I’d choose the intelligence, hands down. I’m assuming that, as a super genius, I could pretty easily become wealthy. The rest would follow.
First, choo get de brains. Then choo invent de mind-control ray. And THEN choo get de women.
Each of those is at least as much of a curse as it is a blessing. I might consider one if I could have it dulled down some, but even then, I’m not sure if I’d really care enough at that point to make it meaningful.
Super intelligence sounds great, but having such an analytical mind can drive one crazy. As I am now, I find it difficult not to over-analyze so many mundane details, and having an even sharper mind, picking up more details and discovering more patterns can just be that much more maddening. Moreso, with such a gift of intelligence comes a burden to make the most of it, from society and from oneself. This can be exhausting and ultimately lead to a lack of fulfillment because one can never have enough time in the day to actually achieve all of that.
And worst of all, it can lead to a large degree of social isolation. Having such a powerful intellect can make it difficult to relate to people. Do you ever have a conversation where you’re having difficulty explaining a concept because the other person doesn’t quite have the education or intelligence to grasp it? Have you ever over-compensated for that and dumbed down something thinking it might be difficult for them to grasp and just insult their intelligence? Imagine this constant barrage of being unable to discuss topics that truly engage your intellect and also being utterly unable to gauge between talking over someone’s head or talking down to them. It’s an extremely frustrating experience on both ends.
So, as much as I’d love to be a little smarter to get some of those things that are still a little hard a little more into my reach, I’m not sure if those sorts of burdens are worth it.
And on a similar end, being attractive is great, it’s like a nice boost to ones charisma, but even that can go far enough to become a burden. Whenever I’ve met someone who is truly breathtaking to behold, it tends to cause one of two reactions. Either someone is so utterly intimidated by them, thinking they’re out of their class, that they avoid them, or they’re so filled with lust or awe, that they MUST engage them. Thus, they often end up surrounded by self-serving, shallow, aggressive people. This, in turn, has some natural effects on these people, making them self-conscious and feeling isolated, or being consumed by an over-inflated ego and very superficial.
Worse, it’s difficult to be judged by others as having more substance than one’s physical appearance. It would be a lot more difficult to form genuine relationships with people, simply because of how the people you meet will tend to self-select.
And sure, beautiful people do have life a little easier, but I also think being so beautiful can, without great discipline, lead to depending on it to get by, which ultimately leads to a lack of fulfillment and overall sloth.
So… yeah, I voted to stay as I am because, honestly, I wouldn’t want to be more than mildly more intelligent or attractive than I am now… certainly not to the degrees laid out in the OP.
You’re way more likely to strike it rich by being beautiful and charming than you are by being a genius.
I’m already good-looking, so I’ll take the brain booster.
Intellect, almost for certain.
However, I know you too well Skald, and suspect this is some sort of trick, so I choose neither.
I have been, as a youth, the model quality hotttt;
It was a life of doing little and being followed around constantly by those who didn’t have much of a behavior-filter in place, who wanted to be around the ‘hot guy.’
It did ease MANY situation, and allowed for less energy expended on my part…
I will take the intelligence, though. I have seen what being slightly above the mean allows, and my personal quality of life is much better because of it.
As long as it doesn’t come with automatic mental health issues attached, I can deal with thinking of the rest of the human race as expendable vermin due to their low iq’s.
I already think of crowds of humans as ‘marks’ - not much of a stretch…
ETA: option one, with the caveat of thinking it’s a trick…
A super genius needs only to invent the Satellite-Mounted Ugly Gun (SMUG), thereby rendering all other humans of his or her sex hideous. Why change for the world when the world can change for you? Beauty comes from above, in the form of a wide-arc ray.
I guess- as an actor or whatever.
But 1.) While I envy the wealth of actors, I don’t envy their fame.
2.) I’d like to actually be the smartest person on the planet rather than just telling myself I am. 
If I’m being Reed Richards I not only get the brains, I get the… “prehensile appendages” …which would definitely get me the ladies.
(“How big is it? How big would you like it to be? And would you prefer ribs or bumps on it?”)
Not necessarily. You’d still have to have some type of actual talent or skill. There are countless beautiful people in the world who are completely worthless.
I picked intellect. Not many women have loved me and wanted to be with me, but I’ve been blessed by those who did. Would their attention be as meaningful if every woman wanted me? I would hope so, of course, but at what point would the attentions of everyone else become more than a distraction?
And to be honest I feel much more comfortable when I can return affection. I don’t know if I could do that for every woman I met and have it mean something.
Well of course not necessarily. Assuming the beautiful, verbally charming person isn’t completely retarded, they’ve got a better shot at wealth than a super genius.
Doesn’t saying something like “I would choose to be a genius, because I could think my way into women’s pants anyway,” whether true or not, kind of violate the spirit of the poll? I took it to sort of mean that you’re super-smart but you’re not going to get laid much. It’s not a real compelling question if there’s no trade-off.
Our society is designed so dumb people can thrive anyway; not having genius intellect won’t hold anyone back.
Since I’m already married, and my wife is attracted to me enough for all practical purposes, I’d go with the intellect. Being sexually irresistable to other people besides my wife would just cause problems.
Yeah, this too. In my current life situation, I’d turn down the super-sexay even if it were offered with no other option.
<sigh> NOW she tells me…
I’m the OP, and I disagree with you. It’s just that the super-genius option doesn’t come with the hotness upgrade, and perhaps not the charm either.
At this point in my life, neither. I already know I’ve all but wasted the potential my intelligence had. Being a super genius, I’d figure out exactly what I should have done and probably just end up suicidal because I hadn’t done it. Super hot might be fun for a while, but I already get all the action I want so it would probably end up being annoying after a while to be bothered by people all the time.
I have to compare the options with my actual experience. I am intelligent enough to be able to extrapolate what my life would be like with super intelligence. I can live with that.
But irresistible sex appeal? How many people do you need to be attracted to in life? After a certain number it would be a real annoyance. I am a less-than-average-looking guy, yet I share my life with a truly amazing partner whom a whole lot of people consider attractive, and people of both sexes are always coming on to him. It doesn’t bother him, but it bothers me. I wouldn’t want to be like that.