Systematic War On Intellectualism

Why is it when someone who goes to college and busts their behind to get work done has to work in a group with a bunch of people who do not care or legitimately have no clue as to what is required in order to complete the project efficiently and concisely?

Why do professors openly indicate their discontent with the students in public earshot, not know the answers to simple questions asked in class rooms, and just be rude overall?

Is it too much to ask that the professors be familiar with the textbook instead of regurgitating answers that have been used for a couple of years and speaking to PowerPoints most of them did not devise?

Why is independent thought squashed in colleges and universities and everyone told to go with the mold and not fight it?

The answer to this folks is the most threatening ideology to face humanity since Jesus kissed John. Of course I am speaking specifically in opinion only, and do not have the time to dig for circumstantial evidence that points towards a legitimate agenda to lower the collective intelligence of the human race.

Over the last several decades, universities and colleges have become more apathetic in regards to student interaction, and have become more bitter and "overworked". The reality is, at my college, most of the people on the payroll earn over $100,000 just to read powerpoints and mark assignments that were the exact same as the term before.

Another thing to mention, is the constant battles the teacher's union here has with the provincial government. These teachers do not want wage increases, but they want the rights to discuss wage increases under a collective bargaining agreement. This after a 27 year frolicking session with Liberals, and now that they are losing their grip, look out.

The differences between an educational institution and independent research and knowledge acquisition is you are not getting someone else's idea of correct, or right, shoved down your throat at all times and you can form your own opinions. This is why i love the internet and ATS. They both give me a chance to be myself and discuss and debate with others who feel the same.

I detest all of my class mates, have no desire to talk to anyone at school because they are all convoluted and completely beyond help. I may be in a really negative state of mind at this moment, and I will more than likely receive tons of flack for this, but I do not care.

I wish to know why it is such a crime to think for yourself instead of following what everyone says to do. For example, I do not eat 3 times a day, I do not listen to popular music in any era, I do not have friends and like it that way. Perhaps I am just bitter.

My friend, the greatest thinkers in history were, at first, ridiculed by most.

Think, back in the days when it was punishable to question the church (i.e. saying the Earth was not the center of the Universe), things have not changed, they just gave us a little more room to exercise opinions that we were, basically, conditioned to have.

We need to strive to be better than this current way of thinking / being. We need to strive and succeed, so that we set great examples and high expectations for the next generation. The past few decades have been wallowing in the old ways of doing things, it is time for us to stand up and make our own path, regardless of what is said about it.

Continue to persevere, it will be well worth it in the long run.

Peace.

Sounds like your chance to rise above the rest and shine to me.

But,that's just my opinion.

I never went to college. So this is just my opinion based on conversations with people who have attended some type of college or university, and what I observe in the news and in magazines and what not.

But it seams to me that college has changed from being about education and advancement of knowledge, to being about making money. There is too much money to be made from sports, student loan programs, govt. grants, and all that to worry about people actually learning something useful.

Funny how everything always comes down to money in the end.

School through to University is simply a process. It used to have, as it's primary concern, the education of individuals. That has changed. Now it is about one of two things. Higher education is about Money. The more it is about money, the less it is about education. The less it is about education, the more the people involved get jaded. It is now a daily grind, grinding out the masses where someone who stands out becomes a nuisance.

If it is not about money, then it is about Power! The power of the central bureaucracy. This edifice is run by mindless drones who endeavor to have nothing to do with change. Change, or anything / anyone who threatens change is considered anti social. They are happiest when all the children become mindless drones. Education becomes of minor importance. The bureaucracy is all important. It should run with mindless efficiency.

There are many many of these examples throughout Government. The TSA wants to change everyone to be obedient drones. The Political parties want you to be mindless voters who can't see the systemic poison that politics has become.

Above all else, critical thinking skills are EVIL. They must be stamped out. Returning soldiers who witnessed the lies must be marginalized.

Education is just a word. In the past, it was a dream, a very worthy dream!

P

I understand this is the reality now. I also have known since day one at my school that it was not about the education, that it was just a money making scheme draped in promises of grandeur and traveling the world with your degree. I really become incensed every single time someone talks about Jersey Shore. Thank Cthulhu it is over once and for all this season, until the reunion season.

Originally posted by DragonRain311
I understand this is the reality now. I also have known since day one at my school that it was not about the education, that it was just a money making scheme draped in promises of grandeur and traveling the world with your degree. I really become incensed every single time someone talks about Jersey Shore. Thank Cthulhu it is over once and for all this season, until the reunion season.

Unfortunately education and reality does not mix very well.
But education is a base in which to launch yourself.
Use what you have learned,twist it to conform to your real world situations.

I mean,hey I got an associates in electronics,a 2 year degree.
I made it work to my advantage.
You have to work for it,prove yourself,get in the right groups.
And so on.

reply to post by kdog1982


Trust me, I work on it extensively. I am the hardest working person I know besides my wife looking at it objectively. I tend to observe and analyze people as a hobby, and I have been known in the past to be pretty on point with my perceptions.

An uneducated society is easier to control than and educated society.

The dumbing down of America has been going on for at least forty years.

The liberal college professors will only teach their own world view, not the subject matter the course is supposed to contain.

All I can say is do a lot of outside reading if you have time.
If you really look you will probably find some like-minded people on campus.

Originally posted by 1PLA1
An uneducated society is easier to control than and educated society.

The dumbing down of America has been going on for at least forty years.

The liberal college professors will only teach their own world view, not the subject matter the course is supposed to contain.

All I can say is do a lot of outside reading if you have time.
If you really look you will probably find some like-minded people on campus.

Yes,the dumbing down is self evident..
That can be defeated.
With a free will and free thought.
Sometimes you have to play the game,with that evil smile,to get through it.
I have found that when you stay silent and listen,when the time comes, and you speak,and suddenly you are the smartest person around.

This process of dumbing down the population is deliberate. A high school teacher here was recently fired for not giving a grade to a student who DID NOT hand in the assigned project. It's school policy to not give failing grades to students to protect them emotionally. He refused on the grounds that no project was handed in so no grading was possible. They still turfed him and he got hired to teach privately in a flash by some well off family. At least they saw the logic in his thinking. The revolving doors of the educational system is producing a less than desired product than ever before... by design.

Almost all Australian politicians and trade union bosses(ACTU) come from the University system.
Intellect?
Intellect is for thinkers.
University is for those without intellect but privilege in abundance to formalise their appointed roles over other human beings?
Of course intellect can be found amongst university graduates, they are smart enough to know , that earning a living by sweating is the province of the Prols and peasnants they so despise.

Was listening to NPR the other day. They talked about how US internet ranks 29th in the world. I couldn't help but think if we could mandate these companies be in the interest of societies, and our governments economic potential, we could have an awesome streamlined educational system that tailored to each individuals unique thinking style, aptitudes, and passions.

As is, the public education system is a joke. It's wasted so much potential energy. As far as I'm concerned, most people are too dumb to really learn college material as it was taught a couple of generations ago. If they just gave people specialized training where they could excel it would be best. Right now it's all about greed. Inefficient.

Others may have already given some pretty valid answers to this. I won't claim to have a strong position of this as I have not really looked into it before. My children are currently in University.
My daughter describes a similar environment in the classrooms... and yet, there is a different sort of support she is getting from teachers outside the classroom!

She is someone who has just always loved school- she likes learning, she likes doing the work. She is also very social- she likes talking to people, she is not shy, or ackward in social situations, she is very compassionate and is always thinking of others, yet balances that with a healthy dose of assertiveness.

I don't know if this is why, but this draws the attention of teachers and they end up liking her a lot and talking with her outside of class. They give her advice and encouragement, they give her extra projects to do, they guide her and reach out to her in ways they do not with everyone. Far from making her fit into a mold, they are listenign to her individual desires, goals and thoughts and helping her find the tools she needs to fulfil them.

So what I percieve is that they don't bother putting in that extra support with a huge class of people who do not appreciate it and do not want it. You have to make the extra step, as an individual, to go get it!


Another thing is a more general suggestion about the age groups we're talking about and the context they grew up in!
Many of your professors now are my age- that is, they were X Generation. They were born and grew in an environment of "me"ism- our parents were concerned with "finding themselves" and leaving us to "create ourselves" as individuals. They didn't want us brainwashed, they didn't want us influenced, they didn't want any limits between us and the natural world. (or they just didn't want to bother with the responsibility of parenthood, because they had always been spoiled and indulged narcissists.... )

But we didn't have any limits, nor protection. We learned through experimentation what is painful and dangerous and what isn't. We also found out that as much as you can be totally individual, and have brilliant ideas, without the basic tools and skills necessary, that means nothing. You can't bring those ideas into matter, and that individuality cannot be recognized in the society.

You are just a stupid savage with dreams of self importance.

So many people my age end up trying to provide to the generation today what we missed out on- a basic firm base of guidelines and protection and skills- then it is up to YOU to take those and go further with them as an individual. It's like learnign to play an instrument- you go through the boring work of learning to read music and to play music other people wrote... and later you use that experience to break and get creative and write your own.
We found out the fantasy of picking up a paintbrush one day and finding out you are a natural born Picasso, is rubbish. It doesn't happen. You can't skip the boring part.

If you are still in college than you are still gathering your tools. Your path is becoming individualized somewhat, as you get to choose the area of study, but you are not on your own yet.
But the fact is, finding your own individual way of thinking doesn't come from anyone else, so you can't blame anyone else for not stimulating that.

reply to post by DragonRain311
I hope this doesn't come across as condescending or patronising as I mean well with this advice.

I'd guess you're early-20s and you sound fed up. It sounds like your college experience isn't the challenge you expected and you're becoming critical of the environment, your peers and your tutors. At this point, I think you might benefit from a conversation with your course tutor or advice from your student union. Explain how something's missing and listen to what they have to say.

It's very early in the semester/term and a fine time for getting things sorted out.

reply to post by DragonRain311


I don't think you are off base here.....too much anyway. I remember the days of dealing with "group assignments" which meant- 4 people not giving a crap and 2 who did all the work.

Guess what??

You're probably going to college to have better employment opportunities in the work force (mostly everyone's reason ). Perhaps you want to be the Boss. What happens when your employees are a "group with a bunch of people who do not care or legitimately have no clue as to what is required in order to complete the project efficiently and concisely?" You can't just refuse to speak with them. Leaders in the workplace, society, AND academics have spoken their mind and shared their applied knowledge and, with that, when one gains the "buy-in" from the group, they are a leader.

Leaders and followers......Which are you?

reply to post by deezy1678


Definitely the leader sir.

When I went to college, I asked some hard and pertinent questions, the instructors that had a real interest in the subject would make a pertinent reply, or they'd admit ignorance and suggest ways to find the answer, which they wanted to know the outcome of for the advancement of their own knowledge base. The instructors that offered no answers, or even any interest in any possible answers, or outright dismissed the questions, those were the classes I should have done a withdrawal/passing on, then retake the course with a competent instructor. I always regretted working with an instructor that didn't give me my money's worth, my grade point suffered because of that. Some instructors actually offer really good information and advice, keep them and let the department know that you think highly of their teaching.

It may help to threaten a civil law suit on the incompetent instructors, one that is outside of the ombudsman and normal protocol. That tactic got me a passing grade once where I may not have gotten one otherwise.

I think there are two issues here:
The first one (and the most important in my mind) the dummying down of society. We see this everywhere from "get it NOW FAST" to "High-speed" whatever. Sadly all of these conveniences are really hurting us. How many people do you know that don't cook, or can't cook very well? How many people can't go anywhere without have to drive there (regardless of how far or close it is)? This entire "right now" attitude does seem very systematically done in order to make us more dependent on the government (or major corporations)

The second issue is with the downgrade in education system all comes down to three words; "Dead Poet Society". Every old timer Professor I had in college points out that this one movie created a false image of what teaching is about, and how it should be done.

(1) Dummying down of society is clearly being done, but by whom (big business, the Government, or some secret society)?

(2) Education has taken a nasty downhill turn, but that was from sub-standard educators.

yep, what you have reported is a fact....and been getting to be the trend from evil taking over for a last grab....
what you are seeing is spiritual warfare...and you are on the side of right...I see, you want right to take presidence. that same paradigm cost me my aviation career when safety went to crap just in time for my future to flop I realize it won't go away.pseudo intellectuals, inequity and having to fight for money.....that paradigm will change soon....when in the face of beauty....evil is lost.