# How smart do you really have to be to become a Seal or similar elite military designation?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-smart-do-you-really-have-to-be-to-become-a-seal-or-similar-elite-military-designation/511591>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 25, 2009, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-smart-do-you-really-have-to-be-to-become-a-seal-or-similar-elite-military-designation/511591 "2009-09-25T23:31:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-smart-do-you-really-have-to-be-to-become-a-seal-or-similar-elite-military-designation/511591/21 "2009-09-27T04:06:03Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> So, not smart like your cousin wtb three Ph.D.s (but still living in he parents’ basement with an obscure collection of manga) is smart

Like you, I’ve been pointing out that special forces require people with intelligence. But it’s not necessary to denigrate the intelligence of other professions to make the point. The ivory tower egghead is as much a stereotype as the no-neck grunt.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-smart-do-you-really-have-to-be-to-become-a-seal-or-similar-elite-military-designation/511591.md?page=1)