People with degrees think they know it all...

Hi folks!

Here's another one for you to think about.

So, I've entered my second year of teaching and what a roller coaster it's been! I've had some interesting experiences, but that's for a later post.

Let's talk, shall we?

I work around some incredibly intelligent people who have degrees. They discuss things like news, culture, race, politics, and other obscure information that the normal blue collar worker wouldn't care about. I mean, there's nothing wrong with that, but  they make fun of people who are ignorant to the subjects. I mean really? How can "what you know" make you feel more of a person than someone who doesn't know what you know?

 So here's the kicker folks, they complain about how BROKE they are  and  how teachers are grossly overworked and  underpaid and do absolutely nothing about it. You might be wondering why this is the kicker. Let's think through this..here are my thoughts as I sit silently eating my lunch in the teacher's lounge,  "Well, if you're so "smart" and you're so "broke", then why not use your "smarts" to help you not to be broke. I mean you have time to discuss culture and make fun of people who are ignorant to what you think is common information.."

 Clearly these people are comfortable competing in the rat race orr they're not *that* smart after all. :)
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You know, I used to be like those people. I would stuff my head with all this knowledge and think I was better than everyone else who was ignorant. I too, would make fun of people who didn't know, what I thought was basic knowledge. I even went as far as to think that if I had a degree aka if I was really "smart" I would get a  good job and have a nice house with the white picket fence and a dog...you know, the  "American Dream". Then I looked at my bank statements and credit score and realized I am just as broke and destitute as the person I made fun of.

So, then, what does that tell you? These days appreciating the language from classic literature  like "The Aeneid" by Virgil and knowing the meaning of "coup d'etat" simply doesn't matter. Let's face it, we go to college so that we can have a better opportunity to make money. To make money though, requires much more than just knowing random pieces of information.  It requires some good ol' common sense, peoeple sense and some financial know how.

What's my point? People with degrees don't know everything and certainly they aren't rich. Don't ever let someone with a degree make you fell like less of a person. Let's be real here they probably owe enough money for their children's children to pay off and are probably unhappy. Clearly, people with degree don't know it all because if they did, they wouldn't be broke.

Thoughtfully Yours,
Ms. Jay