A "No-brainer"

topic posted Fri, April 18, 2008 - 4:05 PM by  Poontangle♂♥♀
Ok, you hook up with a total "Babe", gorgeous from head to toe, BUT you suddenly discover she has what appears to be an 8th-grade education - can't spell, and hardly convincing she hasn't been raised in a single room by a TV set. I am not talking about the difference between sounding "schooled" vs good "horse-sense". I mean someone with neither. Is that a spoiler for you even if she's pretty and sexually enthusiastic?

Do you relegate her to "sex object" or do you take her seriously? How much of a prob can this be for you?
posted by:
Poontangle♂♥♀
Hawaii
  • Re: A "No-brainer"

    Fri, April 18, 2008 - 6:30 PM
    Sounds like a sex object to me, perhaps a single helping though depending on looks, enthusiasm and kinks perhaps an occassionaly playmate, definitely not someone Id want to spend any time with outside of the sheets, no way I could take her seriously.
  • Re: A "No-brainer"

    Fri, April 18, 2008 - 11:41 PM
    I wouldn't necessarily call her a sex "object" but from the way you put it, she is most definitely someone for "fun" and not for anything further...
    have fun... if that's what you are looking for... and if not, have fun in the mean time!!!
  • Re: A "No-brainer"

    Sat, April 19, 2008 - 12:29 AM
    Stupid is as stupid does.

    Women with high test scores seem like nothing very special to me anymore. Many of them will still make you wait an hour for them to finish messing around in the bathroom, causing you to be late to your planned event. And that is the tip of the f***ing iceberg. In my experience, they're not appreciably less likely to hit a man, waste his money, alienate his friends and family or otherwise fuck shit up.

    If you found someone who doesn't share some of your mental advantages, that, in itself, may seem rather unfortunate.

    BUT... does she have a natural curiosity about things? Is she interested about understanding more about the world, at least in principle?
    Does she recognize the intellectual gap that appears to exist between the two of you and demand respect while also giving respect? Is she committed to living responsibly by making the best possible decisions and by following them through?

    There are MANY aspects of personality that can influence or determine a person's ability to live a fulfilling life and to make a good life partner. What is usually called 'intelligence' is only one facet you need to take into account.

    It's not what she's got, but what she can do with it.

    Considering everything, has she demonstrated a basic ability to keep her shit together?

    A lot of 'smart' people can't even do that.

    Just something to think about, eh?
  • Re: A "No-brainer"

    Sat, April 19, 2008 - 6:03 PM
    "Is that a spoiler for you even if she's pretty and sexually enthusiastic?"

    No.

    "Do you relegate her to "sex object" or do you take her seriously?"

    I take all my sex objects seriously.

    ~ Kole
    • Re: A "No-brainer"

      Sun, April 27, 2008 - 12:28 PM
      "Do you relegate her to "sex object" or do you take her seriously?"

      "I take all my sex objects seriously."

      - - - ->
      I feel the same way. Well - I don't know if it's exactly the same, but it's maybe similar.
      If I'm having sex with someone, I want to be able to invest time and energy in that person, and I want to feel a fairly high
      degree of integration with them, not just physically, but emotionally (psychosexual? Is that a word?), or maybe even spiritually, perhaps.
      Even if you both acknowledge that the relationship is mainly about the sex, there can still be fairly deep rapport and empathy and positive regard and stuff that make it more than it might appear on the surface.
      • Re: A "No-brainer"

        Sun, April 27, 2008 - 1:42 PM
        Psychosexual is indeed a word but it might not be the one you're looking for. It tends to more describe the psychology of sexual behavior than a sexual bond that is deeply psychological: dictionary.reference.com/brows...exual. It could, however, be used to encompass such a thing.
        It's also strongly associated with the works of Sigmund Freud.
  • I had a steady thing with a woman who'd pretty much fried her brain with crystal. And when I say "fried," I mean back to 5th or 6th grade intellectual development. She went to night school with people who were developmentally disabled, to learn things like basic arithmetic and reading. She was good people, seriously, and loved sex. I wasn't looking for a life partner, nor was she. I felt she had genuine desire and the intellectual capacity to make valid decisions about what she wanted to do, and that was sufficient for me to have no qualms about having sex with her.

    I'd have a problem with someone who simply lacked the curiosity and energy to learn about the world, no matter what they looked like.
    • >"She was good people, seriously, and loved sex. I wasn't looking for a life partner, nor was she. I felt she had genuine desire and the intellectual capacity to make valid decisions about what she wanted to do, and that was sufficient for me to have no qualms about having sex with her."

      ! Some really important points in there, Kim. Thanks
    • I could have a relationship that was basically just sexual, as long as we were working well as a team within that sphere.
      Sex can be a whole little universe to explore unto itself, if you want it to be.
      So, if we could share interest and excitement about that and relate well, that could be something significant and worthwhile.
      It's possible.
      But if we had nothing at all in common outside of the bedroom, then I guess you just try and be respectful about the situation and try not to create any illusions about it.
      • Unsu...
         
        Aren't there any women who are pretty *and* smart available to you? If the tables were turned, I wouldn't put up with a dumb guy no matter how hot he was. Maybe that sounds mean but I have to be with someone who can carry a conversation rather than just sitting and looking at me stupidly.
        • Well, if he just sits there like a bovine lump, that wouldn't be good.

          Uncommunicative would probably be a deal breaker.

          But there are plenty of smart people who are hapless assholes. And likewise, probably plenty of folks lacking in book-larnin' AND common sense who, theoretically, could still be affectionate, passionate, and nice people. And, as was said on the companion thread over at AASWA, if she's good in bed then she's probably imaginative, which is a type of intelligence. There are different types of intelligence, they say.

          It's more a question of chemistry (for lack of a better word) than having intellectual interests in common.

          I'd hesitate to call anybody dumb, since just surviving in this world takes some smarts. And it's probably just as incumbent on me to engage them and understand their worldview as it is for them to understand mine.
          • Of course, everyone seems to display *some* degree of native genius if they are interested in *you*.

            I remember working with a woman who was quite pretty, but who also could have been the poster child for bubbleheadedness, but then I wondered if in the back of my mind her most glaring act of ignorance was to fail to recognize my sterling qualities.
  • Re: A "No-brainer"

    Mon, April 21, 2008 - 9:48 AM
    Beauty and Brains are a BIG Turn on…
    To me the comb Means Sexy…
    • Re: A "No-brainer"

      Sun, April 27, 2008 - 9:52 AM
      I would like to believe that if a woman was honest, good-hearted, and devoted to me, and if we were physically attracted to each other, that I could give it a go even if she were somewhat stupid.

      But I rather doubt it. Once we're old and our genitalia useless, once we're on fixed incomes and stuck in mismatched rocking chairs huddled over a space heater, if we do not have a mental connection--if we cannot have intelligent conversations together--all we'll have is Walker: Texas Ranger reruns to depress us to death.

      A woman with physical flaws, real or imagined, can bleach teeth and facial hair; get partials, fillings, and visible or invisible braces; surgically reduce, enlarge, lift, firm, tuck and smooth the flesh; use contacts or improve eyesight through lasik surgery; get manicures and pedicures; change hairstayles, hair length, and hair colour; artfully apply makeup; improve hearing with electronic aids; take medications which address acne, diseases and mental illness; take dance or elocution or speaking or cooking lessons; and see a shrink or life coach or fitness trainer.

      But ya' can't fix stupid.
      • Re: A "No-brainer"

        Sun, April 27, 2008 - 10:22 AM
        Quite a list there, Black Angus! Maybe I'm "stupid", but why not add that someone can go to school, take classes, and challenge themselves intellectually to improve themselves?
        • Re: A "No-brainer"

          Sun, April 27, 2008 - 10:25 AM


          am i missing something here?

          "...I would like to believe that if a woman was honest, good-hearted, and devoted to me, and if we were physically attracted to each other, that I could give it a go even if she were somewhat stupid..." ~ black angus

          how can she be stupid if she is honest goodhearted and devoted to you?

          • Re: A "No-brainer"

            Sun, April 27, 2008 - 12:06 PM
            Uneducated, unschooled, ignoranrant, uniformed--this I can handle. I don't have a superiority complex--I expect my mate to learn from me, and I expect to learn from her. I'll teach her chess; she can teach me gardening; I can teach her to drive a stick, she can teach me taxidermy, or whatever. That's no biggie.

            There is a difference between stupid and ignorant, and I was referring to stupid /dense/ willfully uniformed, because that was how I interpreted the original poster's quesion.

            Did I come off as an ass?
          • Arrow and aur-E-lia

            Sun, April 27, 2008 - 1:48 PM
            School cannot fix stupidity. School can fix ignorance but if you haven't the ability to process and retain the information it will do no good.

            Honest, good hearted, and devoted also have nothing to do with stupid. I know plenty of folks with an IQ under 70 who are honest, good hearted, and devoted people. No matter h ow emotionally brilliant they may be they are intellectually simple and always will be. They are good people, but they do fall into most folks' definition of "stupid." I could not date them. I can love them and cherish them, but I could not date them. It's not fair, but my libido can't be talked into doing what it doesn't want to do.
            • Re: Arrow and aur-E-lia

              Sun, April 27, 2008 - 2:45 PM
              Point well taken. Clearly, despite reading the original post, I was still thinking more along the lines of ignorance, as opposed to someone who is mentally incapable of processing information (with an IQ of under 70, you're talking mild mental retardation at best.) .
              • Re: Arrow and aur-E-lia

                Sun, April 27, 2008 - 5:09 PM
                No problem. English is full of words that are vague and can have multiple meanings. You aren't wrong about the meaning of the word "stupid," it's just being used another of its definitions here.
                And yes, the individuals I spoke of suffered from mental retardation. My mother spent some years working at the Black Hills Workshop and doing care work for severely mentally and physically handicapped individuals. My best friend worked at the same place running janitorial crews with some of the higher functioning patients so they could have a job but work with somebody who understood their condition/s. Some of the folks Mum worked with are the best people you would ever meet. They are permanently stuck in the best parts of being a child: open awe and wonder, a strong sense of "fair," and effortless emotional openness to everybody. Some others, not so much, but my point is you can be intellectually dumb as a box of rocks and still be emotionally brilliant, kind, caring, etc.
              • Re: Arrow and aur-E-lia

                Sun, April 27, 2008 - 8:07 PM
                "Ignor-ance" can also indicate just plain laziness. And in some situations a person clearly values appearing to NOT be an intellectual even when they have a high aptitude. In that case, they "dumb-down" not because a certain sex plays into it, but because THEY play into what they perceive are their peers' values. Adopting Pigin-English or Ebonics to blend with "locals" is a good example. But I totally subscribe to the "use it or lose it" principle. We could all probably benefit from returning to school to regain knowledge we once had, but didn't apply often enough.
      • Re: A "No-brainer"

        Sun, April 27, 2008 - 10:55 AM
        <<Once we're old and our genitalia useless, once we're on fixed incomes and stuck in mismatched rocking chairs huddled over a space heater, if we do not have a mental connection--if we cannot have intelligent conversations together--all we'll have is Walker: Texas Ranger reruns to depress us to death.>>

        This pretty much sums up my feelings. I've been in relationships that were an intellectual mismatch, and even though the people were devoted, I find that intellectual stimulation is a very important factor in relationships, to me. to some people, the idea of deep conversation about abstracts, ideas, and issues is *not* where they're at, so that isn't likely to be the most important part of a relationship; for me...looks ain't nothin'. Can you make my brain tingle? That's what does it for me.
  • Re: A "No-brainer"

    Sun, April 27, 2008 - 2:07 PM
    If she can't hold a conversation with me, the greatest accord I'll give her is 'fuck toy'. That's about it. Even then, I'm probably too picky to go there with her.
    • Re: A "No-brainer"

      Sun, April 27, 2008 - 5:40 PM
      What you have not said is if you are looking for someone to stimulate you mentally. Lacking intelligence does not necessarily mean embarrassing someone in public, it could also mean not having anything to contribute to the conversation... (And who has not opened their mouth and inserted their foot?) So are you looking for or happy with a simple person? Or are you more interested in the challenge and stimulation of the mind to match that of the body?

      (Great question by the way... I have wondered this often myself... Pulling out the popcorn bowl for the rest of the thread...)
      • Re: A "No-brainer"

        Sun, April 27, 2008 - 7:23 PM
        I had to rethink my comment about intellectual mismatch having nothing to do with a failed relationship. I am sure it added to the low-self-esteem that was a problem throughout it. Something I had to think about, because there were in fact many situations where her feeling like "the dumb one" sure as hell didn't help strengthen our bond.
  • Re: A "No-brainer"

    Sun, April 27, 2008 - 9:12 PM
    >Is that a spoiler for you even if she's pretty and sexually enthusiastic?

    Yes. A woman must be more than beauty and sexual proclivity. She must be sensible, intelligent, gracious, and have not only wisdom but the potential for great wisdom. One of the great enjoyments in a true relationship is the ability to talk about all subjects under the sun. Not being able to do so is an instant death knell to a relationship, or even the possibility of one. I'm reminded of that scene in "When Harry Met Sally" when Harry is talking about this woman he's been dating, "I asked her where she was when Kennedy was shot and she said, 'Ted Kennedy was shot?'" Ugh!

    >Do you relegate her to "sex object" or do you take her seriously?

    Actually, the first thing I do is look her in the eye to see if she's serious. Some women I've met think it's funny to pretend to be ditzy. But then I've met some real ones too. When the Berlin wall fell, the girl I was with started looking for Germany on a map of the USA!

    Nobody likes to be thought of as a sex object for any great length of time. In the long term, it's degrading.

    >How much of a prob can this be for you?

    I try not to let it become a problem. If there's an incompatibility, we try to work through it. That's what couples do. If either of us doesn't think it's going to work, then we say so, and if the relationship has to end then we do so on a civil note. That's the way it's supposed to be.
    • Re: A "No-brainer"

      Mon, April 28, 2008 - 6:49 AM
      When the Berlin wall fell, the girl I was with started looking for Germany on a map of the USA!
      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      oh my goodness. t e lawrence, i'm sorry you had to go through that.

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