Would you date someone considerably less intelligent?

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  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    Smart's fun, but it don't get the job done. I don't consider intelligence to be a primary motivator when it comes to partner selection.

    I think it goes

    1) Purty
    2) dat *kitten*
    2) fun
    2) nice
    2) smarts
    6) fecundity

    depending on the day of course.

    That said, I just don't think I'd have enough in common with women who have below average intelligence. On the other end, I find that the incidence of jackholes in Mensa is slightly higher than the general population, though it may be the self-selecting nature of that group. It may be that you will find less jackholery in people who could join Mensa but don't.

    I fixed your list to reflect what the general male looks for in a mate:

    1) Purty
    2) dat *kitten*
    2) fun
    2) nice
    2) sammich making skillz
    6) fecundity
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    Wanna date? :flowerforyou:

    Sorry, "polyamory" isn't in my vocabulary :heart: :flowerforyou: :bigsmile:

    Who said anything about love? :wink: :drinker:

    please use protection we dont need any little grammar police.
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
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    I love every post in here that says 'no' but is riddled with rudimentary grammatical inaccuracy.

    If we're splitting hairs, wouldn't "inaccuracies" work better here, due to the visual implied by "riddled?"

    I know, I know. Bring on Colonel Klink.

    Actually, I think either word would be correct in that sentence. Inaccuracy as a general concept, as opposed to specific incidents of inaccuracy.

    Agreed, either word could be considered correct, but the plural would be preferable given the implications of "riddled." That's why I started with "If we're splitting hairs." It's the poet in me, I suppose, that would insist on the harmony, above and beyond mere precision.


    Rock on, poet.:flowerforyou:

    I'm just a little in love with all three of you.
  • mank32
    mank32 Posts: 1,323 Member
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    no no no
    never never never
    u can b a *little* less bright than i (but that would still put u in the "bright" catagory to begin with)
    brains is no. 1, trumps EVERYTHING
    there is no body, no personality, no looks, no job, no talent that could possibly make up for lack of brains
  • GregLeatherman
    GregLeatherman Posts: 28
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    I test out very well:

    1) perfect score on ASVAB.

    2) 99.9 percentile on all my achievement tests.

    3) record ACT score at my my high school and my college.

    4) IQ over 145.

    So, here's the truth. Intelligence takes many forms. Some people test well academically, and other people are brilliant painters, dancers, or athletes. If you are a genius at playing piano, you may not test well in math.

    So, while the gist of your question may seem harmless, in all seriousness, love is not a contest. The dominant / submissive paradigm that this query plays into is an interesting part of our personal development, but it is not the final destination.

    I am blessed to be intelligent, but I have made it my goal in life to be well-rounded, to find some personal enlightenment, and to learn how to love. Even for a smart guy like me, the last one took thirty years . . .
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I test out very well:

    1) perfect score on ASVAB.

    2) 99.9 percentile on all my achievement tests.

    3) record ACT score at my my high school and my college.

    4) IQ over 145.

    So, here's the truth. Intelligence takes many forms. Some people test well academically, and other people are brilliant painters, dancers, or athletes. If you are a genius at playing piano, you may not test well in math.

    So, while the gist of your question may seem harmless, in all seriousness, love is not a contest. The dominant / submissive paradigm that this query plays into is an interesting part of our personal development, but it is not the final destination.

    I am blessed to be intelligent, but I have made it my goal in life to be well-rounded, to find some personal enlightenment, and to learn how to love. Even for a smart guy like me, the last one took thirty years . . .

    For me, it's about a person's ability to use critical thinking, hold a relatively intelligent conversation on a variety of subjects, self-awareness and an ABILITY to learn more than having already done so. After all, we're always learning something new, no matter how smart we are in general.

    But I have met people who just simply can't process knowledge and I could not be romantically involved with someone like that.

    As it is, I am terrible at math but a genius at writing/editing. My BF hates to read. Well, books, anyway. Joyce Carroll Oates' husband has never read a word she's written.

    I don't think one person being good at one thing and the other at another thing is the line. I think it's general. Like I said, I don't equate intelligence with education. They aren't the same thing.
  • GregLeatherman
    GregLeatherman Posts: 28
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    Great detail about Joyce Carol Oates' husband. I can see how that is a good idea sometimes. Intimacy invites such comfort, but not all artists want to be critiqued by their loved ones . . .
  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,862 Member
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    If we're all so freakin' intelligent, why are we on the MFP chit-chat Fun and Games message board instead of having deep discussions on the talk pages of Wikipedia?

    People give credit to those with high IQ's but not good looks. Both are just genetic traits.

    And finally, if intelligence was that hot, people would be hooking up at all night code-a-thons instead of bars.
  • kellijauch
    kellijauch Posts: 379 Member
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    I have before, and it didn't work out. Your mate should be on a relatively equal level, give or take a bit, of course, but somewhere close. If not, you are probably not going to be mentally and emotionally satisfied in your relationship.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
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    jessica-simpson-dancing.gif

    ^ This.
  • hauntao
    hauntao Posts: 130 Member
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    Nope. How frustrating.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,565 Member
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    My DW has more degrees and college hours than I do. So I'm the less intelligent one.:laugh:

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • imchicbad
    imchicbad Posts: 1,650 Member
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    jessica-simpson-dancing.gif

    ^ This.

    .... She's very pretty, no doubt. But half the time she doesn't know if she's eating chicken or fish. I would find that highly annoying. Looks only go so far. I need brain stimulation. All the rest is easy after that. I could not date an air-head or a deer in head lights. I don't care what the look like or how much money they make.
  • ironmonkeystyle
    ironmonkeystyle Posts: 834 Member
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    to answer OP's question: nope.
  • blackcloud13
    blackcloud13 Posts: 654 Member
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    I've never tried it before - but I actually think I could. Intelligence is great; but there are so many other qualities that can make up for it. I reckon common interests and a heart of gold can beat a high IQ. And yes, ok - being hot might help too!
  • Rhonnie
    Rhonnie Posts: 506 Member
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    There are so many ways intelligence, or lack thereof, manifests itself. I wouldn't date someone who was a loud mouth idiot that argues with everyone because they think they are always right, but if there is a nice decent person who is always striving to learn, even if it doesn't come easy to them, then I wouldn't not date them just because they weren't as 'intelligent' as me. That being said, I need to be able to have stimulating conversations with them at least.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
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    In my case... beggars can't be chooser and my major was Liberal Arts so... :|

    Glad, I'm going back to school for Accounting and meeting more interesting people.
  • StarChanger
    StarChanger Posts: 605 Member
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    I married a cheerleader..... Nuff said.

    And I married a jock.... :)


    As an aside, the grammar Nazis are absolutely cracking me up and I'm in love with all 3 of you also! :-)
  • Silver_Star
    Silver_Star Posts: 1,351 Member
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    Less intelligent than I am?...He would have to be happy to be with me first :smile: :heart:
  • Sharon009
    Sharon009 Posts: 327 Member
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    What do you consider intelligent? I consider common sense/street smarts and being humble far more valuable. I dated a professor who graduated with a PHd from Duke, he was such an elitist that it made him seem stupid. Then I dated a mechanic who 'thought' he was smarter than everyone, ( he was intelligent) but was the biggest loser I ever dated. So there you have it.

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