Do you believe intelligence is an important feature to have in your S.O?

Absolutely. I have never been more miserable than when I was much smarter than the guy I was dating. He couldn’t keep up and that pissed me off. Which makes me sound shallow or something, but it was annoying enough that I ended the relationship. I didn’t realize quite how idiotic he was until I started spending a ton of time with him, to be fair. :P

And he really was EXTRAORDINARILY stupid. Breathing and walking at the same time seemed like a chore for him. :P

Yes. Sorry but dumb is not attractive.

There’s book smarts and street smarts and then there is natural intelligence. Dumb as dirt might be hard to take, but there’s a lot to be said for humor and kindness.

Definitely. I’m not a genius, but I need someone at least as smart as I am.
I’d rather be taught than have to teach.

I appreciate a smart man. But a man who is too intelligent can be overwhelming sometimes. I once dated a guy who knew just about everything. He spent more time talking about the Periodic Table than about our relationship. Annoying.

As long as they’re not vastly more intelligent than I am, then yes I don’t want to feel inferior. I don’t mind slightly ditzy girls either as long as they’re not plain stupid.

I agree with @faye; intelligence isn’t as important as honesty, compassion and good humour.

Most definitely. I couldn’t be with someone who wasn’t significantly intelligent. People who talk like they’re in fifth grade, or type like they’re a 12 year old girl kind of just shuts me off. I don’t look down on people who aren’t that smart, I just wouldn’t consider dating them.

My wife is much smarter than I am, but I am much more intelligent. Does that make sense? Let me ask my wife…

Awesome…. hoping to get more comments from guys. xD lol.

I think fluther probably has a pretty high IQ compared to the total population, so my theory is smart people look for people who can keep up.

Yes :) My partner is a smart one, and this is a vital and attractive quality in my eyes. We are intelligent in different ways, so we have a lot to learn from one another.

I want someone about as intelligent as me. It’s a turn-off if someone is really far less intelligent than you are. Doesn’t have to be the same kind of intelligence though!

When I was dating, I always dated intelligent women.
When I met my wife, I was quite amazed at how smart she was. She is deaf, and has never heard a word spoken, yet she has learned to say words she has never heard, and learned to read lips. It is an amazing ability, and proof that she is much smarter than I am.
However, because I didn’t have this handicap, I was able to learn a lot more, and learn how to apply those things in different ways. My wife is constantly amazed at how I can think sideways, comparing unrelated things, and come up with elegant solutions.

I think there’s a certain level that you’re at and you tend to seek people on or around your level. People who are too far above your level are annoying, as are people too far below. I think we seek out people who are as smart or smarter than we are.

If you’re a 5, you might want a 6 or a 7. A 9 would be annoying as they would probably be talking about things that didn’t make sense to you like quantum physics. Ewwww quantum physics. You might accept a 4 or a 5, but a 2 wouldn’t get many things that you consider common knowledge or common sense. It makes sense to us to find people who we have something in common with and that includes level of intelligence.

@avvooooooo, nicely put. =D

Well, I believe that I’m not dumb as dirt.. so, I guess I’m fine.
Thanks for all the input ;) , it had really been bothering me since yesterday.

@curiouscat I have a friend. She had a boyfriend that another friend and I started calling “Rocks” because he was dumber than a box of rocks. He could never figure out why we were calling him that because he was too stupid to make the connection between the saying and the name. My friend wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box (still isn’t) but she is light years ahead of him. Best thing she ever did was dump dumbass pretty boy on his butt and move on. She has since sought guys that are more on her level and is much happier.

So… he was seeking someone smarter. But when you’re a 2, a 3 seems smart. And a 5 seems freakin’ brilliant. Its all relative. :)

Intelligence is usually mandatory for me. Although there are some other virtues that can mitigate the lack of that, if one is low on that.

I wouldn’t be able to stay in an intimate relationship with someone much less intelligent than myself, especially if that someone was a male. Most of the guys I’ve come across throughout my life tend to hate or condescend towards me when I’m more intelligent (even if only book smarts) than them. It can make relationships with professors difficult, to say the least. (NOT intimate relationships, just, you know, grading papers and what not.)

If/when I get into a relationship with someone, they need to be either wise and kind or intelligent and humorous. Or all four, that would be grand.

In my entire lifetime, I’ve only dated women who were dumb as dirt or street smart. Not because I wanted to, but because I didn’t have much choice. I’ve always thought it would be great if, just once, I could date someone smarter than me (in the traditional, booky-academic way).

I now fear that I will marry the first book smart woman I come across, because she is such a rare creature (for me, at least).

I think if you have similar interests you will probably be similar in intelligence.

Like if his only interest is collecting baseball cards, he may be a genius but what are you going to talk about?

So I want someone of similar intelligence who has similar interests.

Lucky I found my mate on the internet!

Only, like, the most.

If she were intelligent she wouldn’t have chosen me as a SO.

Yes.

Yes.

Generally speaking, I would say that intelligence is a trait women seek more than it is a trait men seek. This goes back to the “old days” and with men being the breadwinner, and so a female may still have those instincts to go for the kind of male that can provide for her best while she develops the family/has children. Even today, despite the fact that most women can put their careers on hold while they have families, in the majority of cases (although this is becoming less and less uncommon) the male is the provider. Going back to the stone age instincts of man, he will usually seek out the most attractive female he can mate with while the female seeks out the man whom she feels can best look after her and her family. Intelligence as a trait goes a long way towards this. How many rich and intelligent guys do you see with a dumb trophy bird on their arm? Lots of them.

Intelligence is highly attractive to me. A person I deem of average intelligence isn’t unattractive either but one who is arrogant or lazy in personality and relies on their looks to be compelling is a quick turnoff. Even more attractive than intelligence alone is the person who can apply themselves, the one who can walk their talk- that’s the go getter that I can’t help but like.

The most important.

depends largely on their attitude…it takes brains to be funny and interesting which is very attractive but know it alls are fucking intolerable