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Not at all. In fact, I believe that the majority of those who are a college-educated respect people who work in positions that don't necessarily require college degrees. The people who do are insecure in their own abilities and feel the need to reinforce themselves by bringing others down. That has more to do with the person himself, not the college degree.
However, there are people out there who seem to resent those who do have a college degree, and that's not good. I see this a lot on forums or news articles pertaining to education or employment. It frustrates me and actually makes me feel sorry for people who mock graduates who are struggling to get jobs coming out of college. I also hate it when people mock certain fields of study that students choose, or they assume that people choose certain programs because they just want to party for 4 years. It's hypocritical to ask graduates for respect and yet mock their fields of study.
Bottom line is that both college graduates and those who didn't need to respect each other.
I think it probably happens more with young people than with slightly older people. Kids, just out of high school, going off to college... it's pretty typical for that demographic to become full of themselves. It's that age. And they feel very proud - and should feel proud - for doing well in high school and moving on to college. But for some, it seems to create an ugly sort of elitist better-than-thou know-it-all attitude. Big-head'ism. It's unfortunate when that happens.
As you get older you realize that you don't necessarily need college in order to become an educated person. Some of the most intelligent and wise people I have ever known never went to college, and a few dropped out of high school. And conversely, I've known quite a few college graduates who were dumb as dirt and sorely lacking in common sense.
They have a term for this attitude. It is called Sophmoric. I think it may be because it is tpical of colleg sophmores. I am not sure. However it appears to me that even the most well balanced sophmores tend to get a little bit of this.
I don't know if this relates to this thread or not... but I thought I'd share...
My husband works with this man who is super smart, and extremely good at what he does. He's been doing this particular kind of work for almost 20 years as a contractor. Well, there is an opening for a permanent position with my husbands company so this guy wanted to apply for it. He has a wife with cancer (it's currently in remission) and an older kid just starting college and so he has been looking for a full-time job with benefits, rather than relying on the contracting work. So he applied for the position. He had a great resume with all the jobs he's done listed, several letters of recommendation for other companies he has done work for, everybody where my husband works knows him and loves him. They all go out about once a month and hang out, have a beer or whatever. He's a great guy and everybody thought he was a shoe-in.
Well - the company has put his application on hold. Why? He doesn't have a college degree. He worked his way up, and holds extensive certifications that not many other people have in the office, but that's not good enough for the company anymore. They want people with a 4-year degree.
The last person they hired had a 4-year degree. He's this 25 year old just out of college newbie without any of the even very common certifications that most of the guys in the office have. He's also lazy, and refuses to do night, weekend, or on-call work. He puts in his 40 hours and he's done. He also surfs personal ads and does online shopping while at work, and take long lunches. I don't know why they keep him on, but my husband says that for whatever reason it's hard to fire people these days (this is what he is seeing at his company) unless they do something really stupid or criminal. (One guy was fired recently for going bezerk and attacking someone with his bicycle. lol It shouldn't be funny, but it kind of is.)
Anyway - I don't know if this relates to the thread or not... but it does seem that even if coworkers or peers won't judge you, potential employers can look down on you for not having a 4 year degree - even if you are an outstanding worker and very skilled at what you do and everybody loves you... the company might not care. All they know if you didn't earn a degree, so they don't have to give you the time of day.
The longer one goes in life, however, the less one is likely to. I've seen incredibly smart and talented people who never made it to college, and I've encountered lawyers, MBAs, and Ph.D.s that I wouldn't touch with a box of kitchen matches.
I prefer to look down on people who have degrees, but who are complete idiots. There are so many of them to go around, I never even get around to looking down on those who never went to college!
I prefer to look down on people who have degrees, but who are complete idiots. There are so many of them to go around, I never even get around to looking down on those who never went to college!
Well the first part of what you wrote would;d be the reason why there is some conflict between college educated people and non college educated people. Most college educated people also have "common sense", non college educated people seem to relish in bringing up those one or two people you do not have common sense and revel in it, as though it's a point for "their side" - which is what? No education past twelfth grade?
That boat as a viable option sailed after WWII.
"Book knowledge" is not the same as "street smarts." One can not learn street smarts in a four year college, nor can one learn academic knowledge from the streets.
Since I don't care much about "street smarts", I am more inclined to be impressed with people who are well educated in the liberal arts. People who enjoy knowledge and learning not as a means, to as an end in and of itself.
I don't look down on people, I do feel sorry for some though. Today, there is no excuse not to go to college.
Community colleges offer a vast variety of curriculums including trades, that can lead to a four year degree.
If you want an education, you can get one.
Then add that to your common sense and street smarts.
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After getting done with the work day, it's nice to have a conversation about something other than NASCAR, or some recent mod some yokel put on their exhaust system.
However, I feel if I wander over to the other side without the "right equipment", I'll be asked to leave the table.
What kind of "other side" are we talking here? Theoretical physics? nanotechnology? biology? If you want to participate within a different group without being a "peer", so to say, go to a university and attend free lectures by people in the industry and associate with people that attend. There are free lectures, all the time, in various subjects, at many universities. Usually there is a time where you can ask the speaker questions about his findings, making you even more welcome into the group. As long as it's not a silly question of course.
A good example is, I am a computer geek, but I love nanotechnology. I've attended a couple physics lectures hosted by a local university with a professor from another university. I didn't have any evil looks or questioning why I was there.
Being educated does matter but it doesn't mean everything. I have some friends who are not as educated and some of them are just brilliant! Some people cannot afford college, so would you look down on them? I think people who look down on less-educated people are complete snobs, the reason why (and no offense) people say white people are so bitchy. College isn't for everyone. Both of my parents never went to college and are doing well financially. My mom holds a high position at one of the largest apparel company headquarters and she's doing fine. Just because a person is more educated than you are, doesn't always mean they're bright. I mean.. look at our 43rd president who went to Yale.
What kind of "other side" are we talking here? Theoretical physics? nanotechnology? biology? If you want to participate within a different group without being a "peer", so to say, go to a university and attend free lectures by people in the industry and associate with people that attend. There are free lectures, all the time, in various subjects, at many universities. Usually there is a time where you can ask the speaker questions about his findings, making you even more welcome into the group. As long as it's not a silly question of course.
A good example is, I am a computer geek, but I love nanotechnology. I've attended a couple physics lectures hosted by a local university with a professor from another university. I didn't have any evil looks or questioning why I was there.
On the STEM side of things, I tend to be more interested in the potential, everyday applications/uses of studies and theories.
Apart from police procedurals, I was always a big sci-fi nut.
Star Trek/Wars/Gate, Sliders, Quantum Leap, I always watched shows like that and have always wondered if any of the technology in programs like that would be possible in any particular way.
Also, I'm probably not the first, nor last person to bring up that film "Idiocracy".
But after watching that, I also get concerned over whether our brightest minds are actually pursuing useful things that will assist in heightening the human race or not.
I'd really be disappointed to think that most of our scientific minds are being reduced to "making cellphones smaller and "you-know-what" bigger".
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