Oh yes, the public school system works again!

arno_v · Post by **arno_v** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 12:32 pm

[QUOTE=fable]We're making an assumption here about her home life: that she's been exposed to these facts before, that she's been encouraged to learn and retain information, that she's been treated as an intelligent individual. From what I've personally seen and heard, that's not always the case. ...[/QUOTE]

The only assumstion I made is that the change is close to 1 that she heard about the First World War before. I don't make that assumption because I think she's being brought up to learn and retain information, but I do make that assumption because of the fact she attends highschool. She is 16 so she couldn't be at school for the first time so I think it's almost certain that she heard of the First World War before during other lessons. If she haden't heard of WW1 before I think she is very rare (in the western, civilised, highschool educated world).

moltovir · Post by **moltovir** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 12:54 pm

@Copperwater: where do you live? If you live in America, it wouldn't be that strange that she didn't knew it, after all America wasn't WWI's biggest player.

CopperWater · Post by **CopperWater** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 1:43 pm

Yeah, Im in Oregon. With channels like the History channel you can channel surf and still know how the war turned out. I dont want to stereotype her but she is basicly the rich dumb blonde and I am pretty sure you asked the question solely on the fact she hadnt said anything in a while. I seem harsh but you try to get through class with her screeching across the room to her friends all period long.

ik911 · Post by **ik911** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 1:48 pm

Can you post a picture of her?

arno_v · Post by **arno_v** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 1:50 pm

I know what you're thinking IK: rich dumb and blonde, looks like a perfect girlfriend

She's got to have brains man, remember!

ik911 · Post by **ik911** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 1:52 pm

[QUOTE=arno_v]I know what you're thinking IK: rich dumb and blonde, looks like a perfect girlfriend

She's got to have brains man, remember![/QUOTE]
hèhèhè, alas, you know me too well....

Magrus · Post by **Magrus** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 2:00 pm

[QUOTE=CopperWater]Yeah, Im in Oregon. With channels like the History channel you can channel surf and still know how the war turned out. I dont want to stereotype her but she is basicly the rich dumb blonde and I am pretty sure you asked the question solely on the fact she hadnt said anything in a while. I seem harsh but you try to get through class with her screeching across the room to her friends all period long.[/QUOTE]

I had a few of those in my 9th grade english class. Call her a wench whenever she says anything and see what happens. It worked wonders for me, we were doing Shakespeare (sp?) and had to use his vocabulary. I got extra credit for using old english insults for 2 months on those girls. Even had a sheet full of them handed out to everyone by the teacher.

[QUOTE=arno_v]She's got to have brains man, remember![/QUOTE]

Very, very true. Dumb people aren't sexy.

giles337 · Post by **giles337** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 2:25 pm

Very, very true. Dumb people aren't sexy.

Depends HOW dumb

To me, a far more startling problem, is that if you ask people "what goes in a toaster?", 80% will reply "toast" without even thinking

arno_v · Post by **arno_v** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 2:27 pm

What does the other 80% say? Something like toast but then with some doubt. "Err a toast maybe"

ik911 · Post by **ik911** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 2:28 pm

[QUOTE=giles337]Depends HOW dumb

To me, a far more startling problem, is that if you ask people "what goes in a toaster?", 80% will reply "toast" without even thinking

[/QUOTE]
Yeeesss, startling....

(This smilie says 'Roll Eyes (Sarcastic)' when you hover your mouse over it.)

I have discovered that the dumber, the prettier the ladies are....

Magrus · Post by **Magrus** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 2:37 pm

[QUOTE=giles337]Depends HOW dumb

To me, a far more startling problem, is that if you ask people "what goes in a toaster?", 80% will reply "toast" without even thinking

[/QUOTE]

HA, it's true, a friend of mine used to pull the toaster thing all the time.

With me, I'm a bright guy, I don't apply it in a career or school but it's there. It isn't fun trying to talk with a girl who constantly stares at you and goes "wha...." everytime you crack a witty joke, or make a comment. I dealt with it for a while and the solution was she was too slow for talking so talking stopped altogether. Whats sad is that relationship lasted quite a bit longer than some of mine.

She was good at what she did except for talking to me. I just can't tolerate a situation like that again. I'm fairly anti-social a lot of the time but dumb people make me wish I had a blunt weapon to strike them with.

Magrus · Post by **Magrus** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 2:38 pm

[QUOTE=ik911]Yeeesss, startling....

(This smilie says 'Roll Eyes (Sarcastic)' when you hover your mouse over it.)

I have discovered that the dumber, the prettier the ladies are....[/QUOTE]

Not true! I have met some of the most gorgeous women who were very intelligent. They're always taken though.

fable · Post by **fable** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 3:27 pm

[QUOTE=arno_v]The only assumstion I made is that the change is close to 1 that she heard about the First World War before. I don't make that assumption because I think she's being brought up to learn and retain information, but I do make that assumption because of the fact she attends highschool. She is 16 so she couldn't be at school for the first time so I think it's almost certain that she heard of the First World War before during other lessons. If she haden't heard of WW1 before I think she is very rare (in the western, civilised, highschool educated world).[/QUOTE]

Heard doesn't necessarily equal retained. That's to say, she may have been told 1) it's unimportant or 2) you're stupid, or both, from her parents, and certainly #1 might figure highly into her peer group. Put it all together, and her question could reveal simple, appalling ignorance mixed with a training that got it there, or appaling ignorance mixed with a willingness to learn better. The ignorance isn't in doubt. But I admit to being encouraged that she would even ask.

jopperm2 · Post by **jopperm2** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 3:56 pm

I skimmed this so sorry if any of this is covered.

1> I live in America and didn't even know who was in WWI until 9th grade. I would say I probably know more about history than your average Yank. It's a terribly under studied war. IMO this is because it can't as easily be villafied. People see Hitler and the Nazis as clearly evil, but WWI isn't as cut and dried for most people. I would say that a large portion of Americans thought WWII was about Nazis killing Jews. While that was a significant part of the war, that's not why it was started or finished.

2> Good on her for asking and not being quite about her ignorance. You may be right though that she just wanted attention.

3> History is often confusing, espescially for young people with limited world knowledge. I'm sure the concept that Germany didn't exist in it's present form during WWI is quite alien to her and most people of that age. She's not even old enough to remember the USSR. So basically, the biggest changes to the world that she will remember is that Saddam no longer rules Iraq.

4> Young, stupid, blonde, rich girls are incredibly attractive for about three hours. Which happens to be about three times as long as they are of use to me so I have no problem with them.