though or genius. sounds to me like I would basically be asking for the genie to do nothing based on my academic achievements and dating lack of achievements.
That was kind of my thinking too. I'm not presented with this opportunity or anything, it was just a shower thought.
I'm studying engineering, so i'll take smarts, we all know that anyone in this field ends up bald by some mystical force anyways
Too real. In the middle stages of my career I am fighting a losing battle against this plight.
Why am I forced to downgrade if it's a genie wish?
Sometimes it do be like that.
It's an ifrit
I am the most intelligent person I know. So naturally I would choose intelligence, because christ do I need perspective if that's what I actually believe
If I'm very smart, I could just use my intelligence to make money and then get beauty surgery.
That's not how any of that works.
Being smart has only gotten me anxiety. I'll go with attractiveness.
Appreciate the offer but no thanks.
Intelligence, easier to figure out how to improve my attractiveness and deal with complex problems in general than trying to get smarter.
if you're beautiful you don't need to be smart.
Beautiful but unintelligent people can make far more mistakes than intelligent but not beautiful people.
Beautiful.
Long Covid and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis have noticeably lowered my IQ. It's a terrible feeling to be more stupid and know that I normally could do better.
So give me intelligence every day. Physical attractiveness can only go so far.
I feel this to my core. I had a pretty successful career in army special operations, which ended after ten years with a few years of extremely heavy drinking, which ended with me getting out of the army and getting boatloads of mental health treatment, which is ongoing.
When I was at my peak, though, my most prize characteristic was my intellect. Now, though, my short term memory is measured in seconds, my working memory is like five digits at most, I forget words many times per day, and there's many more examples.
It's been absolutely crushing to remember such high performance, but be incapable of it now.
i'm already dumb and cute, take a hike genie
Probably smart, because I'm already pretty smart and the prospect of giving up what I already have seems scary.
Plus, I've lived most of my life thinking I was repulsively ugly; part of overcoming that anxiety involved understanding that "you can be the juiciest, ripest peach in the world, but some people just don't like peaches". If there's anything I've learned from that, it's understanding that attractiveness is even harder to "objectively" quantify than intelligence
I would rather be beautiful because then I wouldn't realize everyone else around me is so unfathomably stupid.
My trick to coping with that has been to seek out rooms or contexts in which I'm the stupid one, relatively speaking. I sometimes struggle with insecurity when doing this (especially as a bright kid who was "a big fish in a small pond"), but I never feel happier than when I'm learning from someone knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their little weird slice of the world.
If I'm that smart maybe I can work out how to make myself beautiful too.
At a minimum you can work on charisma, and get fit and strong.
Being both already I would tell said genie to take a hike.
Pwnt
What is the definition of 'beautiful', here? Do I get to decide, or is it up to the genie's interpretation?
It will be what the majority of society considers beautiful. So you know, like young Brad Pitt, or young Angelina Jolie, or Jason Momoa, or Gal Gadot, or whomever you consider to be attractive. But! You wouldn't be Brad Pitt because it says slightly above average attractiveness. So you would be the guy that everyone asks if you've ever been told that you kind of look like Brad Pitt.
That's not a very specific definition, innit? I looked these folks up, and didn't exactly spot any obvious similarities among them, though maybe that's just me. I mean, are people gonna see me and be maybe slightly reminded of Jason Momoa but in a dollar store knockoff version, or am I gonna maybe sorta make people unconsciouly be thinking "hmmm… they remind me of someone. I just can't pinpoint who exactly", unaware that they're in fact thinking of Gal Gadot? Cause those are different paths. I mean, what does that even imply? Slightly bigger, a wee bit more muscular, 5 ³⁄₇ pack? Or do I thin out ever so slightly, with a milimiter larger butt or something? So many ways one could change, appearance-wise
Honestly, according to IQ tests, I'm already in the 95th+ percentile for intelligence. I'm also on the autism spectrum, and just got diagnosed with severe ADHD late last year. I've accomplished fuck-all by being smart, and it's mostly made me depressed. I'd pick being slightly dumb, but hot.
What IQ is the 95th percentile?
Edit: huh, if this chart is accurate then I'm in the 99th percentile based on the score I have repeatedly received from multiple tests. This can't be right. I'm not that smart!
I'm officially in the 99th+ percentile, but IIRC your score gets less accurate the farther you deviate from the mean. And a high reasoning ability is absolutely no predictor of success in life.
Plus, I feel like a douchebag when I say shit like, "oh, my IQ is 140..." as if that's some kind of achievement or worth something all on it's own.
How about slightly below both but with some solid executive functioning and 0 mood disorders? I'll take that.
Beauty I guess, intelligence doesn't make a damn unless you're brave, lucky, or born well
Smart... Looks good away but intelligence is forever.
intelligence goes away too, it just takes a bit longer
You could be Hermann Rorschach or Hedy Lamarr, and be both!
That guy really looks like Bradd Pitt
Those people definitely aren't below average attractiveness.
Hermann looks like a Hollywood actor
Brad Pitt was one of the first people to try the time travel machine invented in 2030; however when attempting to make a career by introducing 21st century technology in the early 1900s, the only thing he could manage to reproduce was ink blots and folding paper.
Smart. Pretty, dumb people get taken advantage of. Besides, I'm already unattractive, might as well give me something after making me go through high school 😒
I am already both, so I would tell that genie to EAT ITTTT
I think I'd rather be smart. I'm honestly often so impressed with beautiful people, because that shit takes work.
I can roll out of bed, pull my three week old sauce stained shirt over my gut, and go do smart shit with a terrible haircut and no one gives a fuck.
Beautiful people will have chosen matching outfits worth thousands, spent an hour on hair and makeup, all after a morning gym session, and they'll keep that hair perfect all day, getting their spa session in and finding time to do their nails.
How do they even have time to cook a healthy well balanced meal?
It's lonely being intelligent. Maybe I'm just in the wrong social circles.
I like to read books at my construction job when we're not busy. Yet none of my coworkers have read a book since early middle school, and they only skimmed it to half-ass a book report. I can't talk to them about anything except work.
I've never been beautiful my whole life. I'd give myself a 4 out of 10, a little less than average. I never really cared about my looks, I haven't worn makeup in ages.
I'd be interested in giving beauty a trial run, see if it suits me better than intelligence.
There are definitely intelligent people in the trade jobs, but the overall mindset is completely different, and a certain lack of soft skills that get developed in other types of careers.
Beautiful. I've tried smart, it sucks.
Yeah, told the genie I want to be smart. Motherfucker turned me into a car.
Smarts.
So... the genie offers to make me look better by increasing my looks to only slightly below average? Noice!
Lol, nice.
I'm an introvert so I'm going for very intelligent.
Ignorance is bliss.
I'm already smart and beautiful.
Isn't there a genie out there that cures anxiety?
Not really a genie, more of a willo the wisp, but I get it from a bloke called Spider. It's very more-ish.
Beautiful.
I've tried the other way already. Not so good.
Neurotypical
Hello beautiful.
Smarter.
But I feel like I already have both. At the same time I feel like I have nothing od them both.
Especially because only a selection tells me that I look very attractive. I get more compliments from males when I dress like a female for Halloween while I am hetero. But mostly I feel like its not true because many people just accept my presents. But maybe they only accept me because I dont look unattractive.
So choosing attractiveness leads to better social connections which I rely on.
The intelligence.. I feel dumb as fuck often times because simple tasks are difficult for me or getting a focus in general. But I get compliments of being smart as fuck, especially when they see how many peogramming languages I can write in or see the projects I created or I was creative on.
Still, I guess this is the sideproduct of being too intelligent. That being too intelligent with Asberger and ADHD results into not being able to do simple tasks. I feel like the word "dumb" is just a question of perspective, because i am dumb in too many simple things, except its about a topic I love like Computers, electronics or Math sometimes.
So the question arrises. When I choose being intelligent. Would I be able to be Intelligent in tasks which people with lower IQ (I guess dumb?) can easily master? And at the same time also in tasks which only people with higher IQ can master? (Idk my IQ btw, could be both high or low. I really dont know)
Also, would I be able to still connect with people with the intelligence because I would have a high Empathic Intelligence? I noticed that the Higher the IQ of someone is, the lower their EQ will be. Making them a bit Egoistic and unhandsome.
Its a complex topic with many questions
Easily smart and slightly below average attractiveness. It's pretty trivial to boost your appearance by 2-3 "points" with some decent fashion choices, makeup, working out, and good grooming.
Worst case, I use my high intelligence to get a high paying job and use some of the money for plastic surgery.
If we're talking 90+ percentile then no question I'd go with smarts and use it to have a big impact on some field of science. Otherwise I'd probably still pick smarts but it's more of a tossup.
Would I be pretty and daft enough to not overthink and complicate everything and to finally be happy?
Ok then. Let me be a himbo. The ladies may take advantage.
I have always taken the metaphorical red pill when given a chance. I would rather live in pain and suffering knowing the truth, than living in ignorance and happiness.
And I don’t mind being ugly. I’m a misanthrope anyhow. Being ugly just means you are more likely to be left alone.
Well how long would I have to give one of them up for?
Forever.
To quote Ron White: You can't fix stupid.
Whats good looking gonna do if you are gonna be suceptable to the simplest scams in the world?
I thought I blocked this shit hole instance a couple days ago. Apparently it didn't work. Time to add them again!
Why do you keep coming back, OP?
Did you just read through thousands of my comments to find that, or what? To answer your question, this Ask Lemmy community has the most subs according to my app's search feature, and my question is completely non-political, so I figured I can post it here but not have to deal with the extreme political opinions common to users of this instance.
I want the intelligence, but could I settle for my current level of attractiveness?
I pick the grilled cheese sandwich.
Where do I live? If I'm in a place where people are beautiful, slightly below average attractiveness would be perfect for the rest of the world, make me a genius.
If I live where people are so intelligent and are ugly, please make me better looking and slightly dumber than them, I can make my way through the world just fine.
I think looks are easier to fix, but learning can help fix stupid - I'm sure there are at least some stupid people with more sense than some smart people.
Education can cure ignorance, not stupidity.
I don't mean you can gain native intelligence, but nobody is using their full potential. I remember my mom saying that my sister got the most out of the "gifted" classes in school (I sincerely hope they don't call them that anymore) because she barely qualified, so was challenged, engaged by the curriculum, and learned more than those of us who were bored because it was easy. Long after I was out of school she said she wished she had put me at least in a private school where you could move at your own pace. But hardly anyone gets that, in any family.
So I think a person who is less intelligent, recognizes it and learns and trains can end up in a better place than someone who is smart and so less motivated to try, since they don't have to.
If just asking if I'd take extra smarts or extra looks from my starting point now? Extra smarts. I need them to hedge against dementia when I get older.
Not beautiful anyway. I'll take the smarts
Can I so intelligent as to quickly figure out how to CRISPR-Cas9 my looks or does tge wish prevent me from changing my appearance?
There are other variables the genie leaves wildcard.
Suppose I'm already very intelligent and attractive (and modest), except I'm also a wimp, myopic, have weird metabolism, autistic and with bipolar.
Smart because if I ever started getting into making videos for my fictional P²EMG company, would needs the smarts to make a v-Tuber model of my fursona work, alongside some other tools I won't disclose.
Intelligence can be attractive too! And even in the cases where it's not, I think I can always go for surgery or something if it's really that bad.
Intelligence can be learnt, but it's much harder than say, correcting one's facial features or getting into shape imo.
Maybe it would be a more difficult choice if it was between Intelligence or Constitution (i.e. physical health)
The latter. I guess that's kinda what I have already and I have no complaints. I'm aro/ace anyway so I don't really need the stunning looks for dating purposes. My relatively decent ability to learn new things never ceases to entertain me
Smart with a top 1% cock.
Only dudes and weird chicks online seem to care about this metric lol
And yet, when surveyed, women express a definite preference. (lol, am I doing this right?)
The genie does not honor your second wish.
Then smart would be my preference.
I can work on my intelligence but I can't work on my genetics. So, if take physical attractiveness.