this post was submitted on 04 Jan 2025
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A genie appears before you and says you must choose to be very physically attractive, but slightly below average intelligence, or very intelligent, but slightly below average attractiveness? Which would you choose, and why?

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[–] theywilleatthestars@lemmy.world 29 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Smart, being beautiful would just get attention from boring people

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 12 points 4 months ago (1 children)

But if you're not smart then those would be your people.

I don't want to be boring

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[–] DarkDarkHouse@lemmy.sdf.org 27 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 12 points 4 months ago (1 children)

The only people you fool are other stupid people though.

[–] runiq 6 points 4 months ago

That's cool though, there's so many of us that you'll never run out of fools to dupe.

[–] just_an_average_joe@lemmy.dbzer0.com 18 points 4 months ago (7 children)

Why so many people think being smart means getting phd's and good job/money?

Good job, phd's require discipline not smartness and often being attractive gets you better confidence/charisma, thats far far more important for getting good money or recognition than smartness

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[–] python@programming.dev 16 points 4 months ago (5 children)

I think being intelligent gets you better jobs and more money sooo 🀷

[–] ReadMoreBooks@lemmy.zip 15 points 4 months ago

Ignorance is bliss.

[–] darklamer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 4 months ago

Sorry, no, that's not how it works, not at all.

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[–] JackGreenEarth@lemm.ee 14 points 4 months ago (1 children)

My intelligence makes me depressed, so beautiful.

[–] SpaceFox@lemmy.ml 7 points 4 months ago

As someone with below average intelligence I can tell you it really doesn't. Trust me, having a low intelligence doesn't make your life easier it just makes it harder and puts you at a massive disadvantage. It's the most soul crushing experience there is. You can become beautiful but intelligence is forever, be thankful for what you've got.

[–] Psythik@lemmy.world 12 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Ignorance is bliss, so I'll take beauty. I just want to be happy.

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[–] HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com 12 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I mean slightly below average is not bad attractiveness wise. Less hassel to some degree, especially if your a woman. below average intelligence though can really hamstring you. Intelligence all the way. Doesn't say gorgeous though or genius. sounds to me like I would basically be asking for the genie to do nothing based on my academic achievements and dating lack of achievements.

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[–] NineMileTower@lemmy.world 12 points 4 months ago

I am lucky enough to already be both, so I don't have to choose, thank you very much.

[–] brokenlcd@feddit.it 11 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I'm studying engineering, so i'll take smarts, we all know that anyone in this field ends up bald by some mystical force anyways

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 4 points 4 months ago

Too real. In the middle stages of my career I am fighting a losing battle against this plight.

[–] southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 10 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Why am I forced to downgrade if it's a genie wish?

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[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 9 points 4 months ago (7 children)

I am the most intelligent person I know. So naturally I would choose intelligence, because christ do I need perspective if that's what I actually believe

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[–] P00ptart@lemmy.world 8 points 4 months ago

Being smart has only gotten me anxiety. I'll go with attractiveness.

[–] Azzu@lemm.ee 8 points 4 months ago (1 children)

If I'm very smart, I could just use my intelligence to make money and then get beauty surgery.

[–] frightful_hobgoblin@lemmy.ml 13 points 4 months ago

That's not how any of that works.

[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.ml 7 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 8 points 4 months ago (5 children)

... I visit my therapist weekly to cope with my ongoing god complex?

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[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 7 points 4 months ago

Appreciate the offer but no thanks.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 7 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Intelligence, easier to figure out how to improve my attractiveness and deal with complex problems in general than trying to get smarter.

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[–] communism@lemmy.ml 6 points 4 months ago (1 children)

If I'm that smart maybe I can work out how to make myself beautiful too.

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[–] gazter@aussie.zone 6 points 4 months ago

I think I'd rather be smart. I'm honestly often so impressed with beautiful people, because that shit takes work.

I can roll out of bed, pull my three week old sauce stained shirt over my gut, and go do smart shit with a terrible haircut and no one gives a fuck.

Beautiful people will have chosen matching outfits worth thousands, spent an hour on hair and makeup, all after a morning gym session, and they'll keep that hair perfect all day, getting their spa session in and finding time to do their nails.

How do they even have time to cook a healthy well balanced meal?

[–] Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world 6 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Beautiful. I've tried smart, it sucks.

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[–] AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.net 6 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Probably smart, because I'm already pretty smart and the prospect of giving up what I already have seems scary.

Plus, I've lived most of my life thinking I was repulsively ugly; part of overcoming that anxiety involved understanding that "you can be the juiciest, ripest peach in the world, but some people just don't like peaches". If there's anything I've learned from that, it's understanding that attractiveness is even harder to "objectively" quantify than intelligence

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[–] KnightOfOldEmpire@lemmy.ml 6 points 4 months ago

Attractive, it's wild how people are more likely to help you in either small or greater acts or be willing to overlook some of your flaws.

[–] stinky@redlemmy.com 6 points 4 months ago

i'm already dumb and cute, take a hike genie

[–] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 6 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Long Covid and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis have noticeably lowered my IQ. It's a terrible feeling to be more stupid and know that I normally could do better.

So give me intelligence every day. Physical attractiveness can only go so far.

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[–] wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 6 points 4 months ago
[–] aeki@slrpnk.net 5 points 4 months ago

How about slightly below both but with some solid executive functioning and 0 mood disorders? I'll take that.

[–] HelixDab2@lemm.ee 5 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Honestly, according to IQ tests, I'm already in the 95th+ percentile for intelligence. I'm also on the autism spectrum, and just got diagnosed with severe ADHD late last year. I've accomplished fuck-all by being smart, and it's mostly made me depressed. I'd pick being slightly dumb, but hot.

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[–] deadcatbounce@reddthat.com 5 points 4 months ago

Beautiful.

I've tried the other way already. Not so good.

[–] OmegaLemmy@discuss.online 5 points 4 months ago

Beauty I guess, intelligence doesn't make a damn unless you're brave, lucky, or born well

[–] 2ugly2live@lemmy.world 5 points 4 months ago

Smart. Pretty, dumb people get taken advantage of. Besides, I'm already unattractive, might as well give me something after making me go through high school πŸ˜’

[–] SpaceFox@lemmy.ml 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Smart... Looks good away but intelligence is forever.

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[–] lemmyknow@lemmy.today 5 points 4 months ago (3 children)

What is the definition of 'beautiful', here? Do I get to decide, or is it up to the genie's interpretation?

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[–] Melatonin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (4 children)

You could be Hermann Rorschach or Hedy Lamarr, and be both!

[–] jsomae@lemmy.ml 4 points 4 months ago

That guy really looks like Bradd Pitt

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[–] SplashJackson@lemmy.ca 5 points 4 months ago

I am already both, so I would tell that genie to EAT ITTTT

[–] That_Devil_Girl@lemmy.ml 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

It's lonely being intelligent. Maybe I'm just in the wrong social circles.

I like to read books at my construction job when we're not busy. Yet none of my coworkers have read a book since early middle school, and they only skimmed it to half-ass a book report. I can't talk to them about anything except work.

I've never been beautiful my whole life. I'd give myself a 4 out of 10, a little less than average. I never really cared about my looks, I haven't worn makeup in ages.

I'd be interested in giving beauty a trial run, see if it suits me better than intelligence.

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[–] meyotch@slrpnk.net 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Being both already I would tell said genie to take a hike.

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[–] Mothra@mander.xyz 4 points 4 months ago
[–] ReakDuck@lemmy.ml 4 points 4 months ago

Smarter.

But I feel like I already have both. At the same time I feel like I have nothing od them both.

Especially because only a selection tells me that I look very attractive. I get more compliments from males when I dress like a female for Halloween while I am hetero. But mostly I feel like its not true because many people just accept my presents. But maybe they only accept me because I dont look unattractive.

So choosing attractiveness leads to better social connections which I rely on.

The intelligence.. I feel dumb as fuck often times because simple tasks are difficult for me or getting a focus in general. But I get compliments of being smart as fuck, especially when they see how many peogramming languages I can write in or see the projects I created or I was creative on.

Still, I guess this is the sideproduct of being too intelligent. That being too intelligent with Asberger and ADHD results into not being able to do simple tasks. I feel like the word "dumb" is just a question of perspective, because i am dumb in too many simple things, except its about a topic I love like Computers, electronics or Math sometimes.

So the question arrises. When I choose being intelligent. Would I be able to be Intelligent in tasks which people with lower IQ (I guess dumb?) can easily master? And at the same time also in tasks which only people with higher IQ can master? (Idk my IQ btw, could be both high or low. I really dont know)

Also, would I be able to still connect with people with the intelligence because I would have a high Empathic Intelligence? I noticed that the Higher the IQ of someone is, the lower their EQ will be. Making them a bit Egoistic and unhandsome.

Its a complex topic with many questions

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