Intellectualism or Athleticism?

[Traditional Guy]

What do you think is more important or noble, the exercise of the mind or the exercise of the body?

(No just pick one don't say both.)

[Pilgrim]

Exercise of the mind.  However, I'm a history teacher, so I'm biased...  :)

[Phillipus Iacobus]

A healthy mind is a must.

[Scriptorium]

The mind, of course. But the body supports the mind, so a good healthy body aids the spiritual life greatly.

[Grasshopper]

The mind, of course. But the body supports the mind, so a good healthy body aids the spiritual life greatly.

This. A lot of top-level chess players make a point of getting regular physical exercise. The mind cannot do its best work in an unhealthy body.

[Traditional Guy]

Exercise of the mind.  However, I'm a history teacher, so I'm biased...  :)

Think about this though. In any sort of physical activity the boy who trains with iron will beat the stay-at-home intellectual.

[per_passionem_eius]

Exercise of the mind.  However, I'm a history teacher, so I'm biased...  :)

Ditto. Except the bias: mine is that I'm Catholic!

[Pilgrim]

Exercise of the mind.  However, I'm a history teacher, so I'm biased...  :)

Think about this though. In any sort of physical activity the boy who trains with iron will beat the stay-at-home intellectual.

Which is why I fence on the weekends...  :grin:

[Arun]

rather than be an intellectual and know many things, I would prefer to have wisdom and understand fully the few things I do know.

Athleticism (in terms of fitness, agility, and general good health) would, to me as a working class layman, be more important.

it's subjective, of course - highly so.

[INPEFESS]

Some of the early Greek philosophers thought that perfection was to be sought in both. If you approach it from this angle, I would agree, but from a purely Christian angle, I would say that health of the mind reigns supreme. Some of the greatest saints weren't the most physically well-off, especially when they lived only on the Holy Eucharist and were bed-ridden. They spent their time serving their neighbor and maintained their needs only insofar as it was necessary to maintain the needs of others.