The Ignorance of Commoners Reaches New Heights

[HAC]

These folks up here in the mountains ( who, by the way, prefer the term Appalachian Americans as opposed to 'redneck,' or hillbilly.'   ) are not as ignorant as 'flatlanders' assume them to be. I'll give you an example. The well-to-do city-dwellers like to make excursions up here to search for antiques. An old woman I know lives alongside a well traveled route, and keeps a few things on display in her yard during the 'season.' One day a city woman stopped her Mercedes at the old woman's house, but wasn't interested in much that was set out for sale. She did, however, notice a kitten drinking milk at the edge of the porch...from a small china bowl that was of a rare and scarce pattern, unblemished. Thinking that the old woman couldn't possibly know the value of the bowl, since she was using it in such a manner, the city woman offered the mountaineer woman $10.00 for it, a price readily agreed upon. The city woman drove away with her "treasure".....and the old woman removed another small bowl, of exactly the same pattern, from the box full of reproduction bowls ( 50 cents each ) sitting just inside the door, filled it with milk and set it out for the kitten.

~T

There's an old saying that my grandfather had  "If you expect to find idiots in the country, best bring one along with you" sort of fits that story, methinks..
Cheers
Harold

[frabjous]

This thread has sort of gone down the road of technological advancements and whether people outside cities are intelligent (why wouldn't they be?) - none of which is addressed in the original post. I think the point is that general knowledge of who Einstein is and sort of what he did is required like knowing where you're country is on a map (sadly some people don't) and who's in the government.

[The Radical]

This thread has sort of gone down the road of technological advancements and whether people outside cities are intelligent (why wouldn't they be?) - none of which is addressed in the original post. I think the point is that general knowledge of who Einstein is and sort of what he did is required like knowing where you're country is on a map (sadly some people don't) and who's in the government.

Thank you, yes. Generally I would never think someone lower than me just because they have different interests, I agree entirely with the points being made, and I would certainly never assume someone lower than myself because of the area and culture they live in, but surely not even knowing remotely what Einstein looks like is on the wrong side of the border between stupidity and intelligence.

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

What's more disturbing to me today is less a lack of intelligence than a lack of curiosity.

[Dr. Oliver Cross]

Even the lack of curiosity doesn't bother me so much as those who are violently opposed to the idea that someone might want to learn something.  I frankly fully expect the future to look remarkably similar to the one presented to us in The Handmaid's Tale.  (Yes, I'm a little depressed right now.)

[Mr. Pvuxuw]

Even the lack of curiosity doesn't bother me so much as those who are violently opposed to the idea that someone might want to learn something.  I frankly fully expect the future to look remarkably similar to the one presented to us in The Handmaid's Tale.  (Yes, I'm a little depressed right now.)

Depressed or not, I fear you might be 95% correct; living as I do in the South Texas portion of the Bible Belt, (not necessarily a bad area in and of itself, but Lordy! the rednecks we get out here!), I can honestly say that the old cliche' about Southern Baptist Ministers admonishing their flocks, "Don't Think!" is unfortunately the rule rather than the exception... and the people obey in absolute droves...

[Dr. Oliver Cross]

I had an even worse example of stupidity yesterday than ever I've seen before.  I was wearing exactly the same outfit I'm wearing in my avatar, save that I'm also wearing the cravat I acquired from the incredibly talented Ms. Liz Spain (one of us here at Brass Goggles!) at Steamcon.  I almost lost track of the number of people who said something on the order of, "Duuude, you're like, George Washington, right?"  And also, "Duuuuuude!  You're like from the '70s, right?"  And the worst of them all, "Dude!  It's King Tut!"

Yes. They were point right at me when they said King Tut.  I ask you.  Do I look at ALL like Anhkunatun's son in that outfit?  Or the first Constitutional president of the United States?  Or like I'm from the 1970s an any way?

[H. MacHinery]

I had an even worse example of stupidity yesterday than ever I've seen before.  I was wearing exactly the same outfit I'm wearing in my avatar, save that I'm also wearing the cravat I acquired from the incredibly talented Ms. Liz Spain (one of us here at Brass Goggles!) at Steamcon.  I almost lost track of the number of people who said something on the order of, "Duuude, you're like, George Washington, right?"  And also, "Duuuuuude!  You're like from the '70s, right?"  And the worst of them all, "Dude!  It's King Tut!"

Yes. They were point right at me when they said King Tut.  I ask you.  Do I look at ALL like Anhkunatun's son in that outfit?  Or the first Constitutional president of the United States?  Or like I'm from the 1970s an any way?

You do have a passing resemblance to Victor Buono, who played teh Batman villian King Tut in the 60s.

[Dr. Oliver Cross]

This is true, but I will bet sizable sums of cash that the people who insisted I must be King Tut have never seen the Adam West version of Batman.

[Captain Quinlin Hopkins]

Ignorance is bliss.  And I begrudge no one their path to bliss. 

In fact, at times, I would willingly trade to not be aware of the things I now know.   

[von Klank]

Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Those who learn from history are doomed to watching others repeat it.

I hold little hope for humanity in general. I think what everyone here is aghast at is not ignorance (that is curable),
but the sheer wanton lack of desire to know. When society in general stops wanting to know how, why, or even if things work,
it stops advancing. And starts dying.

We need to do what little we can to stop the decline. Learn a skill. Teach something you already know to others. Light a spark of
creativity and imagination in your children (and other people's children). Preserve something old. Trace the roots of something new back to its inception.

Think.

[Capt. Dirigible]

  I ask you.  Do I look at ALL like Anhkunatun's son in that outfit?  Or the first Constitutional president of the United States?  Or like I'm from the 1970s an any way?

Well...to an ignorant ass-hole you clearly do!

[Theophilus Saxe]

Even the lack of curiosity doesn't bother me so much as those who are violently opposed to the idea that someone might want to learn something.  I frankly fully expect the future to look remarkably similar to the one presented to us in The Handmaid's Tale.  (Yes, I'm a little depressed right now.)

I know that feeling, having encountered it often at my old high school and later in the workplace. My vocabulary is wide and I tend to use "$10 words" in the proper context. And why should I not? It's my native language, after all, and there to be used! The trouble is, others don't understand their own language and are afraid of learning anything beyond the most basic form. Once, when working, a muscle-bound clod threatened me with physical harm "for talking long words."   

(Another guy working there thought Tasmania was a US state. If ignorance is indeed bliss, then those men had to be the happiest on Earth!)

[Violet Rose]

There seems to be some little confusion here between ignorance and stupidity - ignorance can be remedied but against stupidity the Gods themselves rail in vain.

[Churchwarden]

I must apologize as my post may have spark off the red neck discussion, I merely used that as one example. I understand all too well the fire that can get alight in ones britches at being singled out and ridiculed for a manner of dress or how one might carry themselves, I was a punk back in the eighties and nineties, and I remember all too well the questions and jeers (are you from angland? hey kool aid, nice hair etc.). I think the point I was making was not completely lost, but I do just want to reiterate that humans are the most curious of creatures, and that I believe with all of my heart that all men are created equal (women too!). It is very easy to point the finger and and claim people are too lazy to learn or ignorant or stupid, but I learned something the day my second son was born, something important...we all suffer some deficit or another, but there is always some other quality there to counter balance this, the real question is are you man or woman enough to look for it, are you intelligent enough to look past the short comings and find that balancing feature in a person rather than following your knee jerk reaction and labeling them?

My son is autistic, and despite the fact he cannot speak or read, and does not like being touched, he is incredibly gifted as an artist, and a musician even at his young age, he is kind to a fault and there is an innocent and unfathomable depth to behind his eyes. He teaches me something new every time I see him. Now I know he has an excuse you might say, but really, and be honest with yourself, would you really be so quick as to condemn other human beings without at least giving them the benefit of the doubt, and if so wouldn't that make you an equal part of the problem as opposed to what I would expect from people here, who seem to be the sort of folk who enjoy being problem solvers?

[Arceye]

(Another guy working there thought Tasmania was a US state.

           No, Tasmania is in Africa according to my local Post Office

[Dr. Oliver Cross]

You sent something to Tasmania and it ended up in Tanzania, I take it?

[H. MacHinery]

This is true, but I will bet sizable sums of cash that the people who insisted I must be King Tut have never seen the Adam West version of Batman.

Right you are, old chum!
 

[rentreality]

It's interesting, really -- a large number of people from the former Soviet Union, upon reviewing our education system here in the US, were shocked. According to them, a failure this large could only be deliberate.

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

Why do you think no-one wants to learn anymore? 

[Atterton]

Too much learning will give you the brain fever!

"If you expect to find idiots in the country, best bring one along with you" - HAC

Luckily I always keep one in the trunk of my car.

[Sgt.Major Thistlewaite]

"Bring out the Gimp." - Zed, Pulp Fiction

[H. MacHinery]

It's interesting, really -- a large number of people from the former Soviet Union, upon reviewing our education system here in the US, were shocked. According to them, a failure this large could only be deliberate.

While I respect the thinking of those people, I also remember that we think the same thing about their former government.....

[rentreality]

While I respect the thinking of those people, I also remember that we think the same thing about their former government.....

True enough, although their education system was beautiful for a time there.

[Arceye]

You sent something to Tasmania and it ended up in Tanzania, I take it?

            The type behind the counter weighed my parcel, asked me where it was going, looked up the cost, and said '£xxxx to Tanzania'. It said 'TASMANIA' in large, friendly letters on the parcel. On the part of a public servant, I think that is shocking ignorance. Or stupidity or both. They are common bedfellows.