There is nothing wrong with not having a higher education

Just a quick rant from me. There is nothing wrong with not having a higher education. Too often are people, experiences and opinions dismissed because they are not put forth by someone with proper class/education/taste/etc.

Most recently a guy who was trying to impress my Japanese wife at a carnival we went to recently complained that “people who vote for Danish People’s Party are uneducated buffoons. It’s true, just look at the statistics – and it’s a great problem for this country that that party gains so much influence. They are not educated”.

I have also seen those statistics but let me repeat: There is nothing wrong with not having a higher education. It does not disqualify you from taking part in the democratic process.

I think that the proponents of these sentiments towards the masses associate their antipathy with something noble such as the Enlightenment, The Modern Breakthrough, rationalism, in that it places great value in knowledge (in a Platonic sense of people gradually working towards one divine truth) and rational calculations (as in nation building, social engineering, modernism and its belief that, given all the facts, the right solution to any problem can always be calculated).

In fact it might as easily be associated with the pre-modern, pre-democratic, society ruled by aristocrats and only free male land-owners’ voices were heard.

3 comments

  2. I like the Pink Floyd connection!

    I also agree with you that a higher education is not necessary to participate in the democratic process. I would much prefer one who is thoughtful, reasonable and truly listens to both sides of the argument in order to make a decision.

    Unfortunately, that is not happening in the USA. Instead, people just prefer to join a certain group and this group becomes part of their identity. There are very few that can think about each issue separately and make their own decisions.

    If there are a wide variety of issues one would think that a person’s opinion would be all across the spectrum with each individual issue. Instead the issues themselves are divided into two main camps (Republican, Democrat – And most recently Tea Party)

    Those that still define themselves as an “independent” have been getting smaller and smaller. I myself would prefer to be an “independent” but unfortunately there is no way for an “independent” candidate to participate let alone with an election. (Well maybe one exception here or there but Extremely Rare)

    I have always preferred the center but the extreme right has the effect of creating an extreme left (or perhaps the other way around?)

    But returning to your point, I work in an industry with a lot of hard working, honest people who do not have a college degree. These are some of the most thoughtful people I have ever met. The problem with a higher degree (a higher degree isn’t negative mind you) is that people start subscribing to ideologies and that is something very hard to break free from.

    – Will get to your comments on other posts later,, work has been crushing me!

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