Which would you rather your child to develop, if he/she could develop only one?
I’d like him to have a good working command of the English language 
(I kid, I kid…but I’m pretty sure you have the wrong word. Consistency maybe?)
I forget who said it but “irrational consistancy is the hobgoblin of small minds” so competance would seem to be better.
Marc
Screw that, I’d just get him a real hobgoblin
I would say a constituency, and I’d use President George Bush as my proof case. Here’s a guy with absolutely no competence, but who developed a constituency large enough to make him the most powerful man in the world.
It’s a no-brainer. (Pun intended)
As long as you are surrounded by peeps, you got no need to be competent. And with enough peeps, you can gain any position you want.
Attributed to an essay on self-reliance by Emerson; practiced by Mr Bush.
*
“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.”*
Oh yeah; Paris Hilton too, while I’m in the mood to add valuable insight to this important question.