Would you rather be average build and in the top 5% of intelligence, or other way around?


33 comments
  1. Brains 

    Too many negative iq people out there these days. Especially in the US 

  2. Intelligence….I can fix looks, but as the saying goes “You can’t fix stupid”

  3. Brawn

    Being smart seems like a hassle. Why live a shitty life when you can live a good one?

  4. Since I’m already more brawn than brains, guess I’ll stay the course with that

  5. So many women prefer a dadbod or a skinny dude that being 95 percentile for brawn will not equate to being attractive to 95% of women.

  6. Intelligence, Top 5% of brawn isn’t enough to make much of a difference in quality of life.

  7. Reality is that we are governed by brawl. Brawl beats the crap out of brains and then when brains submits brawl has brains working for them. Example look at our military, completely overrun by muscle heads all while the scientists and engineers are supporting them. Worse is muscle heads have better position, and better wealth 

  8. Definitely intelligence. Any person can make themselves reasonably fit. It just takes consistency over time. 

    And being that intelligent is arguably more profitable long term than being an elite athlete is. Athletes generally have a fairly narrow window for being at the top level of competitive sport. Even the phenom “career” athletes still retire fairly young from sport (young in the context of the entire human lifespan). 

    Also, being in the top 5% of an athletic discipline isn’t truly good enough to make the really big money in sports. You’d still be a very very good athlete, but you’re probably not winning medals at the Olympics or becoming a superstar in major league professional sports (that’s more like top 1% material). 

  9. Brawns has very little use in modern society

    But I agree with others, I would rather be stupid and happy

  10. I don’t really have a problem with my existing intelligence level, I’m happy with it. So I’ll take brawn.

  11. I guess it depends on how much of the other option I have. Can’t pick brains and be Sheldon Cooper or brawn and be Peter Griffin but probably brains

  12. Brains. Smart people can hit the weights and learn to eat a proper diet. Not much you can do the other way around.

  13. Brains always, you can always train to get a better build, but it is very difficult to gain intelligence (near impossible).

  14. Are we talking top 5% in terms of genetic giftedness for these traits, or top 5% in comparison to the average person many of whom don’t work out or pursue further education?

  15. Brawn. I always wished I was dumber. They seem so much happier. “Ignorance is bliss” lmao

  16. Personally, I probably am in the top 5% of intelligence, but below average in height and build. I’m married with kids so I guess it worked out, but sometimes wonder what life would have been like on the other side!

  17. As a lanky nerd, this has gotten me nothing in life. I would rather have been the brawny caveman. That’s what society values more, and provides more for you anyway

  18. Intelligence. It’s easier to work to get stronger than it is to work to get smarter, though both are possible.

  19. I’d rather the brains. I can work out and develop brawn. I can’t magically become smarter with the same level of effort.

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