Beauty vs. Intelligence

[Troll King]

I think that people would ideally choose someone who has both beauty and intelligence, and this goes for things from hiring practices to looking for a mate. The two are not exclusive of each other. The problem is, as others have pointed out already, it's easier and quicker to identify beauty than it is intelligence, and if the ideal is to pick someone with both, beauty has an inherent bias.

Take a look at this case for example: say you have two candidates before you, one you find to be beautiful, the other you find unattractive. Without knowing how intelligent either of them are, you have to look at your possibilities. There are four possible combinations: pretty and smart, pretty and dumb, ugly and smart, and of course, ugly and dumb. The candidate that you find unattractive has already failed the beauty test, and the best he/she can hope for is to be ugly but smart. The attractive candidate however has passed the beauty test and his/her possible combinations are pretty and smart or pretty and dumb.

Remember that the ideal combination is pretty and smart, and the worst combination is ugly and dumb. The attractive candidate has a chance of being in the ideal combination group. Conversely, the ugly candidate does not have a chance of being in that group and, to make things worse, he/she has a chance of being in the worse group. So if you have two candidates before you, one of whom is beautiful and the other ugly, you'd have better odds if you lean towards the pretty one, of getting the ideal combo.

I know that this is a very simplified model that deals only with either/or binaries. But at some level, this is how our minds will approach such a situation.

If I may, let me add to the original issue of beauty vs intelligence by adding a third component, (or if you want to think of it geometrically, a third axis): personality. It's not as easy to determine like intelligence, but it's also subjective like beauty. Personality may also be just as important as beauty and intelligence.

[Richard Creager]

sage

[K2Grey]

I'd think personality would be more important than beauty/intelligence...

[Galleleo]

Like I said before k2, beauty does help getting a job. Studies have shown that beautiful people find jobs way easier.

[Liquid Blue]

I'd think personality would be more important than beauty/intelligence...

Then you have to ask how much more positively would you determine a person's personality/attidue if they were attractive? How much would their beauty be a deciding factor on how you feel about them?

[Pearl Jam]

that way you can stop posting in it.

No, I don't think that would stop me, Squeezer.

Yeah well, that's just like, your opinion man.

That's a hell of a caucasian, Jackie!

If I may, let me add to the original issue of beauty vs intelligence by adding a third component, (or if you want to think of it geometrically, a third axis): personality. It's not as easy to determine like intelligence, but it's also subjective like beauty. Personality may also be just as important as beauty and intelligence.

Good stuff. Personality amplifies beauty and intelligence. Sometimes not always for the better, but nonetheless. I maintain that no matter how unattractive someone may be, there IS someone for everyone.

As far as relationships are concerned, physical attraction will only take you so far. In my experiences, no more than 3 or so months, max. But like you said TK, it does play a large part in the initial meeting. Most people would go for the attractive candidate first, then hope for the best as far as personality and intelligence is concerned. To deny that would be ignorant. After that, though, personality cruise control has to kick in. That's what makes things meaningful. That's what makes things last.

[Jerome Scuggs]

I maintain that no matter how unattractive someone may be, there IS someone for everyone.

Please, say this excludes metal couples?



when i see people like this together, i hate myself

[Squeezer]

No, I don't think that would stop me, Squeezer.

please, call me Matt.

[Pearl Jam]

Please, say this excludes metal couples?



when i see people like this together, i hate myself

Despite your dislike, that's a sweet metal album name. TRIBUTE TO THE BLACK EMPEROR. LIKE A RAINBOW IN THE DARRRRK

please, call me Matt.

that's clever, squeezer

[Squeezer]

Despite your dislike, that's a sweet metal album name. TRIBUTE TO THE BLACK EMPEROR. LIKE A RAINBOW IN THE DARRRRK



that's clever, squeezer

thanks buuuuuud-eeee

[geekbot]

And yet, the value we place on both of them is completely different....Why is this?

This is stupid and I don't think anyone has stated the obvious. Being intelligent roughly equates to *actually being a better doctor* where being beautify roughly equates to *being nice to look at*. Get your job based on merit (scored intelligence, past performance, etc) is fair. Get your job not based on merit (large jumblies) = dumb.

If the job is a sales rep, waiter, I can't think of a better example, where beauty actually equals better person to hire, then most people won't complain.

The philosophical screwball who tried to equate beauty with intelligence needs to watch more stimulating programming.

PS Dont you wish you gf was hawt like me docha?

[K2Grey]

This is stupid and I don't think anyone has stated the obvious. Being intelligent roughly equates to *actually being a better doctor* where being beautify roughly equates to *being nice to look at*. Get your job based on merit (scored intelligence, past performance, etc) is fair. Get your job not based on merit (large jumblies) = dumb.

Well, as has been said before intelligence does not necessarily translate to being a better doctor. If two people get the exact same education in medicine, the more intelligent one will not necessarily be better at medicine - there are alot of factors which determine how good someone is at something.

Having said this, your point is basically correct, since I don't think anyone hires on the basis of pure intelligence anyway.

[Pandagirl!]

But the more intelligent one would probably be able to make a diagnosis sooner, which would lead to a higher chance of survival. More patients surviving = better doctor

[Jerome Scuggs]

Despite your dislike, that's a sweet metal album name. TRIBUTE TO THE BLACK EMPEROR. LIKE A RAINBOW IN THE DARRRRK

you're actually right

we have a sweet metal band here called 'cancer whore'. everything about this band is metal, from the "ARE YOU READY TO FUKKIN' ROOOOOCCCCKKKKVLBJGFJBDGBSGFB" \m/ before they play, to their original lead singer leaving the band because, though he had been writing satanworshipping lyrics for 6 years...his devout Baptist upbringing had finally gotten in the way (he was replaced, and then re-joined the band)

but to see these guys actually reproduce...

[Galleleo]

That depends panda.. where your intelligence lies. More intelligent doesn't mean that you're more intelligent in that area. You have many different kinds of intelligence.

Besides, being a dokter is more then just being able to diagnose. Nothing in this world can really be seen on it's own. Everything really is a combination of factors, and to eliminate factors might make it easier, it also makes the conclusions far more false.