Am I Too Smart?

[Aramant]

How conceited is that topic? But seriously.

I've taken a few pop-culture/communications courses in university, and while I'm obviously no expert in the field, I've learned enough that my approach to nearly everything, mass mediated and otherwise, has been drastically changed. I'm constantly analyzing mass media and picking apart the myths, ideologies, stereotypes, and everything else present, such that I find it difficult to just enjoy things like movies and television. In conversation, I find myself applying interpersonal communication theories to what other people say, and to what my responses are, which makes interacting with people seem kind of stale and programmed.

So what the crap. My education thus far has ruined my enjoyment of nearly everything. So again, am I too smart? I'm not even trying to imply that I think I'm ridiculously intelligent or that my intellect far surpasses anyone else's. So maybe it's that I'm not smart enough to be as smart as I am, in that I don't have the mental capacity to keep what intelligence I have from totally jading me.

Bleh.

[C Elegans]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aramant My education thus far has ruined my enjoyment of nearly everything. So again, am I too smart? I'm not even trying to imply that I think I'm ridiculously intelligent or that my intellect far surpasses anyone else's.

ROLF, don't worry. It's completely normal that students get affected by their education in the manner you describe. It will wear off after some time, and become more of an unconscious process. My friends who are in media, were the same when they were students. My friends in economics - you couldn't even get out and buy a pair of shoes without them lecturing and analysing the current state of the world ecomony and national economy, rates, the impact on consumer level and society level blahblah. My friends who are physicians they analysed everybodye's health and thought themselves and everybody else were suffereing from all sorts of diseases. Me and my classmates at the psychologist program, we analysed ourselves and everybody in every single everyday interaction, from the guy behind the counter at the food market to the prime minister.

It's a phase you go through when you learn new information and while integrating your previous knowledge and worldview with this new information, and learning to apply it. It is a learning procedure needed for us humans in order to make access to our knowledge automatic and effortless.

[ektoplasma]

if youre not part of the solution, youre the problem.
just start you start drinking heavily. you wont give a flying f*** about anything

[Aramant]

I'm too poor to drink heavily. But lord knows I'm trying. Boy am I trying...

[Cuchulain82]

I agree with what CE says- and I personally reccomend that you try to avoid a course on logic because it will really change the way you act. I took a logic course that included rhetoric and argumentation and for 6 months afterwards I was arguing with everyone just for the sake of arguing- playing with informal fallicies, trying to neatly pin down premises to fit forms, etc.

Eventually I got sick of it, but for a while my girlfriend gave me that simmering stare that means "stop picking fights or you're sleeping on the floor" way too often.

[Magrus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aramant I'm too poor to drink heavily. But lord knows I'm trying. Boy am I trying...

I empathize with you. It's probably better for my health that I can't afford to drink as often as I'd like to though.

I've always analyzed everyone around me as I've always been curious why people do things and how they are. It's gotten to be worse as I've gotten older and learned more about myself, and had more experience with people. I do my best not to voice my findings as it tends to irritate most people, whether or not I'm right.

The good thing is, despite my intelligence, I'm easily amused at most times. Granted, most of the thoughts in my head which amuse me aren't suitable for public, but I still can have a chuckle and amuse myself to keep from over-thinking and analyzing everything.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Could have been worse, you could have gone in for philosophy and pop culture. I did, and the search to shut my brain up has been going for about two years now. Briefly found a woman who did it, but had that avenue of escape well and truly blown due to weighty family commitments at the time. That's about the only solution I've found, hope you do better
Stupid family.

I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy...

[C Elegans]

@Mr Spanky et al: I think your problem is that you have a lots of thoughts and analysing going on, but no real application for them that provides a useful intellectual challenge.

Get a job

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

My usual response to that gibe is 'Get an education'...damn.
Can't use 'screw you, hippy' either, being relatively hippy myself.

Philosophy, useless? Never!

[Aramant]

Aside from when I have the funds for alcohol, I find I can generally avoid serious thinking by being a general irreverent lunatic, but that's been hard to do these past three years, what with being at university and not having any courses with people I like. What is it about Humanities that draws pretentious know-it-alls, hippy pot-heads, and liberal cry-babies?

[C Elegans]

Hi Ode

For invectives that include me but exclude yourself:

Philosophy is a useful subject in theory, but it seems difficult to actually get a job in the area. In Europe, most people who have a university degree in philosophy either work with logics/syntax issues in computer programming, or the do something completely else (I have an ex who is a jazz singer, for instance).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aramant I find I can generally avoid serious thinking by being a general irreverent lunatic

If you wish to avoid serious thinking, why go to uni at all then?

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by C Elegans Philosophy is a useful subject in theory, but it seems difficult to actually get a job in the area. In Europe, most people who have a university degree in philosophy either work with logics/syntax issues in computer programming, or the do something completely else (I have an ex who is a jazz singer, for instance).

In Australia philosophy graduates tend to have signs saying 'Will think for food", or work at McDonalds.

Think I'll go for 'something else', myself. A bum by any other name would smell as sweet...

@Aramant - if you're worried about thinking too much I suggest hanging around with the hippy pot-heads.

[C Elegans]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Spanky In Australia philosophy graduates tend to have signs saying 'Will think for food", or work at McDonalds. Think I'll go for 'something else', myself. A bum by any other name would smell as sweet...

ROFLMAO x2!

I would believe that the best use you can have for philosophy is to take it in combination with other subjects and use it more as "background knowledge" rather than as your primary occupation. I did a little philosophy back in the paleolithic era before I started psychology and neuroscience, and it has actually proven very useful as a structure for thinking both regarding epistemology and ethical considerations of my kind of work.

[Cuchulain82]

A philosophy degree is really difficult to get a job with. I was an International Relations and Philosophy double major, which means I had a double-whammy of liberal arts disciplines that have super-narrow employment capabilities. I had to start my own business and have it work before anyone else would hire me

[Aramant]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Spanky @Aramant - if you're worried about thinking too much I suggest hanging around with the hippy pot-heads.

Pot makes me ill, and my patience for liberals is dwindling.