# Would you trade intelligence for attractiveness? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 20, 2007, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771 "2007-12-20T23:51:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771/1 "2007-12-20T23:51:22Z")
Basically you have two sliders, one for brainpower and one for general attractiveness (looks, social knack, charisma). You can increase one at the cost of the other. Each obviously has it’s advantages…and yes, you can do a “trial run” of one of them if you want, but that’s it, you aren’t allowed to, say, juggle the numbers when a test or a date comes up. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771/2 "2007-12-21T00:19:48Z")
Intelligence is overrated. I’m fairly intelligent, but also lazy which counteracts any benefit I might get from smarts. I’d rather have determination or willpower, as attractiveness wouldn’t help in my job. If I was in sales or something, but I’d have to give up a lot of intelligence just to get into sales 🙂 I certainly don’t want to be any uglier, so that’s out. Hmm… Maybe if I was single I’d want some looks. Chicks dig hot dumb guys, right? No, I wouldn’t do it. ---
**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:** [December 21, 2007, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771/3 "2007-12-21T00:32:39Z")
Define ‘intelligence’. 🙂 I’ve discovered that thinking-type intelligence _is_ overrated. In my opinion, the most successful people seem to have great ‘social intelligence’. If you’re good at being social with other humans, I suspect that both raw gorgeousness and raw intelligence don’t matter _as_ much. But the OP said ‘attractiveness’. That would seem to imply high social skill: helping people be at ease, saying just the right thing, smiling at the right time, etc. I’ve met a number of gorgeous people who became increasingly unattractive as saw how they behaved. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771/4 "2007-12-21T00:36:34Z")
I don’t have any to spare, sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771/5 "2007-12-21T00:37:19Z")
_double post_ ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771/6 "2007-12-21T00:38:09Z")
If it was intelligence for good looks, then no effin’ way, however general attractiveness is a different story. I’d gladly spend a little more time to read/do math/write an essay and gain enhanced ability to relate to my fellow meatbags. I wouldn’t mind looking a little sexier too 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771/7 "2007-12-21T02:02:04Z")
[QUOTE=Love Rhombus] Basically you have two sliders, one for brainpower and one for general attractiveness (looks, social knack, charisma). [/QUOTE] No question, I’d take general attractiveness. I think a stupid, attractive, charismatic person with great social skills will have a happier life than an ugly, socially maladjusted genius. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771/8 "2007-12-21T02:20:02Z")
Yes. But only in careful increments. I want to reach the perfect balance of smart and sexy. It would be terrible if my hand slipped and I became smoking hot, but really stupid, or hideous and a genius. ---
**Author:** ![Purgatory\_Creek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@Purgatory\_Creek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purgatory_Creek)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771/9 "2007-12-21T02:29:29Z")
I have this discussion with myself fairly often. Intelligence (or ability to manipulate information, or highly developed associative memory, or whatever you want to call it) wins about 60% of the time. It’s been a difficult week, so today, I’m nudging the attractiveness slider up. Like **Autolycus** says, though, good looks alone would be of little use. “Social knack and charisma” are much more important. Now, give me a choice between intelligence and wealth–that one’s not a problem 😃 . ---
**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:** [December 21, 2007, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771/10 "2007-12-21T03:13:51Z")
No way, man. You don’t get stupider as you get older, but you sure do lose your looks and there ain’t a damned thing you can do about it. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771/11 "2007-12-21T03:38:12Z")
So what you are saying is that with looks like these, you can tell I’m really smart? ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771/12 "2007-12-21T03:42:45Z")
[QUOTE=Kayeby] No question, I’d take general attractiveness. I think a stupid, attractive, charismatic person with great social skills will have a happier life than an ugly, socially maladjusted genius. [/QUOTE] Well someone has to develop all the cosmetics, surgical techniques, and hair products…and s/hes gonna be so filthy rich the pretty people will flock. ---
**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:** [December 21, 2007, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771/13 "2007-12-21T04:16:19Z")
I care little for my appearance or whether people like me, so long as they don’t get to the point of being visibly repulsed. I’d sacrifice a fair amount of looks for smarts. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771/14 "2007-12-21T04:16:57Z")
Ugh, false dilemmas. Most of the intelligent people I know are just as attractive. If I had to choose, I suppose I’d rather be a bit more attractive than intelligent. But I don’t. 😉 Slight hijack, but funny story: This reminds me of a conversation I had with my roommate, after she’d been chatting online with some dude from OkCupid. She’d told him that she liked “hunky” guys (guys who are tall and big, in a healthy way) and he’d snarked that oh, she liked handsome and stupid guys. She’d responded saying that attractiveness and intelligence were not mutually exclusive, and he insisted that it was almost impossible for people to “have it all.” Roommate: So then I told him that that was very Catholic of him. Me: Um, what? Roommate: You know, the thought that if you lack in one department, you’ll be compensated in another. Me: How the hell is that a Catholic idea? Roommate: You know. It’s in the Bible. Blessed are the ugly? For they shall be beautiful in heaven? Isn’t that what Jesus said? Or maybe that was St. Paul. Me: :dubious: … How in God’s name _did you get an MA in philisophy?_ Roommate: :: stoned giggle :: I was brought up Catholic, you know. Me: :: crosses self :: _Kyrie eleison._ ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771/15 "2007-12-21T04:22:11Z")
Social knack can be aquired, charm can be learned and applied but Ron White points out that you can’t fix stupid. Past the first bloom of youth, I believe my intelligence is attractive, but I am also very socially skilled. I wouldn’t up my current attractiveness at the loss of any of my itellegence. ---
**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:** [December 21, 2007, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771/16 "2007-12-21T04:48:21Z")
[QUOTE=Cyn] \my itellegence. [/QUOTE] If that was intentional, well-played. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771/17 "2007-12-21T05:06:07Z")
First I’d ramp myself up to maximum intelligence, and then decide what setting to leave it on. If my extra-intelligent mind decides that it’s worth being even uglier than I am now, so be it. Conversely, if I decide that it’s better to dial myself back to zero intelligence, leaving myself in an optimally charismatic vegetative state, at least I’d have the benefit of knowing that I made the smartest possible choice. ---
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771/18 "2007-12-21T08:31:52Z")
No! ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771/19 "2007-12-21T09:05:16Z")
[QUOTE=Terrifel] First I’d ramp myself up to maximum intelligence, and then decide what setting to leave it on. If my extra-intelligent mind decides that it’s worth being even uglier than I am now, so be it. Conversely, if I decide that it’s better to dial myself back to zero intelligence, leaving myself in an optimally charismatic vegetative state, at least I’d have the benefit of knowing that I made the smartest possible choice. [/QUOTE] What a great answer! I’m copping your answer. I’m totally plagiarizing it. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771/20 "2007-12-21T10:44:13Z")
I’m okay with my face and brain as they are, but would have a free trial as the genius gargoyle, and if necessary become a self-satisfied hermit oracle. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trade-intelligence-for-attractiveness/430771.md?page=2)