# What's more important: Intelligence or Education? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 9, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526 "2010-04-09T14:27:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526/1 "2010-04-09T14:27:15Z")
No third option. Sorry to all of you folks that want the “Other” option. Qualify your vote all you want in your post, but you’ve got to choose one or the other from the poll. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526/2 "2010-04-09T14:30:45Z")
Important for what? Achievement? Greatness? ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526/3 "2010-04-09T14:34:28Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Important for what? Achievement? Greatness? Yes, sure. Why not? But not to the exclusion of anything else… ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526/4 "2010-04-09T14:43:43Z")
I chose intelligence, because intelligence makes it possible to get educated. 🙂 (Also, what _kind_ of intelligence? I think that social intelligence counts for a lot more in terms of general happiness that intellectual intelligence, for example.) ---
**Author:** ![ColdPhoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@ColdPhoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColdPhoenix)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526/5 "2010-04-09T14:44:27Z")
I think education is more important for success. There are more successful educated thickos than successful uneducated smarties. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526/6 "2010-04-09T14:44:38Z")
If you mean for a successful financial life I suppose intelligence would be more important. I have several friends with awesome careers and they didn’t go to college. They are intelligent, but honestly I think they are valued more for their organizational skills. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526/7 "2010-04-09T14:47:37Z")
> [@Winston\_Smith](#): > > Yes, sure. Why not? But not to the exclusion of anything else… Then it still depends. For achievement I would have to say education with at least some degree of intelligence, but greatness requires superior intelligence and at least some education. I don’t think it’s really an either/or thing. Even the stupidest people among us can be educated to accomplish something; even the smartest people among us can be totally useless. It’s how one _applies_ education or intelligence that matters. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526/8 "2010-04-09T14:58:48Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Then it still depends. For achievement I would have to say education with at least some degree of intelligence, but greatness requires superior intelligence and at least some education. I don’t think it’s really an either/or thing. > > Even the stupidest people among us can be educated to accomplish something; even the smartest people among us can be totally useless. It’s how one _applies_ education or intelligence that matters. Yeah, half the Polls don’t have options that are defined clearly enough and don’t represent my point of view. Oddly, the other half have options that are too narrowly defined, and don’t represent my point of view! If only there was some way I could vote in the Poll _and_ qualify my answer. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526/9 "2010-04-09T15:00:02Z")
Fun question in concept, but ultimately no different than “what would happen when an irresistable force meets an immovable object?” The superlative “irresistable force” means, by definition there is \*no such thing \*as an immovable object - 'cuz then the force wouldn’t be irresistable…therefore the question is a logical fallacy. Well, you can’t achieve anything without combining intelligence with education - it is their relationship which is the defining characteristic of anyone’s achievements. Asking to pick one vs. the other is a logical fallacy. Intelligence is potential and education is an engine which can put that potential into motion. Yes, I am a geek. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526/10 "2010-04-09T15:01:47Z")
I’m not an educated person, and there have been plenty of times in my life I wished I had that magical college diploma. As far as life success, I choose education. As far as people I’d rather spend time with, I pick the intelligent (obviously). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526/11 "2010-04-09T15:11:09Z")
Without education, intelligence is wasted. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526/12 "2010-04-09T15:16:47Z")
I am going to assume that you mean organized education vs self-education, that is, by education you mean credentials. I have several friends who are highly credentialed, with degrees from Harvard, Yale, Cambridge and such. They all have Graduate degrees as well. The highest earner among them earns about 75% of my income. I have only a high school diploma. The reson for this, though, is continuing, or self-education. They each considered their educations complete when they earned their degrees - not all graduates will make that mistake. They have continued to learn their jobs, but not to research the businesses they are in. I, OTOH, have always studied whatever buisness(es) I have been involved with, and have actually read and digested the laws and regulations specific to my business. I am therefore far more qualified than they to take strategic decisions and complicated judgement calls. This bent of mine is based upon sheer curiosity, of which I have entirely too much for day-to-day comfort. And I believe tht curiosity is strongly linked to intelligence. Bottom line: If you asked me to trade 20 IQ points for a Master’s Degree (and the knowledge that comes with it) I wouldn’t make the trade. Not even for five points. So: Intelligence. I’d be very interested to see the correlation between education levels and the answers given here. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526/13 "2010-04-09T15:22:28Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > I am going to assume that you mean organized education vs self-education, that is, by education you mean credentials. I do not think (or imply) that education=credentials. Education=education, in the noble sense, in my opinion. > [@TruCelt](#): > > I’d be very interested to see the correlation between education levels and the answers given here. Me, too. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526/14 "2010-04-09T15:25:47Z")
I’ve always felt that your intelligence sets your learning potential, but the quality of your education determines how much of that potential you realise. I’m not sure I could say that one is more important than the other, because they’re not equally comparable concepts. Sorry to be difficult! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526/15 "2010-04-09T15:34:12Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > I’ve always felt that your intelligence sets your learning potential, but the quality of your education determines how much of that potential you realise. > > I’m not sure I could say that one is more important than the other, because they’re not equally comparable concepts. > > Sorry to be difficult! 😛 Not equally comparable, but certainly linked. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526/16 "2010-04-09T15:44:11Z")
I voted intelligence, but I’m not going to place restrictions on anyone’s interpretation of my reasons for choosing that way. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526/17 "2010-04-09T15:56:58Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > I’ve always felt that your intelligence sets your learning potential, but the quality of your education determines how much of that potential you realise. > > I’m not sure I could say that one is more important than the other, because they’re not equally comparable concepts. > > Sorry to be difficult! 😛 Hey - that’s what I said! But you were far less wordy - the curse of my username… ---
**Author:** ![ragerdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d07c76/32.png) [@ragerdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ragerdude)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526/18 "2010-04-09T16:01:30Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > I am going to assume that you mean organized education vs self-education, that is, by education you mean credentials. I have several friends who are highly credentialed, with degrees from Harvard, Yale, Cambridge and such. They all have Graduate degrees as well. The highest earner among them earns about 75% of my income. I have only a high school diploma. > > The reson for this, though, is continuing, or self-education. They each considered their educations complete when they earned their degrees - not all graduates will make that mistake. > > They have continued to learn their jobs, but not to research the businesses they are in. I, OTOH, have always studied whatever buisness(es) I have been involved with, and have actually read and digested the laws and regulations specific to my business. I am therefore far more qualified than they to take strategic decisions and complicated judgement calls. > > This bent of mine is based upon sheer curiosity, of which I have entirely too much for day-to-day comfort. And I believe tht curiosity is strongly linked to intelligence. > > Bottom line: If you asked me to trade 20 IQ points for a Master’s Degree (and the knowledge that comes with it) I wouldn’t make the trade. Not even for five points. > > So: Intelligence. > > I’d be very interested to see the correlation between education levels and the answers given here. What business are you currently in? ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526/19 "2010-04-09T16:08:17Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Without education, intelligence is wasted. Without intelligence, there never would have been any education. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526/20 "2010-04-09T16:44:47Z")
I chose intelligence, too - you can be educated and quite thick, doing the bare minimum to get a passing grade, but you can be intelligent and be self-educated and quite successful. If both candidates have the skills necessary for the job, I’d take the intelligent one over the educated one every time - intelligence lends itself to people who are able to contribute in more ways than just the one you hired them for. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-important-intelligence-or-education/535526.md?page=2)