Anti-Intellectualism and the "Dumbing Down" of America

I think what we have is a failure to listen and LEARN from others. I actually think people may be as smart as they have ever been, but people suffer from a lack of empathy. We don't see intellectualism in others because we don't believe others might know something we don't know. It's sad to me because I'm not so selfish about what I want for the world. I get so impatient with ideological viewponts, both liberal and conservative. The real frustratuon for me is that liberals will project that they are open-minded, but when you talk to them seriously, they're really not any more open than conservatives. I know that as soon as I start arguing a contrarian point of view, people put me in a category and stop reasoning their way through real life to the point that I just want to stop talking because people just can't see past their blinders.

I don't ever want to be right just to be right. I want people to know that there are multiple points of view that can be right at the same time. Life is not a multiple choice test. I pretty much am always trying to get at the truth that will suit the most people. This forum is not a good marker for that, I can say with comfortable certainty. People in general fall in the gray, and this is a very black and white forum. It's hard to be the contrarian in this forum.

PJfanwillneverleave1 said:

InHiding80 said:

Go Beavers said:

What would be dumb would be accepting that there's a "growing" anti-intellectualism in the country without scientific evidence to support the claim. This would include a valid definition of dumbing down as well as a valid measurement device/survey. This of course would have to be done longitudinally, over time, in order to see if there was a trend. Otherwise, all we have is someone with a Phd writing a Get Off My Lawn! article.

Trump being the front runner isn't scientific enough for you? If it quacks like anti intellectualism, it is. Spare me the Gran Torino crap.

Since Americans are so intellectual how come it has taken thus far to rid Trump?
or should I say begin to rid Trump?

I said there's no trend of growing anti-intellectualism. Trump isn't going to win if he's the nominee. People that are voting for him or saying they will are the ones who like him, the ones who vote R no matter what, and the ones who hate Hillary.

InHiding80 said:

jeffbr said:

We can see the results of this just by looking at our Republican presidential candidate. The only way Trump has any support is the rise of anti-intellectuals. But is isn't just conservatives, or Republicans. Progressives are protesting any kind of speech on campus that may slightly offend someone, creating safe rooms, talking about microaggression and trigger words, etc... This isolation and coddling of our kids/students will perpetuate and worsen this anti-intellectualism.

Exactly what I mentioned in the post above about the progressives. Both sides need to realize you can be un PC without being an irrational jerk. This new breed of PC millennial liberals are just as bad as the Trump fans. They'd be too scared of comedians like Carlin and Lewis Black now.

Well let's not exaggerate. It's not as bad as all that. There are still very controversial, un-PC comedians who are very, very popular right now.

Me no dumb.

seanwon said:

Go Beavers said:

I said there's no trend of growing anti-intellectualism.

Yeah, I don't know. I seem to hear a lot of Conservatives attacking education in recent years. Telling people college is a waste of time because the professors are all "commies", and they are teaching all our kids to be "Socialists". I don't recall hearing that talk 10 years ago, it seems to be a somewhat recent thing.

I'm a recent college grad and have been talked down to in political discussion for the fact that I graduated college. I went to school for engineering, yet some people still insist that my political views all came from my liberal hippy socialist professors..

jeffbr said:

Go Beavers said:

PJfanwillneverleave1 said:

InHiding80 said:

Go Beavers said:

What would be dumb would be accepting that there's a "growing" anti-intellectualism in the country without scientific evidence to support the claim. This would include a valid definition of dumbing down as well as a valid measurement device/survey. This of course would have to be done longitudinally, over time, in order to see if there was a trend. Otherwise, all we have is someone with a Phd writing a Get Off My Lawn! article.

Trump being the front runner isn't scientific enough for you? If it quacks like anti intellectualism, it is. Spare me the Gran Torino crap.

Since Americans are so intellectual how come it has taken thus far to rid Trump?
or should I say begin to rid Trump?

I said there's no trend of growing anti-intellectualism. Trump isn't going to win if he's the nominee. People that are voting for him or saying they will are the ones who like him, the ones who vote R no matter what, and the ones who hate Hillary.

What would be dumb would be accepting that there isn't a dumbing down without scientific evidence to support the claim. This would include a valid definition of dumbing down as well as a valid measurement device/survey.

Or we could just agree that people are sharing opinions and empirical observations. We just happen to disagree. I am pretty confident that there is a growing anti-intellectualism based on things I've read and observed. Appealing to the lowest common denominator in politics, banning/limiting speech and expression on college campuses, Emmy award winning reality TV, the disappearance of newspapers in favor of 140 character tweets, are just a few of the many, many things I see that point to a dumbing down.

I know I'm disagreeing with people, and I'm explaining why I disagree and the flaws in the linked article. The flaws in the article are more than my opinions. There's an actual scientific method that you apply to research. And yes, people are giving there present time observations, but like the ones you just listed, they have been present for a long long time, just in different forms.

Smellyman said:

PJfanwillneverleave1 said:

InHiding80 said:

Go Beavers said:

What would be dumb would be accepting that there's a "growing" anti-intellectualism in the country without scientific evidence to support the claim. This would include a valid definition of dumbing down as well as a valid measurement device/survey. This of course would have to be done longitudinally, over time, in order to see if there was a trend. Otherwise, all we have is someone with a Phd writing a Get Off My Lawn! article.

Trump being the front runner isn't scientific enough for you? If it quacks like anti intellectualism, it is. Spare me the Gran Torino crap.

Since Americans are so intellectual how come it has taken thus far to rid Trump?
or should I say begin to rid Trump?

It's almost like you have no idea of this threads premise.

Also, "to rid Trump" makes no grammatical sense.

cottagesteeze said:

seanwon said:

Go Beavers said:

I said there's no trend of growing anti-intellectualism.

Yeah, I don't know. I seem to hear a lot of Conservatives attacking education in recent years. Telling people college is a waste of time because the professors are all "commies", and they are teaching all our kids to be "Socialists". I don't recall hearing that talk 10 years ago, it seems to be a somewhat recent thing.

I'm a recent college grad and have been talked down to in political discussion for the fact that I graduated college. I went to school for engineering, yet some people still insist that my political views all came from my liberal hippy socialist professors..

Yup, and it is never too long into the debate before you hear the "just because you have an education doesn't mean you're smart" card.

seanwon said:

cottagesteeze said:

seanwon said:

Go Beavers said:

I said there's no trend of growing anti-intellectualism.

Yeah, I don't know. I seem to hear a lot of Conservatives attacking education in recent years. Telling people college is a waste of time because the professors are all "commies", and they are teaching all our kids to be "Socialists". I don't recall hearing that talk 10 years ago, it seems to be a somewhat recent thing.

I'm a recent college grad and have been talked down to in political discussion for the fact that I graduated college. I went to school for engineering, yet some people still insist that my political views all came from my liberal hippy socialist professors..

Yup, and it is never too long into the debate before you hear the "just because you have an education doesn't mean you're smart" card.

It's funny...well, not...as I've been looked down upon by some who do have degrees and make assumptions because after high school, I chose to work rather than attend more than one semester of college.

And I'm doing pretty well on both the life and smart fronts.

I'd rather reserve opinions of people and their brains, intellect and common sense based on their words and actions, vs a diploma.

(Street-smarts go a long way too!)

gimme, I'm not sure what liberalism (or political leanings in general) has to do with using your noggin.