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submitted 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) by Anticorp@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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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[-] Hyphlosion@lemm.ee 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I’m currently neither. Since I’m already used to not being intelligent, I’d go with being beautiful. Then I could always work to increase my intelligence if I wanted.

[-] JackGreenEarth@lemm.ee 11 points 5 days ago

My intelligence makes me depressed, so beautiful.

[-] SpaceFox@lemmy.ml 6 points 5 days 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.

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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[-] Bearlydave@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago

I chose Chameleon from the Xanth universe.

[-] theywilleatthestars@lemmy.world 24 points 6 days ago

Smart, being beautiful would just get attention from boring people

[-] Anticorp@lemmy.world 9 points 6 days ago

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

[-] theywilleatthestars@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago

I don't want to be boring

[-] DarkDarkHouse@lemmy.sdf.org 22 points 6 days ago
[-] Anticorp@lemmy.world 12 points 6 days ago

The only people you fool are other stupid people though.

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[-] aeki@slrpnk.net 4 points 4 days ago

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

[-] Psythik@lemmy.world 11 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

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

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[-] NineMileTower@lemmy.world 8 points 5 days ago

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

[-] python@programming.dev 15 points 6 days ago

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

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[-] deadcatbounce@reddthat.com 3 points 4 days ago

Beautiful.

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

[-] tetris11@lemmy.ml 6 points 5 days ago

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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[-] whaleross@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago

Would I be pretty and daft enough to not overthink and complicate everything and to finally be happy?

Ok then. Let me be a himbo. The ladies may take advantage.

[-] Sam_Bass@lemmy.ml 7 points 5 days ago
[-] tetris11@lemmy.ml 8 points 5 days ago

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

[-] Spider89@lemm.ee 3 points 5 days ago

Sounds like an anime title..

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[-] Sam_Bass@lemmy.ml 3 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Yes and no. Its every other week and it's real difficult to overlook the kneeling

[-] tetris11@lemmy.ml 3 points 5 days ago

hey, even Gods have to pay rent. Chin up.

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[-] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 7 points 5 days ago

Appreciate the offer but no thanks.

[-] HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com 11 points 6 days ago

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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[-] P00ptart@lemmy.world 6 points 5 days ago

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

[-] brokenlcd@feddit.it 11 points 6 days ago

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

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[-] KnightOfOldEmpire@lemmy.ml 2 points 4 days 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.

[-] southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 10 points 6 days ago

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

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[-] gazter@aussie.zone 2 points 4 days 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?

[-] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 6 points 5 days ago

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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[-] BigBenis@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

If we're talking 90+ percentile then no question I'd go with smarts and use it to have a big impact on some field of science. Otherwise I'd probably still pick smarts but it's more of a tossup.

[-] SpaceFox@lemmy.ml 4 points 5 days ago

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

[-] OmegaLemmy@discuss.online 6 points 5 days ago

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

[-] That_Devil_Girl@lemmy.ml 3 points 4 days ago

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.

[-] daniskarma@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 4 days ago

I'm already smart and beautiful.

Isn't there a genie out there that cures anxiety?

[-] deadcatbounce@reddthat.com 3 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Not really a genie, more of a willo the wisp, but I get it from a bloke called Spider. It's very more-ish.

[-] 2ugly2live@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days 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 😒

[-] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 6 points 5 days ago

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.

[-] sneekee_snek_17@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago

I feel this to my core. I had a pretty successful career in army special operations, which ended after ten years with a few years of extremely heavy drinking, which ended with me getting out of the army and getting boatloads of mental health treatment, which is ongoing.

When I was at my peak, though, my most prize characteristic was my intellect. Now, though, my short term memory is measured in seconds, my working memory is like five digits at most, I forget words many times per day, and there's many more examples.

It's been absolutely crushing to remember such high performance, but be incapable of it now.

[-] ReakDuck@lemmy.ml 4 points 5 days 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

[-] lemmyknow@lemmy.today 4 points 5 days ago

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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[-] Azzu@lemm.ee 7 points 6 days ago

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 6 days ago

That's not how any of that works.

[-] communism@lemmy.ml 6 points 5 days ago

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

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[-] wildcardology@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago

I'm an introvert so I'm going for very intelligent.

[-] Melatonin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

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

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[-] stinky@redlemmy.com 6 points 6 days ago

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

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this post was submitted on 04 Jan 2025
49 points (94.5% liked)

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