Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
That was fun. My favorite part is how on this thread now, people here are too conservative, but on that older thread we are too liberal. Sheesh. When I read this forum, I can't even tell which political party I'm supposed to be blindly following; that's no help!
"The people really aren't smarter here than other parts of the country. Just more ambitious/aggressive. And there's enormous pressure to conform."
The education levels in northern Virginia are among the highest in the country. To the extent that intelligence correlates with college and post-graduate degrees from selective universities (and they do, to a large extent) many people in the area ARE actually smarter than those who live elsewhere. Not necessarily better (or worse), but definitely smarter.
Yes, many people here have degrees from selective universities, but that does not make them intelligent. Just degreed. How they use their education is an entirely different matter. Some have virtually no survival skills whatsoever outside of this region.
Many highly educated and highly intelligent people have chosen to stay away from this region. The crime, traffic, and cost of homes here are not attractive qualities. The DC/northern VA region does not have a monopoly on education/intelligence.
Here's something I've always wondered, though. I'm not trying to chase people out, I just want to know why people would want to live here if they aren't happy here?
Why move here if you've already decided isn't the sort of place you'd like to live? If you live here and you don't like it, why not move to a place you'll like better? Life is too short to live in a place you can't stand.
I can understand some circumstances. Soldiers have no choice, they move where the military tells them. Children have to move with their families. People with 20+ years with a corporation are going to stay with a company even if they're transferred to a city they don't like.
But young people who are just starting out are free to go any place they like.
I know times are tough and people have scared themselves into believing they'll never find a job in another city. IMO, that's bull. People all over this country find ways to support themselves. I'm not trying to be insensitive, but IMO some of you are scaring yourselves needlessly. Believe me, I've lived through hard times myself. I've been unemployed and hungry and scared at times. One time I even lived in my car for a few days. During a previous recession I learned how to start a business because I had no other choice. I've tried a few new careers that failed, and watched some of my businesses fail. But I survived. There's always something new you can do.
But that never stopped me from moving to new places. Sometimes, and for all sorts of reasons, life is better somewhere else.
IMO, you can move anywhere in this country and find a way to support yourself. So why feel you need to live here if you really don't like it? Life is too short to live in a place that makes you unhappy.
I have met many natives of northern Virginia. Most are very genuine, unpretentious people. It is always interesting to hear the stories of what things and places were like decades ago. Even your stories are charming, car54!
I feel a bit of sadness about how much this area has changed. There are still some good things here. The crowded conditions and the general lack of kindness feel very smothering at times. When I do encounter a genuinely thoughtful person, it's always a surprise. I feel a little guilty for wondering: "what does he/she want from me?" I used to not be so suspicious of people.
Yes, many people here have degrees from selective universities, but that does not make them intelligent. Just degreed. How they use their education is an entirely different matter. Some have virtually no survival skills whatsoever outside of this region.
What are some of these? I'm having trouble coming up with any skill that would be needed to survive in say Chicago or Denver or Seattle that a highly educated long-time DC area resident wouldn't have.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fern435
Many highly educated and highly intelligent people have chosen to stay away from this region. The crime, traffic, and cost of homes here are not attractive qualities. The DC/northern VA region does not have a monopoly on education/intelligence.
Certainly, not every educated or highly intelligent person lives in this area. But their numbers as a percent of the total population likely are higher here than in many if not most other places. DC is a magnet for these types because what they have to offer is in very significant demand here. Traffic and the high cost-of-living are probably the two most frequently heard complaints about the area, but these are problems that are shared to the same general degree by most major metropolitan areas. The reference to crime, I don't get at all. The major suburban areas here are about as close to crime-free as anyplace gets, and even DC proper has overall crime rates that are on a par with places like Austin and Omaha, places not usually noted as crime capitals...
Getting degrees doesn't MAKE you smart.
But smart people are far more likely to have advanced degrees, especially from selective universities, than not-so-smart people.
Some of the meanest, most insecure, and stupidest people here have been the ones with advanced degrees.
The worst neighbors we had were two lawyers who bought the decaying home across the street from the home we were renting. Overpaid by about $200,000! Yes, that's 5 zeroes. Highly ambitious, with degrees from selective schools, but not an ounce of kindness, common sense or awareness. No one thought well of them.
There is a high level of crime here. I read the Fairfax County police website, and I talk with Fairfax County police often. As a petite, small-framed woman who frequently gets mistaken for a high school student (or au pair! ha!), I experience this area differently than the typical male in DC work attire.
I find much of this region to be fairly primitive in its operation, Saganista. The biggest windbag and the biggest control-freak/high-maintenance mom, etc. think they run the show.
What's funny is when some people find out we have no intention of staying here. That we bought a beautiful home for less than 1/2 the price of a noVA starter home here in noVA. That we, of our own choosing, will leave the DC area! They get very upset!
Last edited by Fern435; 05-09-2009 at 07:38 AM..
Reason: spelling
Some of the meanest, most insecure, and stupidest people here have been the ones with advanced degrees.
The worst neighbors we had were two lawyers who bought the decaying home across the street from the home we were renting. Overpaid by about $200,000! Yes, that's 5 zeroes. Highly ambitious, with degrees from selective schools, but not an ounce of kindness, common sense or awareness. No one thought well of them.
I don't think you can blame that on their education, degrees, or salary. I've got a couple of uneducated rednecks in my neighborhood that act the same way. Rude people come in all classes.
It would be very hard for a person with an IQ of 90 to get a doctorate or masters. It does require intelligence to obtain a higher degree. (I have one so I should know). Therefore people with higher degrees have more intelligence. I don't know any stupid people with a doctorate. It does not however mean that they know everything. It just means they know much more than the average person in the subject their degree was for.
That being said I have read past threads in the politics section where Scranny said he was getting a doctorate. So that right there is not truthful and misleading. He also in other threads has made lude comments that are inappropriate. Finally, your opinions as to the nature of this area are just simply an opinion. I grew up here so I do not agree with the poser comments or people wearing or driving things they cannot afford. When I lived in other areas of the US I did not like the lack of sophistication or education that I came across. It is all relative. So your comments would probably only be helpful for someone moving from a place like Scranton and not from somewhere like San Fran where it is urbane.
Also, you use repetitive thoughts in different sentences to get your point across which sounds extraneous and makes it tiresome to read your posts. You are the very definition of verbose. And no, I don't think you use big words at all. You just write technically and not practically which is not an enjoyable read.
It would be very hard for a person with an IQ of 90 to get a doctorate or masters. It does require intelligence to obtain a higher degree. (I have one so I should know). Therefore people with higher degrees have more intelligence. I don't know any stupid people with a doctorate. It does not however mean that they know everything. It just means they know much more than the average person in the subject their degree was for.
That being said I have read past threads in the politics section where Scranny said he was getting a doctorate. So that right there is not truthful and misleading. He also in other threads has made lude comments that are inappropriate. Finally, your opinions as to the nature of this area are just simply an opinion. I grew up here so I do not agree with the poser comments or people wearing or driving things they cannot afford. When I lived in other areas of the US I did not like the lack of sophistication or education that I came across. It is all relative. So your comments would probably only be helpful for someone moving from a place like Scranton and not from somewhere like San Fran where it is urbane.
Also, you use repetitive thoughts in different sentences to get your point across which sounds extraneous and makes it tiresome to read your posts. You are the very definition of verbose. And no, I don't think you use big words at all. You just write technically and not practically which is not an enjoyable read.
1.) I am planning on obtaining my Ph.D. in Accounting. I'm scouring graduate schools as we speak to work towards my MBA, which will then be further reinforced with the Ph.D. Explain how this is "not truthful."
2.) First of all, the correct spelling of the word is "lewd", not "lude," but given your Doctorate and self-proclaimed corresponding "above-average intelligence" I'm assuming you knew that and will just write this off as an innocent typographical error. Secondly, define what comments were "lewd" or "inappropriate." Go onto those threads if you'd like, select the "multi-quote" feature, and then come back into this thread. Then, when you click to post a new reply those prior quoted selections will appear. It would be easier for me to defend myself if there was some basis right in front of me to see this "lewd" behavior.
3.) I never professed that my opinions are anything other than just that---opinions. It was the choice of some on this forum to elevate them to the level of being factual. You may not agree with my "poser" comments about the RTC "Friday Happy Hour" crowd, but many others have seen where I was coming from. I'm derived from an area where most people couldn't care less about what you drove, what you wore, how many "million dollar words" you could cram into the same sentence, etc., as long as you were a person of upstanding character, so imagine my sheer shock to arrive in an area where nearly everyone was driving a high-end vehicle, wearing designer clothing, tooling around with the latest gadgetry, talking about being "enlightened," etc. It was a very massive culture shock, and I can't believe I'm being told by so many people that I'm not allowed to have such an opinion that conspicuous consumption and materialism are not my cup of tea. Nice way to exude the same level of "arrogance" that many area accusing me of possessing though by implying that your opinions are "correct" and that mine are invalid.
4.) Do you think I could care less about whether or not you think I'm an "enjoyable read?" People reference this forum for research purposes as they consider relocating to a new area, so I will reiterate that I will CONTINUE to post my opinions---be them positive OR negative---if I feel as if they may prove beneficial to someone else who WOULD care to read them. With about 10,000,000 "reads" there obviously ARE some people out there who think there is some value in what I have to share.
5.) I'm still dismayed about the "Reston" incident where I decided to sign a lease agreement partially under what I deemed to to be the solid positive advise of people on this forum only to then be slammed myself for recommending the same town last week because it was undesirable in their eyes. In other words, let's steer one person to a town telling them it's a great place and NOT speak up to air concerns while then telling someone else it's NOT a good place? What sort of impartiality is that? I felt nearly as betrayed by the "rah rah"-ness of this forum as JViello, an upstanding Connecticut forum member, felt when he was lured by the "rah rah"-ness of the Greenvile, SC forum into visiting a city whose image was grossly over-exaggerated. If I'm the "thorn in the side" that forces people to provide more well-balanced and less positively-slanted views of NoVA, then so be it. I'd rather endure some unpleasantness than to see someone make the mistake of moving somewhere in which they'd be unhappy after being deceived by people because no divergent perspectives were offered.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I used to not be so suspicious of people.
I felt nearly as betrayed by the "rah rah"-ness of this forum as JViello, an upstanding Connecticut forum member, felt when he was lured by the "rah rah"-ness of the Greenvile, SC forum into visiting a city whose image was grossly over-exaggerated. If I'm the "thorn in the side" that forces people to provide more well-balanced and less positively-slanted views of NoVA, then so be it. I'd rather endure some unpleasantness than to see someone make the mistake of moving somewhere in which they'd be unhappy after being deceived by people because no divergent perspectives were offered.
