# Reincarnation survey: Smart Rich or Beautiful? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 19, 2000, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800 "2000-11-19T02:15:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800/1 "2000-11-19T02:15:40Z")
If you could choose to come back in your next life as exceptionally intelligent, exceptionally attractive, or exceptionally wealthy, which one would you pick? ---
**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800/2 "2000-11-19T02:19:27Z")
I forgot to add: Explain your reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800/3 "2000-11-19T02:27:13Z")
Exceptionally wealthy. My current incarnation is exceptionally intelligent and exceptionally attractive, and it hasn’t done a damn thing for me. Except for a lot of excellent conversation and sex with other exceptionally intelligent and exceptionally attractive people. Exceptionally wealthy, though…whoa! I could BUY shit! ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800/4 "2000-11-19T02:33:21Z")
I’ll second that **Uke** Reasons: Plastic surgery, advisors, the SDMB (where I would quickly become less ignorant) ---
**Author:** ![tshirts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@tshirts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tshirts)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800/5 "2000-11-19T03:20:08Z")
I always feel smart, felt beautiful a couple of times (or at least lucky in love), and was rich “on paper” once, so I’d actually prefer to be famous. Isn’t that the fourth choice in the old game Careers? ---
**Author:** ![SouprChckn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@SouprChckn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SouprChckn)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800/6 "2000-11-19T03:36:02Z")
Well, I choose rich as well. First of all (and this may not apply to all) but I figure that my smarts and my looks will only get me so far. In fact, using my brain and looks are my means of GETTING ahead in the first place. If I am already rich, I don’t really need to get ahead at all, I’m ahead from the start. ---
**Author:** ![hypergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/49beb7/32.png) [@hypergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hypergirl)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800/7 "2000-11-19T03:55:19Z")
Well, rich people tend to be extremely shallow, as do most extremely attractive people. I would rather be extremely intelligent and mediocre on the other two. Money and looks can be gained. If you’re stupid then there isn’t much you can do to change it. ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800/8 "2000-11-19T04:01:27Z")
I’d prefer to come back as something healthy, with good knee cartilege. (Fall down one flight of stairs and you pay for it the rest of your life.) If I had to choose among the three, I’d go with exceptionally intelligent in the best circumstances for personal advancement. (What’s the point of having exceptional intelligence if I’m going to come back as an gecko?) I like being smart. I like smart people. Conversations are much more fun with intelligent people. And I can always turn out the lights. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800/9 "2000-11-19T04:04:34Z")
I’ll take a portion of each, please. And a side order of fame. ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800/10 "2000-11-19T04:05:54Z")
Personally, I would choose to be exceptionally happy, meaning that I would want to be content with who I was and what I had achieved in my life. Then I don’t think I’d care if I was smart, rich or attractive. Otherwise I guess I’d choose intelligence. Looks can fade and bank accounts can hit bottom, but knowledge is something you can always have. Are you sure there aren’t any additional choices? ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800/11 "2000-11-19T04:17:22Z")
Beautiful. Why? Because I’m ugly, and I want to know what it’s like to have people actually, oh I don’t know - talk to me in public? Invite me to events and parties? Make passes at me? Not run in fear when I approach? Make fun of me behind my back? Oh, fuck it anyways. I guess I’d rather not come back. Life is pain. ---
**Author:** ![Ludo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Ludo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800/12 "2000-11-19T04:24:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pohjonen \* > \*\*If you could choose to come back in your next life as exceptionally intelligent, exceptionally attractive, or exceptionally wealthy, which one would you pick? \*\* You do mean reincarnated as a _human_, don’t you? I’d hate to answer this, and find myself reincarnated as an exceptionally attractive **carp**. Saying this, I’m gung-ho about the wealth. If it were a perfect world, I’d shoot for the brains, but sadly, I’m a greedy bastard. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Ludo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Ludo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800/13 "2000-11-19T04:25:28Z")
Forgot to tape on my new sig… ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800/14 "2000-11-19T06:28:40Z")
Exceptional Intelligence. This would get me a great job, so then I’d get to be wealthy. And everyone knows rich guys get the prettiest women, or at the least anyone they want, “Hi there, young Natalie Portman who has just turned 18. I’ll give you $50,000 for a blowjob.” So definitely I choose intelligence. ---
**Author:** ![Ludo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Ludo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800/15 "2000-11-19T07:23:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GuanoLad \* > \*\*Exceptional Intelligence. > > This would get me a great job, so then I’d get to be wealthy.\*\* Haha, that’s funny. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Eo\_Echo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ebca7d/32.png) [@Eo\_Echo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eo_Echo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800/16 "2000-11-19T08:48:30Z")
I already have all three. Now the trick is to never die. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800/17 "2000-11-19T16:19:15Z")
Rich, assuming I didn’t have to be _extremely_ stupid and extremely hideous. It would be _so_ wonderful to be able to do nothing but travel and maybe collect old books. I can’t begin to imagine. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800/18 "2000-11-19T20:55:09Z")
I don’t know… Riches can only go so far in happiness, so not rich. Between beauty and intelligence… hmm. Of the two, I am more inclined towards intelligence in this incarnation. And that is really important to me. But when people compliment me on my looks (not often) it makes me feel really good (which is sad). So what’s the verdict? Can I get by with choosing two of the three? ---
**Author:** ![Sterra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Sterra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterra)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800/19 "2000-11-19T21:01:37Z")
If you choose rich someone beats you over the head with a ugly stick till your retarded:) ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800/20 "2000-11-19T22:15:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ludo \* > **You do mean reincarnated as a _human_, don’t you? I’d hate to answer this, and find myself reincarnated as an exceptionally attractive carp.** That’s a good point, **Ludo**. It never occurred to me that I’d come back as something else. I don’t know how much good it would do me to be an exceptionally intelligent hamster. 😃 Something else I thought of: if we pick one, does that mean that we’re average or below-average on the other two? For example, if you choose to be exceptionally rich, does that mean you’ll have average looks and intelligence or will you be incredibly ugly and have the IQ of a rock? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reincarnation-survey-smart-rich-or-beautiful/41800.md?page=2)