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I have a vast variety of knowledge in many fields yet I don't have a college degree (though I have dabbled in community college), and it annoys me when people assume I'm uneducated or lack skills.
I imagine it must be a little like being a SAHM and having others assume it's because you couldn't hack the working world or being a teacher and having others assume you must not be smart enough to do anything else. It sucks, but eventually you must get over it and move on.
Or possibly obtain it from an institution with a less rigorous academic standard.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaxtheRoadWarrior
I know many wonderful folks that attended college with me who studied medicine and became nurses, PAs, and doctors, and some of them were not all that smart. Same can be said of many individuals pursuing any of the applied or research fields in mathematics and the sciences. Even these degrees may be obtained by surmounting intellectual deficiencies with an above average work ethic. As a society constantly in search of heroes we seem to have apotheosized the STEM fields.
I absolutely agree with you, however, that formal education and intelligence are not interchangeable. One often follows the other, but correlation does not imply causation.
This is true, to a point. It may be possible to gain entry to a less rigorous college with a slightly below average IQ, but not an IQ that doesn't allow the cognitive ability to perform basic personal care. Someone with an IQ of 98 (a tad below average) can be a great engineer, but that's not really possible with an IQ in the 60's.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, it's much more common to have a person with a high IQ working in a field they are overqualified for, or not obtaining the highest level of education they are capable of obtaining. The people working in unskilled jobs is especially true in economic downturns, or in areas in demand where people are flocking (resort areas, college towns, etc.) where the number of high skilled jobs pales in comparison to the number of available and willing applicants.
A fascinating chart showing average IQ estimates by profession is here:
Perhaps the "chip on the shoulder" comes from having worked under someone with a college degree who belittled those beneath them and used the degree and authority as a weapon. Having a degree does not mean you don't listen to the input of others. A department meeting with the hospital's engineer recently went like this,...we asked questions about renovation project plans suggesting why certain aspects of the plan won't work and his response was "oh, I'm sorry, do you have an engineering degree? No, but I do and I say this is how it's going to be." Don't judge someone by how the treat their equals, judge them by how they treat those beneath them.
The two smartest people I have known have no degree. Degree only says you took a college course and passed ;really. I have one but never thought that made me smarter than those two. You born with intelligences and what you do with it depends on how hard you work at it and what you value to learning.
I know many wonderful folks that attended college with me who studied medicine and became nurses, PAs, and doctors, and some of them were not all that smart. Same can be said of many individuals pursuing any of the applied or research fields in mathematics and the sciences. Even these degrees may be obtained by surmounting intellectual deficiencies with an above average work ethic. As a society constantly in search of heroes we seem to have apotheosized the STEM fields.
I absolutely agree with you, however, that formal education and intelligence are not interchangeable. One often follows the other, but correlation does not imply causation.
Knowledge and wisdom are two different things. Creativity is more valuable than a college degree in my opinion. I live in an area where so many have these on-line-anytime degrees. Spend enough time and money online and just about anyone can get a degree. Knowledge and practicality in many areas of life can certainly get one through life quite well. Some of the most intelligent folks I've known didn't have much formal education. Not long ago, someone asked me if I had a masters degree or did I "JUST have a bachelors?" I replied that I "only" had a bachelors. Seems whatever one does have, somebody will have an opinion that it's not good enough, or what they have is better. Not to be taken too seriously, as we have a lot of biased knob-heads in this society
I have a vast variety of knowledge in many fields yet I don't have a college degree (though I have dabbled in community college), and it annoys me when people assume I'm uneducated or lack skills.
I have a vast variety of knowledge in many fields yet I don't have a college degree (though I have dabbled in community college), and it annoys me when people assume I'm uneducated or lack skills.
It may be your job. You may be dabbling in these fields in your spare time but aren't applying them at work. One can know a lot about a lot of things but not really get in-depth knowledge.
For every time I hear somebody talking trash about a person without a college degree
I hear 20 times people without degrees talking trash about people with college degrees.
And don't even try to tell me that that's not true.
Agree, Dopo. And I think jealousy is the reason.
There is a sure way to end jealousy - accomplish what you envy. Works like a charm.
Wow, wait a minute. I hope you don't think I was implying that. Would never think to say that...
I am currently considering leaving teaching to pursue occupational therapy, not because I find PT or an MD too daunting, but because I genuinely enjoy the field of OT. I agree with you 100% that any implication is completely unfair.
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A degree doesn't guarantee one's intelligence
