Beauty or Brains

[DoveAlexa]

I have 3 questions for the boards:

1. Would you rather be butt ugly and a genius, or beautiful but spectacularly stupid? [poll]

2. Would you rather be average in looks but a genius, or average in brains but beautiful?[poll]

3. If you were both very good looking and a genius, which would be harder to suddenly have to live without, to lose: your genius and all the gifts of insight and ability this gets you, or your looks which grants you social benefits and positive attention. [no poll]

What value does society place for both beauty and brains? Is one considered better than the other to have, more valued?

 

[Skathac]

I wouldn't mind experiencing what it is like to be beautiful for a week. I have no clue as to what my IQ actually is currently but am confident that I am smarter than the average bear.

If I was happier being ignorant and beautiful I may very well choose that. Blissful existence feels pretty good right now.

I'm comfortable feeling unattractive and having what may be above average intelligence. If I wasn't happy with my week trial of ignorance and beauty I'd stay the way I am now.

Society at large seems to place a huge value on physical beauty. Our world wouldn't progress without the geniuses improving it however.

 

[bamf]

Brains over beauty for me. I'd rather be a "genius" than have no real purpose other than to be looked at. I also went with average appearance but genius.

 

[DoveAlexa]

Yes, average but intelligent is what I'd pick too. The first set of choices though is a hard call... Sometimes people will ignore what you say no matter how marvelous if you are repulsive, but to live a life as a useless but beautiful twat... such a waste. Not to mention with the value placed on beauty, to be that keenly aware genius and not look good, it'd be a soul crusher if you cant get yourself away from it soon enough.

 

[Gaze]

I went with average in looks but a genius, because i think a genius is more likely to get more attention for their thoughts or ideas if they are at least somewhat attractive. I mean, once upon a time, it didn't really matter that much how you looked, as long as you were smart. But today, unfortunately, looks are valued above everything else. So, i don't think looks can be ignored.

Think about it . . . in a job interview, you are far more likely to be hired if you're physically attractive and not as knowledgeable than someone who is highly intelligent but seems unattractive.

*you know, all this sounds really weird coming from me . . . i'd never have thought this way a few years back*

 

[DoveAlexa]

I went with average in looks but a genius, because i think a genius is more likely to get more attention for their thoughts or ideas if they are at least somewhat attractive. I mean, once upon a time, it didn't really matter that much how you looked, as long as you were smart. But today, unfortunately, looks are valued above everything else. So, i don't think looks can be ignored.

Think about it . . . in a job interview, you are far more likely to be hired if you're physically attractive and not as knowledgeable than someone who is highly intelligent but seems unattractive.

*you know, all this sounds really weird coming from me . . . i'd never have thought this way a few years back*

So a few years back you'd have thought intelligence could be enough without looks at all? Or rather you were more concerned about looks a few years back?

 

[TinyBubbles]

i'd go with brains over beauty but i wouldn't want to be butt ugly either, life is hard enough when you're average looking. i think society places a high value on beauty, especially for women. it's probably related to the fact that men are very visually inclined.

 

[Gaze]

So a few years back you'd have thought intelligence could be enough without looks at all? Or rather you were more concerned about looks a few years back?

The first part. Yeah, i was pretty idealistic back then, so, in my mind, i'd focus on what i believed was "fair," and thought that smarts would, and should be enough. I didn't think as much about the impact of physical appearance. I thought of it as being shallow to consider looks or appearance. My perspective wasn't really balanced at the time. I thought in black and white terms. Thank goodness, i know better today.

 

[DoveAlexa]

The first part. Yeah, i was pretty idealistic so in my mind, i would be focused on what i believed was "fair," and thought that smarts would, and should be enough. I didn't think as much about the impact of physical appearance. I thought of it as being shallow to consider looks or appearance. My perspective wasn't really balanced at the time. I thought in black and white terms. Thank goodness, i know better today.

Heh yes, though its still a little sad. Can't say that the "eye for beauty" isn't hardwired but it isn't that hard to override that instinct when a person's looks shouldn't matter, like in your job interview example.

Also, in no way does either option make it so you cannot be and act confident, which I know makes a huge difference sometimes. Personal charisma can exist without looks and can change minds and rally hordes of people to your side, good looks, brains, or no. Course, having the brains helps you keep people around with your charisma, else it'd look like all a sham once people got past the feel of your words to their meaning.
Hell, look at Hitler, hes a little potato man and he started a world war! All with that wild fervor of his.

 

[The Jester]

Brains > Beauty in all those situations.

I'd rather die alone with full of wisdom, then die after being loved, but without knowing anything.

 

[Gaze]

Heh yes, though its still a little sad. Can't say that the "eye for beauty" isn't hardwired but it isn't that hard to override that instinct when a person's looks shouldn't matter, like in your job interview example.

Also, in no way does either option make it so you cannot be and act confident, which I know makes a huge difference sometimes. Personal charisma can exist without looks and can change minds and rally hordes of people to your side, good looks, brains, or no. Course, having the brains helps you keep people around with your charisma, else it'd look like all a sham once people got past the feel of your words to their meaning.
Hell, look at Hitler, hes a little potato man and he started a world war! All with that wild fervor of his.

Quite true.

 

[Siamese cat]

I picked brains both times. I just don't place that much value on physical beauty as I put on brains.

And not in every line of work one has to be attractive or fairly good looking.

Loosing brain power is one of my biggest fears, and after seeing my grandmother loosing hers to Alzheimer's, I became even more fearful of loosing my mind.

 

[Siamese cat]

Sorry, some stupid error.

 

[enfp can be shy]

To me even the myth of genius seems unreliable, let alone the myth of beauty. And beauty has lower priority in all questions, certainly. But what is beauty. Is it a score system that you increase and develop. How do we see someone as beautiful. I think we are influenced by their character a lot. We can't even fully acknowledge it. Our own notions of beauty are intertwined with corresponding mind properties of the people we get used to see as beautiful.

 

[Quinlan]

I like beauty but brains is not important to me, maybe kindness and character is more important to me.

 

[DoveAlexa]

I like beauty but brains is not important to me, maybe kindness and character is more important to me.

Ah ha yes! Intelligence and kindness certainly aren't linked. I appreciate kindness more than beauty myself.

 

[NeverAmI]

I have 3 questions for the boards:

1. Would you rather be butt ugly and a genius, or beautiful but spectacularly stupid?

Genius

2. Would you rather be average in looks but a genius, or average in brains but beautiful?

Genius

3. If you were both very good looking and a genius, which would be harder to suddenly have to live without, to lose: your genius and all the gifts of insight and ability this gets you, or your looks which grants you social benefits and positive attention.

I would think it would be DAMN EASY to live without being a genius, ignorance is bliss. I think it would be much harder to suddenly become ugly.

What value does society place for both beauty and brains?

American society places much more emphasis on beauty and conviction than on smarts. I think some of it plays into impatience and the desire for short term pleasure over long-term fulfillment.

Is one considered better than the other to have, more valued?

Well, that all depends on how you choose to use either and what your motivations are.

 

[Skoffin]

I picked average looking but a genius. Personally I'd rather be a hated genius than a well liked moron. But maybe that's because deep down I aspire to be an evil mad scientist.

 

[Matariki]

I have 3 questions for the boards:

1. Would you rather be butt ugly and a genius, or beautiful but spectacularly stupid? [poll]

Butt ugly and a genius.

2. Would you rather be average in looks but a genius, or average in brains but beautiful?[poll]

Average in looks but a genius.

3. If you were both very good looking and a genius, which would be harder to suddenly have to live without, to lose: your genius and all the gifts of insight and ability this gets you, or your looks which grants you social benefits and positive attention. [no poll]

My looks.

What value does society place for both beauty and brains? Is one considered better than the other to have, more valued?

Beauty is something that most people can understand and something most people strive to have.
The media is obsessed with it and gains a large profit from it.

 

[Faye]

I can't really say which I would prefer because I've only ever had either to the extent that I currently have them.

Like, I wouldn't want to be the blond girl in this video, but I really wouldn't want to be the feminist woman either.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYNymvtbWw4&feature=related"]YouTube- Wife Swap - Boss/ Guastaferro pt.1/5[/ame]

If anything, I'd want to have more audio/sequential intelligence. That is what seems really important.