Taking Sides: Intelligence or Humour?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Who would you rather hang out with, someone who was clever but humourless, or someone funny but thick?

― Tom, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

All other things being, of course, equal.

― Tom, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm not sure you can have humour without intelligence, but I think you can be intelligent and very dull, so I'll take humour and the brain that comes with it.

― Madchen, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

funny = intelligent

― mark s, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I find it hard to believe someone could really be funny if they were "thick". Unless it was a physical sort of humor, and that's just sad. And, of course, being clever and dull is never a good thing.

I think I'd pass, make a lame excuse, and stay home.

― David Raposa, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Funny but thick. A lack of humor is a Very Bad Thing. Humorlessness gets very depressing after a while, no matter how intelligent or insightful things the clever person has to say.

― Nicole, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Hmm. A rethink needed maybe.

― Tom, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I've never met someone who I thought was funny who wasn't also intelligent.

― DG, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Neither have I, but since the question was posed as an either/or proposition...

― Nicole, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Funny = intelligent, yup. That's why Brian off Big Brother was intelligent even if he didn't know who landed on the moon.

Exception to above: mice.

― Nick, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

*Sound of Tom being beaten up*. Oh dear.

I agree with the consensus, of course. Stupid is not funny.

― Ally C, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

But Brian off Big Brother was really really unfunny.

OK, here's a different qn. Somebody intelligent who doesn't ever try to be funny and doesn't respond to humour, vs. somebody intelligent who isn't actually funny but thinks they are, but also will laugh at other people's jokes.

Not the snappiest of questions, maybe.

― Tom, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

OK, I suppose I meant "knowledge vs humour" originally.

― Tom, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Tom, that question makes me think of Commander Data in THE NEXT GENERATION.

― Kodanshi, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

that question = glenn macdonald vs mark s

i know who i choo-choo-choose, but i have ego issues (think james and the giant peach)

― mark s, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

that question = glenn macdonald vs mark s

Evilly funny. ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Truly intelligent FolxoR tend to know when they're funny and when they're not, but even if they don't, I'd rather hang around someone who fancies his own lousy jokes than someone who simply doesn't respond to humour. The first situation might be annoying (perhaps endearing if you're not easily irritated), while the latter would be unworkable.

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

ooh, Mitch in subliminal gender-humour discrimination shocker: his/her own jokes, that should read.

― Mitch Lastnamewtithheld, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

like, if there was a Rabbit of jokes, but he was too happy, and then the tartle arrived? I woudl say, laugh while you can, soon we shall all eat evaporated milk in place of our usual biscuit.

― Mike Hanle y, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'd rather hang out with dull people, they make me look good.

No, of course not! Just like everyone else I think funny = intelligent. Knowledge conversly could = dull.

― james, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Tartle! The seemingly slow female who ends up with the intelligent and funny guy??

― Lesley Higgins, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

correct Lesly

― Mike Hanle y, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Wait, I think this question can still exist in Tom's terms. You're choosing between:

Person A: Spectacularly intelligent, knows a great deal about various topics, can support very high-level, enlightening discussion, and is forever saying things that "really make you think" -- but rarely, if ever, leavens his Profound Observations with a joke.

Person B: Intelligent enough to be funny in a good way, quite possibly a gut-busting crack-up, a guy who always has something amusing or entertaining to say -- but rarely, if ever, drops the humor for a moment and engages in a serious, high-level discussion.

Obviously you want the combo, but what if it were either/or? I'd take Person A, I think. After a while, B starts to bother me, and I want to take him by the collars and shake him and scream, "Will you just be honest and say things you actually mean for just one second?" This opinion is influenced by knowing a few people who are always funny, in part because they have nothing worthwhile to say about serious issues.

― Nitsuh, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh dear. I fear I am Person B, except without the funniness.

― jamesmichaelward, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

is this a baromater of pessimism vs optimism? if i were on a desert island with some chance of escape, i would have to choose person A. if i knew there was no chance in hell, person B all the way.

― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

That is very one sided. Either intelligent or funny. Of course if you are deliberately funny, you usually are somewhat intelligent. Intelligent? It depends on how that shows in his behavior. You can know a lot about computers, maths and science.... Good for you, but I don't want to chat about chaos theory, thank you very much.

― Helen Fordsdale, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I am person B.5, not always funny, but nice enough.

― james, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I would go for Person C: knows both Persons A and B, and will sit in a pub and slag them both off with you.

― MJ Hibbett, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.