Strength vs. Intelligiance - Writers Forum

Lusastrium · 04-13-2005, 01:41 AM

I was wondering: Would it be better to be fairly strong with an above average intelligiance, or would it be better to be extremely intelligent but be very frail?

Succubus · 04-13-2005, 01:43 AM

Fairly strong with above average intelligence - definitely.

If you were on a desert island and you had brilliant scheme to make something that would see your escape, how could you make it if you're frail? You'd be screwed.

Hodge · 04-13-2005, 01:44 AM

The former is better for getting a job and living life, but the latter has much more potential in terms of actually doing something worthwhile for the world.

gohn67 · 04-13-2005, 01:48 AM

I'd pick the first one, easily. Now if you changed that to really strong but way below average intelligence then I don't know.

I wouldnt want to be too smart though, I'd probably kill myself becuase I would see how bad the world really is.

But see if I were dumb, I would be content, I wouldnt know better. Its like that book Flowers For Algernon, which they sadly made into a made for TV movie a while back.

Hodge · 04-13-2005, 01:51 AM

Quote:

I wouldnt want to be too smart though, I'd probably kill myself becuase I would see how bad the world really is.

Welcome to my world. Still, I wouldn't give up my intelligence for all the blissful ignorance in the world. At least I can potentially do something about it...

In a more primitive culture it would definitely be more advantageous to be physically fit than intelligent. In our society, though, smarts can do a lot. But you also have to be attractive looking to be successful, so the first option would probably still be better.

Lusastrium · 04-13-2005, 01:53 AM

So you go with the statement "igorance is bliss." However, many people who live in ignorance lead extremely terrible lives, like many countries in Africa overrun with the AIDS virus, they have no idea why this disease is killing them, yet it kills them.

Why would you want to kill yourself if you were smart? Would you want to make things better?

gohn67 · 04-13-2005, 01:59 AM

Quote:

Why would you want to kill yourself if you were smart? Would you want to make things better?

Well, I figure, even if I were really smart, I would have to spend probably a great part of my life studying to find ways to make life better. And there is a great chance that I will never be able to do that despite being smart.

I guess its about how I think about life. Its selfish, but I figure I should enjoy it. Becuase no matter what I do, once I die its all over, and wahtever accomplishments I worked to achieve are void.

No matter what people do to make life better, something new always comes along to make it worse.

Lusastrium · 04-13-2005, 02:02 AM

Do you believe that a person can gain immortality through their deeds of words? That could be a way in which a person could live on, even after their death, because even though the bones of Shakespeare are dust, we remember his life because he told us something about human nature.

gohn67 · 04-13-2005, 02:07 AM

Its true that we remember him, and read his works etc, but he is not here to experience it. He can't experience how people feel about his work, but no doubt he has affected people after death with his words.

I'm sorry I'm terrible at Debating. I can never get my words right.

Lusastrium · 04-13-2005, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gohn67

Its true that we remember him, and read his works etc, but he is not here to experience it. He can't experience how people feel about his work, but no doubt he has affected people after death with his words.

I'm sorry I'm terrible at Debating. I can never get my words right.

It's ok

But, is it not so that when a person writes, he implants part of his soul into the writing, sometimes even inadvertenly. That little part of the soul sometimes enlarges, and becomes something greater, perhaps even engulfing the writer's personality. The characters that a great author like Shakespeare write are aspects of the writer. They live on, in improvision and sadly 'sequels' and 'remakes' by the so-called Entertainment Industry but they never loose their original message.

savebykhabibulin · 04-13-2005, 03:29 AM

Intelligent and frail.

Succubus · 04-13-2005, 04:13 AM

I would much rather have an above normal intelligence and be strong of body because let's face it: Who would understand you if you were the smartest one around? Also, having average intellect means you can grasp and learn new ideas and form better understanding, but it just might take longer than an intellectual savant.

Lusastrium · 04-13-2005, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by savebykhabibulin

Intelligent and frail.

Why?

Pawn · 04-13-2005, 10:57 AM

"The more I know, the less I know."

- Plato

Lusastrium · 04-13-2005, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pawn

"The more I know, the less I know."

- Plato

I know that Plato was one of the three ultimate heroes of philosphy, but I think that the more a person understands about the world, the more a person realizes that what they know is nothing in the larger scheme of things?