# smarter or better looking **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 23, 2000, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456 "2000-08-23T16:12:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![horowitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2acd7d/32.png) [@horowitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/horowitz)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2000, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456/1 "2000-08-23T16:12:41Z")
Ok, if you could either be smarter or better looking which would you choose and why. For me it’s better looking, specifically taller. At 5’9" I don’t think I will ever make executive. All our corporate big shots are 6’2" and over. Tall men getting the better jobs and better looking women is pretty much the norm. At my height I think I am destined to be the worker bee engineer with a dumpy wife and a minivan. Hell I would give up a few IQ point to be 6’2", what does an executive need them for anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Michi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@Michi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michi)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2000, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456/2 "2000-08-23T16:15:28Z")
You’d think I would say better looking, considering my miserable lack of a love life, but I would much rather be smarter! A lot of the techs I work with are doing this while trying to get into vet school, and it makes me wish so much that I could get in too. ---
**Author:** ![MadHatter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@MadHatter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadHatter)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2000, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456/3 "2000-08-23T16:16:19Z")
I’m 5’11… When I enter the corporate work force, I plan on wearing thick-sole shoes. Do you wear thick sole shoes? Also, here in Australia… our Prime Minister couldn’t be any taller then 5’8 - 5’9, and he managed to make it pretty far in his chosen profession. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2000, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456/4 "2000-08-23T16:19:42Z")
Definately smarter. I was shocked and appalled once while watching a television show where they asked women if they would give up IQ points to have larger breats, and an overwhelming majority (or at least the ones they aired) said that they would. I think that the emphasis we place on looks in our culture is detrimental to society. Your brain and wits are the only thing you have in this world sometimes. Looks are temporary, and meaningless. Hell, I wouldn’t marry a stupid man, even if he looked like Brad Pitt. There’s no way I would ever pick looks over intelligence. There are too damn many stupid people in the world as it is. ---
**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:** [August 23, 2000, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456/5 "2000-08-23T16:32:44Z")
It would depend on whether I planned to live in Los Angeles or New York. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2000, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456/6 "2000-08-23T17:37:03Z")
I’m plenty smart already. Gimme the looks, any day. ---
**Author:** ![JoeyHemlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ba0ec/32.png) [@JoeyHemlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyHemlock)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2000, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456/7 "2000-08-23T17:44:19Z")
I wanna get laid more, so I’ll take better looking. Hell, I’m already in Mensa, how smart do I need to be? ---
**Author:** ![soulsling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@soulsling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulsling)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2000, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456/8 "2000-08-23T17:47:47Z")
Smarts for me. I don’t care much for how I look, and I seem to be doing fine having a relationship with just my computer and hands. Chalk one up for the Intel guys. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2000, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456/9 "2000-08-23T17:54:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by soulsling \* > **I seem to be doing fine having a relationship with just my computer and hands.** I’m not touching this one. The rest of you, of course, are invited to light this one like a roman candle 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tymp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Tymp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tymp)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2000, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456/10 "2000-08-23T17:58:09Z")
I’m plenty sexy already. Gimme the brains, any day. No, really. I have no real complaints about my appearance. Sure, I’d like this or that to be a bit better toned, but that’s the sort of thing I can affect easily. I am horribly undereducated. Learning all the stuff I want to know requires a lot of time and hard work. I’d much rather just take a genius pill. ---
**Author:** ![soulsling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@soulsling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulsling)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2000, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456/11 "2000-08-23T18:00:30Z")
Welcome back **Mr.Cynical** , can you tell I’m just that little bit frustrated with relationships? Yeah kids, light me up! ---
**Author:** ![lucie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed8c4c/32.png) [@lucie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucie)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2000, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456/12 "2000-08-23T18:07:14Z")
I’m no pin-up, but I’ve never scared anyone either. I think I would choose more brains, but if I had a third choice, I would choose musical ability over both brains & beauty. I have a good ear, but no discernable talent, and coming from a family with a lot of musical ability, it’s always been the thing I yearned for the most. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2000, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456/13 "2000-08-23T18:08:46Z")
I’d rather be smarter. Don’t get me wrong; I’m already really smart (I claim to be a genius), and not that good looking. Still, if I’m a genius NOW, then imagine how smart I’d be if I were even smarter! It reminds me of a saying I heard once: “If less is more, then imagine how much MORE would be!” ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2000, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456/14 "2000-08-23T18:40:13Z")
I’m 6’3" and I eat little 5’9" worms like you for breakfast! Up Abdul! (pardon the paraphrase.) I’d rather be nicer. Or more creative. My looks are no great shakes, but i’m tall, in pretty good shape, and I gues my mug, while not exactly handsome, doesn’t scare babies or anything. Sometinmes when I look around me I think it might be nice to have a lower IQ. ---
**Author:** ![Tymp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Tymp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tymp)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2000, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456/15 "2000-08-23T19:03:14Z")
Are talking about a coupon for either good looks or intelligence that’s redeemable _at any time_? If that’s the case, I’ll take the free pass for a sexy bod and redeem it when I’m a wrinkly old man who’s already learned all he wants to know. That way, I’ll be able to _attract_ a harem of 19 year-old beauties as well as wow them with my superior intellect. ---
**Author:** ![horowitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2acd7d/32.png) [@horowitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/horowitz)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2000, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456/16 "2000-08-23T19:05:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lissa \* > \*\*I think that the emphasis we place on looks in our culture is detrimental to society. Your brain and wits are the only thing you have in this world sometimes. Looks are temporary, and meaningless. Hell, I wouldn’t marry a stupid man, even if he looked like Brad Pitt. There’s no way I would ever pick looks over intelligence. There are too damn many stupid people in the world as it is. \*\* I think it’s human nature to go for looks over smarts especially in men, though I am sick of dating stupid women…unless they are really good looking. I wonder how much our society has to grow before you see a “Grad Students of MIT Swimsuit Calendar”. Pasty skinned men with scraggly beards and sunken chests posing in Speedo’s. ---
**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2000, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456/17 "2000-08-23T19:10:20Z")
I’m 6’3", IQ 160+, I get told by my friends that are already involved and want me to date their friends that I am a fairly handsome fellow. After playing rugby for 3 years, being in the Marine Corps for 6 years and being an avid cycler, rollerblader, skier, SCUBA diver and rock climber/rappeler, I suppose I’ve already got the physique thing down. I’m an engineer. I can cook, sew, keep plants alive, keep an 8” group at 600 yards with a M-14 and handle a 600 hp stock car at over 161 mph. You know what, I think I’d just ask for the cash prize. ---
**Author:** ![JoeyHemlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ba0ec/32.png) [@JoeyHemlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyHemlock)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2000, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456/18 "2000-08-23T19:23:58Z")
> [@](#): > > **I’m 6’3", IQ 160+, I get told by my friends that are already involved and want me to date their friends that I am a fairly handsome fellow.** I hate you. I hate everything about you. ---
**Author:** ![Meephead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b782af/32.png) [@Meephead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meephead)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2000, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456/19 "2000-08-23T20:16:05Z")
I like me the way I am I am very intelligent, though not the most intelligent, and I am told that I am very attractive as well. If I could figure out how to use what I have more effectively, maybe? I think there is alot to be said about being comfortable with who you are. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2000, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456/20 "2000-08-23T20:33:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by thinksnow \* > \*\*I’m 6’3", IQ 160+, I get told by my friends that are already involved and want me to date their friends that I am a fairly handsome fellow. After playing rugby for 3 years, being in the Marine Corps for 6 years and being an avid cycler, rollerblader, skier, SCUBA diver and rock climber/rappeler, I suppose I’ve already got the physique thing down. I’m an engineer. I can cook, sew, keep plants alive, keep an 8” group at 600 yards with a M-14 and handle a 600 hp stock car at over 161 mph. > > You know what, I think I’d just ask for the cash prize. > \*\* Or maybe you could ask for some modesty. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smarter-or-better-looking/30456.md?page=2)