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RSS FeedWould you rather be born rich or intelligent?
Results so far:
| Intelligent | 82% | 538 votes | Total: 658 votes | |
| Rich | 18% | 120 votes |
Intelligent
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Add to FavoritesIntelligent people are the ones to remember because of their passion for knowledge and learning. Some of the most intelligent individuals of the twentieth century include Albert Einstein, Mohandas Gandhi and Winston Churchill. They made giant scientific, social and political leaps and their contributions to society have been much more valuable than money.
The ability to write good books comes from a sharp mind and creative personality. Take two examples, Stephen King and J.K. Rowling. These two authors have thrilled readers with their novels, and people continue to come back for more. It takes a keen sense to know what people are looking for in a book, and their stories are written with such amazing skill.
Being born into a wealthy family does have its perks. But, and I think you'll agree, money can be lost just as easily as it can be gained. Its value is never constant and the things you buy with it will lose value over time. Having fancy apartments and expensive cars is all well and good, but are people really going to remember you for that? After you die your money will most likely be passed on to somebody else, and who knows? That person could squander your fortune.
Having a conversation with an intelligent person is one of the most exciting and memorable experiences you could have. Discussing music, literature, films, cooking and history are the spice of life. Being intelligent keeps you mentally agile and being well informed has enormous benefits. People will want to talk you and find out what you're thinking, and you will seek out others for the same reason.
Intelligence in a sense is immortal when good people continue to use it in a positive way. Solving some of the world's big problems will take a great deal of intelligence and they won't go away just by throwing money at them.
I think if you are born into a rich family and have your life handed to you on a silver platter it's less likely you'll have any artistic or creative ambitions. While you are growing up you might be taught that money is the be all and end all of every situation.
Well, it isn't. It will buy an education and material goods but not common sense.
If you were the son or daughter of a wealthy family wouldn't you be a convenient target for kidnapping? Have you ever seen the film "Ransom" with Mel Gibson and Rene Russo? In it he played an airline tycoon who is married with a young boy. One day while they were in the park their son just disappeared. Gary Sinise played one of the kidnappers, who demanded a cash payment of two million dollars.
This movie was intense, and served as a chilling reminder of what can happen when you have lots of money.
Learn more about this author, Scott Hayden.
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Rich
Depending on how someone lives, I would say that being born rich gives an exponential amount of opportunity than being born intelligent. I'm not saying that you shouldn't be intelligent and depend on your money heavily, but being born with lots of money is a great start in life. Money is human resources, or societal resources, and to survive in a world where money is dominant and intelligence is a bliss, being born rich is way better.
Fact one is that if you are born rich, you can live a life of comfortability and security. Money is the base and topping of life, without it, you can't survive. If you have one million dollars with an intelligence of a high school drop out, chances are you'll survive longer than a person with one dollar, and an intelligence of a college graduate with a PHD. You see, the rich one could afford a home, food, security and basic human needs. He could also use that money to buy intelligence, so once he has his bases in life, he could drive for more intelligence, while knowing that he has the money to fall back on.
Now, being born with no money, but with lots of smarts is extremely risky. No one hires hobos nowadays, even if it is a smart hobo. You have the brains to live a good life, but money is the fuel, and you can't expect to move far with a little fuel. Also, having a lot of intelligence is not necessarily going to make your life happier. You could learn the terrible things of humans and the world, and how you know that you won't go anywhere far without money. It isn't bad to be intelligent though, but being the modern Einstein without the money is like being a soldier that is completely naked and without cover. Money gives you the basics in life and the luxuries in life, if you have none of that, how will you survive?
Of course its not ALL a bust, you could be born intelligent and still live a great life, it would be a lot harder though, and you'll be a lot more frustrated. Being born rich is much easier, just because everything is in your grasp, and with the money you are starting out with, you could possibly be as intelligent as the one born with no money, but a lot of brains, except have a lot of money too. Being born rich is a blessing and being born intelligent is a challenge, just as being born without mental disorders is a blessing as being born with mental retardation is a challenge. What would your choice be now? Mine would be to have no disorders, thank you.
Also, in this age of life, everything is being looked up to glamor, style, and MONEY. Sure you'll be able to solve Einsteins questions, but can you go anywhere in life? Probably, but again, it will be a huge challenge. You'll probably have dirty clothes, a shed, and eat Top Ramen for a long time, but you'll get there. As in a person who has lots of money, who could afford an education, home, food, and keep himself healthy, that is the easiest way to live life, and help other people too.
You could be born intelligent and teach other people, and give the gift of your intelligent, but will people believe you if you have no money? You could prove it to them but they will likely turn you down. On the other hand, the rich man could persuade an entire audience to shave their head, with the proof saying "I'm rich because I shaved my head, you could too". People need guidance, but they need proof of good guidance. Since everyone in the world wants more money than they have, they look upon examples such as Tom Cruz and Gwen Stefani on what they should do. Reason being why every boy wants to be in the army or why every girl wants to be a model is because it appeals to all of them the most, and the only way those appeals could fall through is with money, thus being born rich helps a whole bunch.
Being born rich is a blessing, as well as being born intelligent, but its harder. If you were given a one million dollar car with no gas, where will you go? Money is everything in this world, it is a necessary object. Being born with lots of money ensures your future while being born with smarts ensures a life of hardships and realizations.
Learn more about this author, Khoa Nguyen.
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