Poll: Would you rather be very rich or very smart?

Smart is what makes you rich

I mean yeah but I meant how intelligence can open different doors to experience the world. You're more likely to enjoy science, politics, philosophy, discussing and debating people, arguably more social and empathetic... etc.

With money you'll sort of get bored of buying things at some point.

This article on the guardian says 50k: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2010/sep/06/earnings-pay-happiness-research

Why look at entry points? Why not lifetime median salary? Its a more reliable indicator of "average".

I mean yeah but I meant how intelligence can open different doors to experience the world. You're more likely to enjoy science, politics, philosophy, discussing and debating people, arguably more social and empathetic... etc.

With money you'll sort of get bored of buying things at some point.

Smart is what makes you rich

The OP said

(Original post by angelike1)Would you rather be in the top 10% most wealthy and average intelligence or...

top 10% most intelligence and average wealth (in the UK)?

Also, lets suppose your position in intelligence or wealth never changes throughout your life i.e. you cant use your smarts to make money or your money to be smart.



Did you miss that?

You've not met many multi-millionaires then

Yes, I did. Thank you very so much- that was already pointed out and discussed.
Did you miss that?

Then why are you tagging me over something that is contrary to the thread conditions as stated by the OP? You get to choose one or the other.

I'm both tbf

If you mean that many multi-millionaires inherit their wealth, think of the people they inherited from, they must have been smart. Bear in mind that when I say "smart" I don't mean textbook smart.

I would rather be able to afford to eat, travel, keep a roof over my head without worrying. Families are expensive as well.

Woohhoooo science, debates and politics.

I

Because I was looking at what it would equate to now.
It would have been better if you had included that in the OP.
I dont think top 10% equates to super rich or even rich.
You should have been 1%, but its your thread.


$75,000 is more akin to £60,000, which considering the survey was 2008 equated further to £79,000 now, so £40k is a bit meh.

Lottery winners aren't actually much happier than controls and not that much happier than paraplegics as you may expect: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1980-01001-001

And what are you going to do after you travel? You can't exactly spend every waking moment on a boat lol


Fair enough - I assumed The Guardian knew how to accuratly use a dollar to gbp converter.

But even so, the difference in happiness between $50,000 (avg US income) and $75,000 isn't as significant as you may think: https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/107/38/16489/F1.large.jpg

1978? Really?
Actually it can be all the difference if you have a family.

You talk about super rich and £40,000 or £50,000 is nowhere near it.

It's a very well regarded study, still cited today.

Fine it's not rich - the figures are still there - stop being pedantic.

Smart is what makes you rich

Or rather I am being realistic. the figures you set are very modest but you will find a big difference between being on 50 and 75k.

How? The 2008 study just said otherwise.

Btw I dont think the Guardian was wrong. I just checked the dollar-pound exchange rate in 2008 and $75k was closer to £40k which is roughly 50k today.