College education versus commonsense

I have observed that the overwhelming majority of people that like to run down the benefits of a college education are those that do not have one.

I think it's a sour grapes thing on their part. I have a college degree. Hell, I have two college degrees. A bachelor's and a Masters. And I'm not ashamed of either one of them.


https://www.bartleby.com/17/1/31.html
 

Trade said:
I have observed that the overwhelming majority of people that like to run down the benefits of a college education are those that do not have one.

I think it's a sour grapes thing on their part. I have a college degree. Hell, I have two college degrees. A bachelor's and a Masters. And I'm not ashamed of either one of them.


https://www.bartleby.com/17/1/31.html
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And you should be damn proud of them.
 
Kit Kat said:
And you should be damn proud of them.
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I don't flaunt it. My diplomas are not hanging on my wall. They are somewhere in a box in one of my closets. I never even put them up in my office when I was working. But it does irk me when people start running down the value of an education.
 

I have yet to meet people who believe that they are lacking in common sense, but most sure do think a lot of others are missing that quality.

This thread sort of reminds me of the polls where people are asked whether they think they're average, above average, or below average in intelligence, attractiveness, kindness, driving ability, work habits, and so forth. Most surveyed place themselves as above average while some deem themselves average, but almost none consider themselves below average. This is a consistent result, but obviously a statistical impossibility. At least 1/3 of us would fall in the below average category.

It's quite likely that some on this thread who are nodding along about the lack of common sense in others are themselves among the dullest knives in the drawer.

Not me, of course. I'm a flippin' genius when it comes to common sense... Waaaay above average. šŸ™„
 
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Your question:
College education versus commonsense
Well, how can you argue against knowledge? There is a "snob" reference in the "college education". While "commonsense" sounds grounded in innate goodness. But neither is useful without the other. A store house of facts isn't much good without the means to put that knowledge to work. And having the means to use facts is useless without the facts. It's like knowing how to read and having no books;: or having books ,and not knowing how to read.
 
StarSong said:
I have yet to meet people who believe that they are lacking in common sense, but most sure do think a lot of others are missing that quality.

This thread sort of reminds me of the polls where people are asked whether they think they're average, above average, or below average in intelligence, attractiveness, kindness, driving ability, work habits, and so forth. Most surveyed place themselves as above average while some deem themselves average, but almost none consider themselves below average. This is a consistent result, but obviously a statistical impossibility. At least 1/3 of us would fall in the below average category.

It's quite likely that some on this thread who are nodding along about the lack of common sense in others are themselves among the dullest knives in the drawer.

Not me, of course. I'm a flippin' genius when it comes to common sense... Waaaay above average. šŸ™„
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The Dunning Kruger Effect!
Coined in 1999 by then-Cornell psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger, the eponymous Dunning-Kruger Effect is a cognitive bias whereby people who are incompetent at something are unable to recognize their own incompetence. And not only do they fail to recognize their incompetence, theyā€™re also likely to feel confident that they actually are competent.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/markmu...ven-when-their-work-is-terrible/#42562ec95d7c
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The difference between a college educated person and a person with no college is that the no college person would deem a person as having no "common sense" whereas the person with the college degree would deem the same person as "a creative thinker". That alone makes a 4-year degree worth it. šŸ˜‰
.
 
Gary O' said:
That's just not right.
I have high regard for all with degrees
I've got 'some college' no degree
One regret I harbor

It's a great advantage to have common sense coupled with knowledge
Those folks get things done

College can round one out, broaden one's scope.... and in a hurry
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Thanks for this sweet post Gary! ā¤ :giggle:
 
I'm kind of puzzled because I've ever been put down for having a college degree. I don't even understand why that would even happen. Maybe because a college degree helps with looking for employment even when the degree has nothing related to the job one is seeking? Mostly I hear that having a degree means that the prospective candidate for a job has shown that they are more likely to stick with something long-term and are more goal oriented and more apt to complete something they started? Do I think it's because someone with a college degree is somehow more intelligent than with someone without one? Of course not. That is simply an untruth.
 
The message for those who dont have a college education ..do you have a chip on your shoulder about it? Does it make you feel inferior? You have other gifts like commonsense. Be grateful for that. Dont begrudge those who have an education. If they act high and mighty about their education then they havent learnt much have they. Humility is sonething we need to strive for imo. Though i struggle i knowšŸ˜‚
 
hypochondriac said:
The message for those who dont have a college education ..do you have a chip on your shoulder about it? Does it make you feel inferior? You have other gifts like commonsense. Be grateful for that. Dont begrudge those who have an education. If they act high and mighty about their education then they havent learnt much have they. Humility is sonething we need to strive for imo. Though i struggle i knowšŸ˜‚
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No chip on this shoulder. I learned a long time ago that advanced schooling wasn't for everyone.
 
I don't get the point of this thread. There's no reason why a person can't have both common sense and a college education. Or neither, for that matter.
 
C'est Moi said:
I don't get the point of this thread. There's no reason why a person can't have both common sense and a college education. Or neither, for that matter.
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I don't get it either. It feels like more like it would be an individual type problem, not some generic problem with people in general.. And I have friends of a variety of educational levels and I don't remember this kind of things being brought up in conversation as to whose background was better than another's. I guess though it might happen in certain social circles. This is the kind of thing that would be characterized in a logical sense as a false dilemma.
 
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hypochondriac said:
I think street smarts and commonsense are the same
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Not quite the same

But they are cousins

Some with common sense, and/or knowledge seem to lack the ability to keep their mouths shut at critical times


Common sense knows what could happen

Street smarts knows how it wonā€™t

You face the pointy end of a firearm up close and personal, you best have some street smarts
 
I have one more thought on this
...from far far away....another thread of mine

Thereā€™s knowledgeā€¦thenā€¦..thereā€™s knowledge

Been in many a conversation with folks of knowledge
Not talkinā€™ barroom confabs
Those usually lead to yelling matches and/or the introduction of mr knuckle to mr nose

No, serious discussions

Closed door conference room exec brainstorming, fix it meetings
Sometimes planned
Sometimes starting in hallways
Sometimes starting in washrooms
Sometimes after quarterly reports

Or

A fireside chat
One on one
Sipping an acceptable single malt
Maybe accompanied by a fine cigar
Those are nice

anyway

What Iā€™ve noticed is, thereā€™s at least two forms of knowledge

Experience
Academic

I can appreciate the academic in his quest to display what heā€™s been taught
But
Thatā€™s pretty much where it ends with me
No dis on him, no, itā€™s just that the academic usually has no way, no tool, to break down what heā€™s trying to convey into laymenā€™s terminology
Itā€™s gotta be very frustrating for him
Then again, maybe even he doesnā€™t have that great of a grasp if he canā€™tā€¦..

Had the pleasure of working alongside an older gentleman by the name of Moshofski
Heavily degreed
And had the savvy to back it up
With a pencil, a sketch, a few soft words of logic
accompanied with sweeping gestures of his pencil/wand, depicting thrust, while sketching something as simple as a tiny radius
molded into the inside of a 90Ā° corner of the leg of a golf cart design
a very simple kindly gentleman
with the ability to break down his genius for the common man

He saved our little company a quarter million dollars in fifteen minutes of his time

These types have no need to belittle, to talk down, to put the subject under a microscope
No, they just kindly, gently show what they know
Then smile
Looking up at yer face, hoping to read understanding in the furrows of yer brow

Life is enjoyable around these folks

Quite the learning experience
 
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