Americans dream of being 'richer' above all else

(Harris Interactive)

On August 26, the results of an Adweek Media/Harris Poll were announced that found that, when given one wish, Americans would choose to be richer over the options of smarter, younger, and thinner.

The online poll questioned 2,163 Americans aged 18 and up July 27-29 with Harris Interactive, a leading global market research firm. The question was: "Given a choice of the following, which would you most want to be?"

The results showed 44 percent would "choose to be" richer opposed to 14 percent that wanted to be smarter, 21 percent thinner, 12 percent younger and 9 percent none of these.  

The poll also revealed that men have more desire to be younger than women do, and age tipped young families to select "richer" while those 55 and older selected "younger" in greater numbers.

Harris Interactive noted, "Although just 14% of both men and women say they would choose to be smarter, that's the only characteristic they agree on. More men say that they would choose to be richer (46%, compared to 41% of women), while 29% of women say that they would most want to be thinner, compared to just 14% of men who say the same. And while women may have the stereotype of lying about their age, 16% of men say they would most want to be younger, compared to just 8% of women who say the same."

Frank James, a journalist for National Public Radio (NPR), a nonprofit membership US-based media organization, weighed in on the study in NPR's blog, "I think I'd vote to be smarter, assuming it was the kind of intelligence that provided a more profound understanding of how the world works. I'm a journalist at NPR, after all, what would you expect?"

James is also soliciting readers to see if those commenting follow the lead and choose "smarter." If you want to have your say, go to:  http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/08/26/129453999/americans-would-rather-be-richer-than-smarter-thinner-younger?