Originally posted by Park Avenue
The fact is "intellectuals" tend to be stuck talking about IQ and their little theories, rather than looking at what works in practice. Ideologies and intellect can only figure so much - and only then when they themselves affect practice.
The fact is "intellectuals" tend to be stuck talking about IQ and their little theories, rather than looking at what works in practice. Ideologies and intellect can only figure so much - and only then when they themselves affect practice.
I have a high IQ, but I would not consider myself someone preoccupied by ideologies, at least not ones that do not directly relate to the real world.
With regards to the anti-intellectualism, I know that it is rife among schools, whereby people will even fail exams in order to fit in with others. Teachers know of the problem, but it is hard to get away from. However this is usually confined to those that are introverts. Outgoing people seem to have less problems.
In later life I think it is apparent. As Provost suggests in his thread about the North, some places do not like people because they are educated to a higher degree, or because they have done better. It's a very British (so it seems) form of reverse snobbery, and jealousy. Having said that, I do not suffer from it, at least no more than I gain from it. On discovering I got a place at Oxford, my boss said "this must be a piece of cake for you" and has left me alone to do it my way, safe in the knowledge that I will come through with the goods in the end. Old friends, whether they are at uni or are working come up and talk to me and seem to respect my opinions because of what I achieved at school, and the way they perceive my intelligence. People I meet through friends are congratulatory about achievements and the like. I never got too much reverse snobbery at school because I did athletics and rugby for the school, and there was team mentality that meant you weren't seen as a geek. I don't see much reverse snobbery relating to me, more the other way round, but I have seen it many times. It is abig problem in the UK, where people can be looked down upon because they went to a good university, etc. It seems to be a mostly British problem, and it is serious, in that it holds back a lot of achievement here, such as when high-minded ideas are not given proper funding, because "it's just a bunch of academics, they know nothing of the real world" sort of mentality that is rife here. However personally I don't have much of a problem with it, but I'm lucky, in that most of the people I meet or speak to do not feel such a need to pull down those that do well, because of jealousy.
Comment