• Pepperette@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    A guy found a magic lamp and a Genie popped out and offered him infinite wisdom or infinite wealth. He asks for wisdom, the genie grants it and disappears in a puff of smoke. As the smoke clears the guys says “aw crap, I should have took the money”

  • DauntingFlamingo@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    Does anyone actually choose to be poor if being smart is the other option? Feels like you’d already have to not be very smart to get the choice wrong.

    • Lexam@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      Yes, but I would speculate most cases would involve those in a religious order or something similar.

      • DauntingFlamingo@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        Even for a religious person, being smart within their company is usually preferred. Priests and the like take great pride in their knowledge of faith and understanding of wisdom. They may take a vow of servitude and condemn themselves to poverty, but they do so with the apparent knowledge they will be rewarded for their sacrifice. That is playing the long game, which takes smarts. “Understanding God’s love” and the required knowledge to be a part of a faith, you know?

        People prefer to be smart over poor, when those are the only two options

    • XTL
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      1 year ago

      Drug and alcohol abusers tend to end up with just that double move.

  • lugal@lemmy.one
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    1 year ago

    When I was young, I was poor. But after decades of hard work, I’m not young anymore.

  • Andiloor@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    If I were to choose between having a positive quality or having a negative quality, I would have the positive quality

  • Ambiorickx@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    That makes sense, because then you are smart, and with hard work and dedication, you can become poor as well. But if you choose poverty, there’s no amount of hard work and dedication that will increase your intelligence.