Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion

Being smart hasn't gotten me as far as I'ld like to be ;) Being rich would be interesting, don't think i'ld want to be famous - no privacy. So I guess it's the money

Rich.
I'm already as smart as I want to be. Famous? No way. I hate it when family take photos of me, let alone seeing myself in magazines etc....

Sebastian wrote: "If you had 1 choice between being smart, famous and rich what would you choose?"

Seems the obvious choice is smart. If one is rich and stupid, one will probably be poor again soon. If one is famous and stupid, one will be caught doing a lot of dumb things in public.

Or, I could choose to be none of those as long as I am wise, loved and grateful.

I second Dwayne.
This is about equality. The richer you are, the more resources you have, which means the less others have.

Smart, as you'll then have the ability to work out how to cope with little money. Added to which, you'll have the intelligence to realise that fame for fame's sake isn't valuable at all.

Well put, lucy.

Ah but if you are rich, you can choose what to do with your money. it doesn't mean that you can't use it for the good of others.

I agree with Emma, too.

Rich please; then I can buy my farmhouse retreat and help frazzled people and horses :-)

Really don't want to be famous, hence the pseudonym.

Smart? Yeah, my experience is the more intelligent you are the more dissatisfied with the world you are. Blissful ignorance is much to be desired! ;-P

ooh, can I come and stay T.L.? Especially if its rehab for people chronically addicted to laptops.
I need saving.

I'd always go with smart. Being rich or famous doesn't help if you don't have the capacity to enjoy life when you aren't either of those things.

If you're smart, you can choose what to pursue in life, and have more successes than failures.

Does that mean if one becomes rich, let's say tomorrow for this purpose, one loses all intelligence they have?

If I were to start over from a younger age, it'd be a tough one. I'd probably go with smart. At my age? Being smarter wouldn't change a thing, so hand me the money! :P I'd be smart enough to know what to do with it.

Why? You givin' any of it away? And, besides, you forgot about good-lookin,' which I already am.

I'm in for the brain. At my age I'd like my life to be as less complicated as possible. Fame and money complicate things.
I can't say I'm poor though.
I've got an amazing wife of 44 years, two successfull children and three very smart grandchildren.
I've got eyes, legs, ears & a nose to observe, smell and listen to the beautiful autumn nature.
And most importantly - I have hands to write and share my stories. With you.

Smarts. To be specific - street-smarts. Never had it, always wanted it. In fact my father always said that I am my own worst enemy (a 'destroyer') and judging by the way I handled (screwed up) the marketing of Catharsis, I need smarts and grace more than ever!

Plus, one needs smarts to be thankful for all that one is blessed with and not take it for granted.

As for riches etc. - after living in poverty for years, I am fairly well-off. And you tend to get famous if you've lived in the same town generation after generation! (not Oprah-famous, but well, the grocer knows you, the book store knows you and the place you have your lunch once a month, knows you)