# Would you rather be Oh so smart or Oh so pleasant? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 13, 2007, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793 "2007-01-13T03:18:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2007, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793/21 "2007-01-13T19:59:06Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] You have achieved my goal in life. I am closer to smart than pleasant at this point, but I am working on calm and pleasant. [/QUOTE] SERENITY NOW!! ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2007, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793/22 "2007-01-14T01:52:26Z")
[QUOTE=robardin] SERENITY NOW!! [/QUOTE] That did not work to well for Frank, did it? ---
**Author:** ![dingle-barry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@dingle-barry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dingle-barry)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793/23 "2011-06-17T23:49:23Z")
I think the choice is living life based on the heart or the mind. I think most spiritual leaders recommend following the heart. It is so easy to sit back and ridicule the inept around us but to reach out and help them, that takes real strength… I hope others got that message from Harvey and judging from the love of fans for that movie over all these years…maybe there is hope for humanity… ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793/24 "2011-06-18T00:10:11Z")
Like Elwood, I was smart for so long, its much nicer and easier to be pleasant. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793/25 "2011-06-18T00:17:16Z")
The problem with following the heart is that, unchecked, your heart does some pretty stupid crap. Your heart is why you stay with an abusive spouse, for example. You have to use both at all times. As for the actual OP: If pleasant means both well liked and happy, then sign me up. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793/26 "2011-06-18T00:19:23Z")
Fuck pleasant. I’ll take smart; it’s much easier to fake pleasant - and you only have to do that sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793/27 "2011-06-18T00:44:27Z")
It varies. There are times where being pleasant is best. And there are times when you have to be smart and screw over the jerkoffs trying to do it to you. The trick is knowing when to be which. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793/28 "2011-06-18T01:06:28Z")
I’d rather be smart. I know a couple of oh-so-pleasant people and they’re as annoying as hell. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793/29 "2011-06-18T01:19:10Z")
I’d rather be a smart zombie. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793/30 "2011-06-18T01:24:57Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I’d rather be a smart zombie. All the brains you get to eat should help. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793/31 "2011-06-18T03:03:05Z")
… ---
**Author:** ![YaraMateo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/58f4c7/32.png) [@YaraMateo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaraMateo)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793/32 "2011-06-18T03:08:18Z")
A lot of people are confusing being pleasant with being happy. While you can be both, being pleasant doesn’t mean (alone) being happy. Being pleasant actually means being agreeable. So, you can be miserable and still be pleasant. By these definitions, I’d rather be smart. Besides, it’s always the pleasant quiet people who snap or who are secretly serial killers (because no suspects it). ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793/33 "2011-06-18T03:39:38Z")
> [@susan](#): > > I think this is a false forced choice. I’d rather be smart and pleasant. Agree totally and came in to say it. Just the other day I mentioned a Yogi Berra quote > [@](#): > > “When you come to a fork in the road…Take it” and said it was close to one I also like: “When faced with a choice between two things, take both.” (I claim I made that one up myself.) But choice is in your mind. You can be smart, pleasant and convincing all at the same time, if you realize there’s value to all three things. ETA: Just now seeing I’m quoting somebody from years ago. No shame in that. Just as true today as it was then. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793/34 "2011-06-18T05:23:55Z")
I’d take smart since I don’t see any selfish appeal to being overly pleasant. Besides, someone who is overly pleasant is a turnoff for me since that makes me think they are hiding/compensating for something or they have no experience with the darker side of humanity (which makes them sheltered or something else). If it came down to smart vs. happy though, I’d pick happy. There are tons of smart people who aren’t doing much with their lives, so one more wouldn’t make a difference. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793/35 "2011-06-18T10:35:13Z")
I’ve often said that given the choice between hanging out with a nice person and hanging out with a smart person, I’d pick the nice person every time. I really have no use for mean people and I imagine my friends feel the same way. Therefore, assuming we’re defining pleasant as nice, I’d rather be nice. ---
**Author:** ![uuaschbaer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/76d3ee/32.png) [@uuaschbaer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uuaschbaer)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793/36 "2011-06-18T11:47:16Z")
Pleasant. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793/37 "2011-06-18T12:19:57Z")
> [@YaraMateo](#): > > A lot of people are confusing being pleasant with being happy. While you can be both, being pleasant doesn’t mean (alone) being happy. Being pleasant actually means being agreeable. So, you can be miserable and still be pleasant. By these definitions, I’d rather be smart. Besides, it’s always the pleasant quiet people who snap or who are secretly serial killers (because no suspects it). It sounds like you don’t know the movie. Pleasant in this context was meant to be as Elwood defined it. Heck, the writers of Legally Blonde knew what was meant in Harvey when they name the main character Elle Woods. Same premise really. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793/38 "2011-06-18T13:06:29Z")
I’m already smart. It’s not been nearly so helpful as regards enjoying life as I was led to expect it would… So I’ll agree with the quote from “Harvey”. I’d rather be pleasant. In fact, I’ve worked hard on that in recent years. ---
**Author:** ![YaraMateo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/58f4c7/32.png) [@YaraMateo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaraMateo)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793/39 "2011-06-18T14:34:54Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > It sounds like you don’t know the movie. Pleasant in this context was meant to be as Elwood defined it. Heck, the writers of Legally Blonde knew what was meant in Harvey when they name the main character Elle Woods. Same premise really. The OP should have explained the context. The OP should have asked if we wanted to be pleasant by Elwood’s defintion. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793/40 "2011-06-18T15:18:48Z")
> [@YaraMateo](#): > > The OP should have explained the context. The OP should have asked if we wanted to be pleasant by Elwood’s defintion. Well I was the Op, so please consider it further explained then. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-oh-so-smart-or-oh-so-pleasant/387793.md?page=3)