Harvard is a Greek word for anal thinking.

Sometimes my unconscious mind makes connections I don't understand. Ms. Goldson's speech & the ensuing commentaries here remind me of a conundrum I faced as a human resources manager in a large biomedical research institution.

We occasionally encountered individuals with stellar academic qualifications who seemed incapable of applying them in the real world of the research environment; despite the fact that so much is arcane in scientific research, it isn't hard to bluff one's way through. The conundrum was explained when I read this quote: "Intelligence is the capacity to apprehend a thing; ability is the capacity to act on that which is apprehended."

Ms. Goldson displays a superior capacity to "apprehend" things, at least things she can retain and regurgitate to the satisfaction of her teachers. So far, her "capacity to act," is only demonstrated by her literate presentation of her pessimistic view of the world in which we all exist.

I hope that, with added maturity, Ms Goldson will demonstrate that she acquired more than just the capacity to assimilate facts and regurgitate them on demand, that she will realize the value of knowledge, and her work ethic. She shows the promise of great things if she demonstrates the capacity to act in that real world she now abhors.

I explain that the difference between an electronics engineer (one of my degrees) and an electronics technician is that the engineer can tell you how something works. He can't however, tell you why it doesn't work...

quote:

Originally posted by olroy:
Sometimes my unconscious mind makes connections I don't understand. Ms. Goldson's speech & the ensuing commentaries here remind me of a conundrum I faced as a human resources manager in a large biomedical research institution.

We occasionally encountered individuals with stellar academic qualifications who seemed incapable of applying them in the real world of the research environment; despite the fact that so much is arcane in scientific research, it isn't hard to bluff one's way through. The conundrum was explained when I read this quote: "Intelligence is the capacity to apprehend a thing; ability is the capacity to act on that which is apprehended."

Ms. Goldson displays a superior capacity to "apprehend" things, at least things she can retain and regurgitate to the satisfaction of her teachers. So far, her "capacity to act," is only demonstrated by her literate presentation of her pessimistic view of the world in which we all exist.

I hope that, with added maturity, Ms Goldson will demonstrate that she acquired more than just the capacity to assimilate facts and regurgitate them on demand, that she will realize the value of knowledge, and her work ethic. She shows the promise of great things if she demonstrates the capacity to act in that real world she now abhors.

Roy, that is Really Good.

reminds me of some of those "book smart" people who couldn't find the way out unless there was an EXIT sign over the door or had difficulty walking and chewing gum simult..., simulta... sim... at the same time.

This might be fitting:


BS Degree----We all know what BS stands for

MS Degree----More of the Same

PHD Degree---Pile Higher & Deeper

Oh OH......this could be turning into a degree-bashing party.

My family is full of advanced degrees, published authors, all the way up to an in-law with a Nobel Prize and a building named after him at UCLA. At gatherings, Susan, I and my ex are often the only ones with mere Bachelor's degrees. They are all eminently practical people, although I am probably the Number Two McGiver. Number One has no degree, but was an incredibly inventive machinist and manufacturer, and did OX-5 work for the Smithsonian, as an example. (Actually, my ex's BF is not terribly practical, but he does OK).

At work, as well as in college, I have run in to both kinds of engineers. I recently was involved in some Beta testing on a fuel cell RV power supply, and one of the engineers was an absolute pleasure to talk to. He was young, but really had a lot of practical, useful knowledge, and we learned a lot from each other.

So, in (at least partial) defense of education, I have to say that there are all kinds of degreed professionals out there. Some are practical, some are purely academic and some are in-between. Living in an aerospace town, a lot of my friends and neighbors are rocket scientists. They run the full gamut from superb aircraft homebuilders to those who can't put batteries in a flashlight without cross-threading the cap. I actually sabotaged a flashlight belonging to one of the latter on a camping trip, and he was totally lost at troubleshooting it. And yet, he could deal with paper and circuit diagram situations superbly.

Hey! It's all in fun.....

My wife and I are ones to talk....my field was mechanical engineering but never practiced. I went into insurance from college and been there 25 years...she's a corporate attorney who is now a stay-at-home-mom....we are late...VERY late in life parents to 3 boys under 4....

My oldest brother was a perfect example....a masters level civil engineer who had no common sense....too darn smart for his own good....all of us kids were raised on the farm but for some reason he never seemed to "get it".

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Originally posted by K&E:
Hey! It's all in fun.....

Of course. Food for thought, too.

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parents to 3 boys under 4....

OH MY GOD!

I had my hands full with two five years apart.

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...all of us kids were raised on the farm but for some reason he never seemed to "get it".

That's an interesting observation. In the Army, when things got sticky, farm boys were usually the best at getting things right again. Hillbillies were the best shots, particularly at moving targets, and Indians were the best spotters of people hiding in the bushes. Interestingly, one of my sons went through both Army and Navy sniper schools, and I asked him about Indians, and he said he had none in either of his classes.

At the airline, farm boys were often the most innovative when a disaster had to be undone.

OH OH...thread drift.

Say what you want about degrees, but I hit the glass ceiling in my late 30s. A MS later and I was recruited to be a company President. A degree has no bearing on intelligence or practical knowledge, but it certainly teaches a level of discipline and protocol.

"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." Harry S. Truman

I thought a PHD was a Post Hole Digger

To best use what you learned in school, you have to respect what others learned in their 'schools' whether it was college or the school of hard knocks. My #1 rule is "Never take yourself too seriously." My #2 rule is "When in doubt, refer to rule #1."

I always ran operations under the Three Rules of the SIberian Salt Mines:

1. Don't take yourself too seriously

2. Don't take the other guy too seriously

3. Never get into a stinking contest with a skunk

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
3. Never get into a stinking contest with a skunk

I'm pretty sure this one had to do with an elephant and a bodily function.

quote:

I'm pretty sure this one had to do with an elephant and a bodily function

or..."You better have long legs if you want to"...do that..."with the big dogs."