Do men like smart women?

[suprticklishgrl]

This is just something I'm curious about.

To the men:
Do most of you like women (either just friends or a female partner) who are smarter (intellectually, emotionally, socially, etc) than you? Or would you feel too intimidated and rather her look up to your intellectual abilities.

To the women:
Do you feel like you have to "tone it down" and sink down a level if he's not as intelligent as you are? Or would you rather pursue your own growth of knowledge to the best of your abilities and surpass him?


I'm really interested in what people have to say. I know we live in a world of double standards and stereotypes...but we all have our own preferences. I'm not sure why, but for me, I have this notion that I would be best "marrying up." How many others think the same way? Or differently?

 

[darkscar]

I dont mind a smart woman at all. infact it would be fun to be with a smarter woman that myself. she could teach me things i dint know at all. and help me with things that i may have trouble with, like math and help me correct my grammer and spelling errors. I am not to intemidated if a woman was smarter than me

 

[Butterfly wings]

I dont mind a smart woman at all. infact it would be fun to be with a smarter woman that myself. she could teach me things i dint know at all. and help me with things that i may have trouble with, like math and help me correct my grammer and spelling errors. I am not to intemidated if a woman was smarter than me

Same here. What darkscar said. And i know i'm not the smartest guy on the face of the earth. I don't act like it or claim to be. Since i'm un-perfect and mess up alot. So i wouldn't mind it at all. Some smartness is sexy i think. And Jennifer sure has the smarts. 🙂

 

[amk714]

To the men:
Do most of you like women (either just friends or a female partner) who are smarter (intellectually, emotionally, socially, etc) than you? Or would you feel too intimidated and rather her look up to your intellectual abilities.

I love smart women. The more intelligent she is, the more appealing I find her to be. I won't give her an IQ test, though. 😛

 

[german]

Yeah I think intelligent women are attractive but saying that I dont want one to but me to shame, but I dont want one listening to a cd saying "breath in breath out" if you know what I mean.

Kust

 

[Pokey]

Intelligence is important

I can't imagine being partnered with or being friends with someone that isn't at least as smart as I am but that isn't that much of a reach, lol. Joint intelligence levels,in any kind of relationship, makes the day much more interesting and rewarding. Just my opinion but I enjoy having to work to stay up with those I get to talk to or share the day with.

 

[Bound2Switch]

I want a woman who is smarter than I. It's so nice to be with someone who keeps you striving to become better educated and well-spoken. Not intimidating at all. 🙂

 

[kered]

I prefer smart women. They are more interesting and attractive to me.

 

[maniactickler]

I prefer an airhead. smart women tend to yap too much and analyze everything.

 

[Michael514]

I prefer talking to a smart woman, it brings a stimulating conversation and interesting poinys of view. Up until she thinks she is smarter than me and/or won't let me finish a answer to a question she asked. Then just like I do with a male that I'm having the same conversation with, I wait for the opperatunity to escape the conversation and go about my business.

 

[ticklingfeet4fu]

I would rather have an intelligent lady. It creates great conversation and invokes a greater quality of life if you know what I mean. 😉

 

[Red_Feather]

I like intelligent conversation, so I like smart women.

Although to be fair, anybody can have intelligent and interesting conversation. It's not like if you drop below a certain IQ score you lose the ability to speak. 🙂

 

[Illtcklu]

I like them smart, I like them dumb, I like them small, I like them tall. I like them round, I like them thin. I like them to be WHO they are! That's what turns me on the most. Not some act that I'm supposed to enjoy.
Could I love women any more?

 

[Avenger314]

I feel sorry for the first poor schmoe who says that he likes to feel superior to women. 😀.

ok, seriously.

The kind of intelligence I value most of all in a woman is emotional intelligence, aka common sense, aka problem solving skills, aka sense of perspective. I love feeling wanted, but I tend to get uncomfortable feeling needed... for every little thing. I also hate being the sole problem-solver. And don't call me a chauvinist, it's happened in the past, this isn't hypothetical ;-). So the more emotional intelligence the better, as long as it doesn't actually lead to the point of callousness.

Now, as for intelligence. Ok, I'll be the first poor schmoe. There's a certain primal, unholy (though minor) glee in having 5 more IQ points than a girl I date. Rather, there was.

Brief litany: I've dated a very bright girl (hated that relationship, in retrospect), a rather ditzy girl (hated that relationship, even before retrospect), a girl of average intelligence, (pretty good relationship), a brief relationship with a smart girl (had fun), and if all goes well, I've got a shot at dating an uber-bright girl (which I'm looking forward to). And, for the record, lord knows I'd love to date Telemain, who I consider to be quite a bit smarter than I am. ;-)

There's just so many different kinds of smart that it's hard to say who's 'smarter.' On the whole, I was smarter than the girl of average intelligence, I'd say. However, she knew things about nursing that I didn't.

It depends on how much people want to learn. The uber-bright girl is a business PhD like me, so we'll have a lot to talk about.

Ok, lots of rambling with no point. The long and short is, I think common interests and experience are more important than intelligence.

 

[AffectionateDan]

Smart is sexy

I'd much rather be with a gal who's my intellectual equal that have to spell everything out for her. SOMEBODY'S gotta laugh at my jokes, after all... 😉 🙄

 

[milagros317]

I like smart women, and if she's smarter than me, that's fine. 😀

 

[primetime]

smart women are great! but, my definition of "smart" is not only "book smart", but also "COMMON SENSE" smart. there are people that have one or the other. i prefer both. i am a rather analytical guy and like a woman who is the same. i remember this one friend of mine who was very smart and very analytical and overall just a great person. however, we never got together. it wasnt because of a lack of trying on my part. i just have crappy luck...

 

[Redmage]

To the men:
Do most of you like women (either just friends or a female partner) who are smarter (intellectually, emotionally, socially, etc) than you? Or would you feel too intimidated and rather her look up to your intellectual abilities.

If a woman isn't at least as intelligent as I am, she won't hold my interest for long. I joined Mensa for a reason! 😉

I've never been intimidated by a woman's intelligence. Actually I've met only a few people of either gender that I'm comfortably certain were smarter than I am (there's just no way to say that without sounding arrogant - I don't mean it that way), and I married one of them. I think smart women make better lovers, and better partners.

I'm not sure why, but for me, I have this notion that I would be best "marrying up." How many others think the same way? Or differently?

What do you mean by "marrying up?"

 

[Cav88]

Intelligence is definitly important. I don't want a banal airhead who only knows gossip, celebrities life and the latest fashion trends. I admit i'm weak with beauty, so I do fall for the beauty types who tend to be airheads.

 

[Knox The Hatter]

Oh, I LOVE intelligent women. Nothing more enjoyable than being with someone who can hold her own in any conversation, about any subject. There are men who are threatened by women who know more about football than they do...I grew up in a house where, what the women FORGOT about sports, other men will never know! I welcome and embrace this. Conversely, my eyes usually roll overhead, and my skin crawls, when I have to be around bimbos and airheads and clucking hens whose conversational parameters don't inch beyond wedding showers and baby showers and daytime television.

 

[unit5610]

A smart woman with a great sense of humor, plus Avenger's "common sense",
has great appeal. It's fun to be challenged intellectually and do the same thing back to your partner. A smart, confident, funny woman who's extremely ticklish....doesn't get better than that!

 

[Edge]

I don't want a female who is completely lost and has 0 brains but on the other hand I don't want a female who is Miss Intellect. Somewhere in between. Just like with looks I don't want someone who is horribly out of shape yet on the other hand I don't want or need some supermodel...somewhere in between.

 

[MrMacphisto]

I like smart women.... in fact, I prefer them....

 

[Italian_Touch]

I get your point suprticklishgrl but I kind of don't like the perspective of the question.

Smartness, intelligence and commitment (as an attitude) are a major turn on for me in many senses. A conversation will not last long if I do not have a high esteem of the person in front of me... not to mention thinking about something more personal.
I assume that it is the same for the other party but I do not like competition (which it is implied in the way you formulated the question). Actually, I hate when conversations or attitudes turn fall into the "look how smartER I am" dynamics and I try to cut it off as soon as I can, but I do like challenging conversations.
Also, dealing with a smart girl pushes me to get the best out of myself, and it feels good.

 

[Redmage]

I wonder, is any man likely to admit on a public forum that he DOESN'T like an intelligent partner?