If you could only have one, which would it be, intelligence or common sense?

Sgt Joe LaBranche — Tue, 10 May 2016 18:34:23 -0400

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 10 at 2016 6:36 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 May 2016 18:36:00 -0400

I am a dufus. lol

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 10 at 2016 6:37 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 May 2016 18:37:01 -0400

You can have all the "book" knowledge in the world. If you don't have a lick of common sense what good are you??

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 10 at 2016 6:37 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 May 2016 18:37:53 -0400

Sgt Joe LaBranche I will go with 50% of each. I think you need both to be a well rounded individual.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made May 10 at 2016 6:38 PM

Capt Seid Waddell — Tue, 10 May 2016 18:38:44 -0400

Common sense. I have known too many intelligent people that were useless.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 10 at 2016 6:39 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 May 2016 18:39:36 -0400

What kind of intelligence?

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 10 at 2016 6:40 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 May 2016 18:40:22 -0400

I would take the common sense. Common sense is too rare a creature that not everyone has it.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made May 10 at 2016 6:43 PM

Capt Seid Waddell — Tue, 10 May 2016 18:43:07 -0400

Stupidity is everywhere...

Response by SSgt Trevor Smith made May 10 at 2016 6:44 PM

SSgt Trevor Smith — Tue, 10 May 2016 18:44:08 -0400

I have to go common sense here. Though intelligence helps... I worked with a lot of comm geeks who were all a little weird but great guys, and frankly geniuses in their field in my opinion. But when it came to common sense there was a slight shortfall. Take a catastrophic failure of some kind of mission critical technology, bam on the job and spouting out tech talk in some
Elusive gibberish. But throw out something well, common sense and watch the room of blank stares.

Response by CPT Joseph K Murdock made May 10 at 2016 6:54 PM

CPT Joseph K Murdock — Tue, 10 May 2016 18:54:57 -0400

I would prefer intelligence for the chance I experience dementia. It's a natural progression lol.

Response by SSgt Dan Montague made May 10 at 2016 7:09 PM

SSgt Dan Montague — Tue, 10 May 2016 19:09:59 -0400

comin sinse. I dont have smarts. But I sure as hell can figure my way out of a jam.
Had several Marines that were smart as a whip. But so many times I just gave them that minion look like "WTH" are you trying to do?

Response by PO1 Brian Austin made May 10 at 2016 7:56 PM

PO1 Brian Austin — Tue, 10 May 2016 19:56:17 -0400

Common sense over intelligence any day. I've known many book smart people that were totally clueless about common sense things.

Response by MSgt John McGowan made May 10 at 2016 7:57 PM

MSgt John McGowan — Tue, 10 May 2016 19:57:14 -0400

Sgt. There are times when I display both. But most of the time it's just me. And when I display both I usually open mouth, insert foot.

Response by MSgt Steven Holt, NRP, CCEMT-P made May 10 at 2016 8:02 PM

MSgt Steven Holt, NRP, CCEMT-P — Tue, 10 May 2016 20:02:41 -0400

I'll take Common Sense any day! I've met to many supposed "smart" people who had all the knowledge in the World but didn't know how to apply it.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 10 at 2016 8:31 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 May 2016 20:31:30 -0400

Since my academics have repeatadly shown me I lack intelligence, I will vote for common sense (if nothing else, to make me feel better).

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made May 10 at 2016 8:58 PM

CSM Charles Hayden — Tue, 10 May 2016 20:58:19 -0400

Sgt Joe LaBranche "Half the people are below average" is no longer a true statement. I do not understand the math, but I believe the % number for "people below average" s/b about 70% of the population.

Response by Cpl John Mathews made May 10 at 2016 9:22 PM

Cpl John Mathews — Tue, 10 May 2016 21:22:16 -0400

I guess I would prefer that when in the field common sense ruled, but in the rear intelligence took over. I think I would do a better job of covering my buddies' butts in the field if I used commn sense.

Response by CPL Ricky Vasquez made May 10 at 2016 9:42 PM

CPL Ricky Vasquez — Tue, 10 May 2016 21:42:37 -0400

neither...

Response by Capt Michael Greene made May 10 at 2016 10:04 PM

Capt Michael Greene — Tue, 10 May 2016 22:04:22 -0400

Intelligence, IQ, is certainly not the key to success, although it helps. At least it's measurable and well defined. Common Sense, well...that's a poorly defined term. My common sense may not match yours. I'll agree with Albert Einstein: "Common sense is the collection of prejudices accumulated by age 18."
Can I have a third option? Emotional intelligence--the ability to get along with people--THAT is probably the most important key to success.

Response by A1C Lisa Casserly made May 10 at 2016 10:44 PM

A1C Lisa Casserly — Tue, 10 May 2016 22:44:45 -0400

Oh. Good question. I'm very pleased that I was given a good brain... Its the best toy I was ever given. But common sense is a wonderful thing, too. The two can go hand in hand... But then, I have witnessed some truly stupid things. Like... was it fall before last? That young man who was enlisted, and tried to get onto the Army Base in his Halloween costume, which was of a suicide bomber... couldn't understand why he got jacked up trying to get thru the gate. All I can say is... WTF. And, I am so eternally glad I wasn't his supervisor.

Response by SSG Dennis Grossmann made May 11 at 2016 5:52 AM

SSG Dennis Grossmann — Wed, 11 May 2016 05:52:42 -0400

Common Sense, I know many people who have pieces of paper proving that they are smart, but can't figure out how to change a tire. Look at all the lawyers in Congress, they seem to come up with the dumbest Sh##. People who can't decide which bathroom to use, and the intelligent (achem) people who support them.

Response by SSG Dennis Grossmann made May 11 at 2016 6:07 AM

SSG Dennis Grossmann — Wed, 11 May 2016 06:07:41 -0400

If you want to go by IQ then I'm pretty high up there. Grade wise in College.... It seems that doing your studies at the VFW isn't the smartest thing to do, but I had a 3.4 average, but I'm more likely to use common sense.
There is a fine line between genius and madness..... I crossed that line back in '09.

Response by PO3 David Fries made May 11 at 2016 6:15 AM

PO3 David Fries — Wed, 11 May 2016 06:15:11 -0400

Common sense, every day of the week.

Response by CPT Alexander Grant made May 11 at 2016 1:43 PM

CPT Alexander Grant — Wed, 11 May 2016 13:43:36 -0400

I guess common sense?
Unfortunately, it's hard these days to separate true common sense from the "common sense" term that people use to defend their personal beliefs