Is this a common thing?

I work with two girls in their mid-20's and despite being well educated (degrees) and having good jobs are, or at least act, unbelievably thick.

One of them couldn't understand how Northern Ireland and ROI were two different countries.

But it isn't this kind of thickness that i'm questioning; the thing is, when one of them says something thick, the other had to outdo them with an example of how thick they are.

Is being thick a badge of honour amongst the young?

They also both say 'like' far too often but that's a different gripe.

They think it makes them more attractive. Honestly.

I blame reality TV TOWIE and Love Island primarily.

The problem is equating a degree with intelligence post new labour

I once knew a history graduate who didn't know who fought at the Battle of Waterloo.

And there was a man on pointless recently who chose for the final round, "Cold War Politicians" - because he had a history degree, and a PhD in cold war politics. He didn't know a single UK foreign secretary or US secretary of state.

There's a film called "Idiocracy". It's happening!

dsr wrote:I once knew a history graduate who didn't know who fought at the Battle of Waterloo.

And there was a man on pointless recently who chose for the final round, "Cold War Politicians" - because he had a history degree, and a PhD in cold war politics. He didn't know a single UK foreign secretary or US secretary of state.

Its only easy if you know the answer....

dsr wrote:I once knew a history graduate who didn't know who fought at the Battle of Waterloo.

And there was a man on pointless recently who chose for the final round, "Cold War Politicians" - because he had a history degree, and a PhD in cold war politics. He didn't know a single UK foreign secretary or US secretary of state.

History is quite an extensive subject. I wouldn’t expect any history graduate to know the answer to every history question. Not sure how this relates to a lack of intelligence.

Intelligence and knowledge are different. Too many young people thesedays posses neither.

basil6345789 wrote:Intelligence and knowledge are different. Too many young people thesedays posses neither.

I’m pretty sure that young people thesedays [sic] posses [sic] more intelligence and knowledge than young people ever have.

Rileybobs wrote:History is quite an extensive subject. I wouldn’t expect any history graduate to know the answer to every history question. Not sure how this relates to a lack of intelligence.

I would expect any history graduate to know the basics of his subject. Just as every other graduate should know the basics - a pure mathematician should know what the binomial distribution is, an organic chemist should know the properties of water, a French linguist should know how to find Paris on a map.

As for the PhD - how can any institution justify giving a PhD on cold war politics to a man who doesn't know any cold war politicians other than presidents and prime ministers?

dsr wrote:I would expect any history graduate to know the basics of his subject. Just as every other graduate should know the basics - a pure mathematician should know what the binomial distribution is, an organic chemist should know the properties of water, a French linguist should know how to find Paris on a map.

As for the PhD - how can any institution justify giving a PhD on cold war politics to a man who doesn't know any cold war politicians other than presidents and prime ministers?

Everybody is fallible. It isn’t possible to retain all the information that we learn. The history example is particarly poor as it’s the broadest subject possible. How many ‘basics’ are there in history? Should a history graduate be expected to remember who fought in every major battle or conflict since time began?

I’m also not sure that the institution that awarded the Pointless contestant his PhD, when doing so, would have taken into account his ability to remember names whilst in a television studio under intense pressure.

Rileybobs wrote:Everybody is fallible. It isn’t possible to retain all the information that we learn. The history example is particarly poor as it’s the broadest subject possible. How many ‘basics’ are there in history? Should a history graduate be expected to remember who fought in every major battle or conflict since time began?

I’m also not sure that the institution that awarded the Pointless contestant his PhD, when doing so, would have taken into account his ability to remember names whilst in a television studio under intense pressure.

I think knowing that Napoleon was involved in the Battle of Waterloo should be basic knowledge for everyone, not just history graduates. UK based ones, anyway. You need a broad brush knowledge of the whole subject to properly understand the details of your specific field.

You have a point with the TV studio pressure; but he didn't seem to be kicking himself round the studio when the answers came up and they ought to have been really really obvious.

Sorry 11, but as a non-chemist water is actually an inorganic compound. An oxide to be more specific

atlantalad wrote:Sorry 11, but as a non-chemist water is actually an inorganic compound. An oxide to be more specific

That's the point. An organic chemist needs to know the basis of inorganic chemistry as well.

My son, doing seasonal work at the Branksome Beach Cafe, encountered a Swiss girl who didn’t actually know that Britain was involved in WW11. I’m not kidding!

There’s been 11 world wars ?

dermotdermot wrote:My son, doing seasonal work at the Branksome Beach Cafe, encountered a Swiss girl who didn’t actually know that Britain was involved in WW11. I’m not kidding!

I’m willing to bet there’s a few more people that don’t know that

This isn’t a young problem. There are plenty of morons who are not young

The young are not alone in having this, but at least they have time and the willingingness on their side to educate themselves.

Middle aged and old people? Seem to revel in being thick like its a badge of honour these days.

dermotdermot wrote:My son, doing seasonal work at the Branksome Beach Cafe, encountered a Swiss girl who didn’t actually know that Britain was involved in WW11.

Was convinced that this sentence was going to finish “didn’t actually know anything about cheese”.

I'm not sure there's always a willingness to learn. I'm not even sure the lack of knowledge is always genuine. What is the thinking behind pretending to be stupid? There's definitely an element of attention seeking involved.

The recent 'set yourself on fire and post it on YouTube' trend lowered the bar considerably.

I'm actually pleased to note that my 20 yr old (the first in my direct line to go to Uni) is actually far brighter than my elder children, and me probably.

Though she still fails to comprehend that there may be a link between getting rat arsed every student night and losing your phone every student night.

ClaretMoffitt wrote:The problem is equating a degree with intelligence post new labour

Oooooooooh, look, another example of lazy, unjustifiable labelling. You know, the kind you hate so much. Tut tut.

You're having a bit of a 'mare this week, lad.

Never mind, it's Friday and we all know what that means - the pi$$ed up cavalry's on its way !

Cheers !

"Though she still fails to comprehend that there may be a link between getting rat arsed every student night and losing your phone every student night."

My youngest daughter, in her third year at Leeds - brighter than you and me put together, Moffitt, I suspect - is already on her fourth phone, the previous ones having been er, misplaced in exactly the circumstances you describe.

It's the emancipation of the brainless feminine in society, feminism meaning dumbing down to life as trivia, to steamroller all value as the bathos of the lower classes in tandem with a political will for totalitarianism by proxy with the supporting of minorities that shall brook no argument to their being, aided and abetting by social media replacing news, for a mob rule society as the politicians lose the opium war in their bedrooms and boardrooms and the cocaine binge nihilists hold sway.

Ah, yes, that'll be it.

I told you I was right. I've been saying this for years.

Oh good another ageist thread

evensteadiereddie wrote:"Though she still fails to comprehend that there may be a link between getting rat arsed every student night and losing your phone every student night."

My youngest daughter, in her third year at Leeds - brighter than you and me put together, Moffitt, I suspect - is already on her fourth phone, the previous ones having been er, misplaced in exactly the circumstances you describe.

Have you been on the brown stuff? I didn't say that

It's OK, they only cost 79p nowadays. That was the cheapest last time I looked in EE.

If I collect 5 can I afford a Twix in the JHU then?

evensteadiereddie wrote:"Though she still fails to comprehend that there may be a link between getting rat arsed every student night and losing your phone every student night."

My youngest daughter, in her third year at Leeds - brighter than you and me put together, Moffitt, I suspect - is already on her fourth phone, the previous ones having been er, misplaced in exactly the circumstances you describe.

Not that bright then is she?

Garnerssoap wrote:There’s been 11 world wars ?

*There have been 11 World Wars?

My lad as a GCSE in Geography and can find his way unaided to the fridge in the kitchen but he can’t seem to find his way to the sink and the bin in the same ******* kitchen .

It's hardly a new thing, I've seen people proudly saying how bad they are at maths for the past thirty years or so.

Arguably there is less need now to remember reams of facts as it is much easier to find them out in a couple of seconds compared to the past.

ClaretMoffitt wrote:Have you been on the brown stuff? I didn't say that

Who said you did ? Keep up, moron !

The 'mare continues............

I was answering another poster's observation. Jesus wept.

gandhisflipflop wrote:Not that bright then is she?

Debatable.

If losing three phones - or having them nicked - while being plastered in Leeds, at student prices, over three years is a sign of being thick and not careless, fair do's.
If being brilliant at Physics, travelling widely, being well-read and generally being perceptive and level-headed count for nothing then yes again, you know best.
Mind you, using your logic, Ringo - being thick AND a pi$$-artist, is well and truly ******, isn't he ?

There's a reverse snobbery in old people who seem to think a university education is a bad thing. Weird.
You'll get thickos in every generation. This is nothing new.

The kids are alright, although i'm pretty sure they don't give a s**t what grumpy old dinosaurs like us think of their intellect. Maybe their incredible, fast moving IT skills are going to be of more use to them in a world we'll never see, than the ability to recount who won a battle in the 19th century.

Anyway, experts are a bad thing, right? We've had enough of them. Ill informed, prejudiced 'gut feeling' types are what we need.

The point of my OP wasn't to highlight people having a lack of general knowledge, it was more about these two people's attitude to their lack of knowledge.

I find it very weird that they are almost boastful about it and even exaggerate it and asked whether it was common.

Maybe it's just two young women having a laugh. Don't overthink it.

Human beings are regressing quickly, in another 1000 years they'll be dragging their knuckles across the floor.

I was reading about a local Bevin Boy being honoured yesterday. To imagine a 14 year old working, no grafting down a pit, under any circumstances, is laughable.

When I was a teenager and drinking in the pub at 16, fighting was a pasttime. You would never dream of starting on the generation before us, as they were hard as nails. Every generation since has got weaker, mentally as well as physically. I know there are always exceptions, but on the whole the youth of today are pathetic.

They are a generation brought up with full knowledge of their rights, no interest in their responsibilities. Computer games till God knows what time , little exercise and even less fresh air. Red Bull making them hyperactive, but nothing to focus that energy on except the key board of their mobile.

Schooling fell down because of sats and the withdrawing of the cane. Discipline is essential to learning. It only takes one arsehole to disrupt a class and everyone suffers. School sports days cancelled, because nobody is allowed to be a loser. So everyone loses. Teachers more concerned with school inspectors than the pupils. Successive Governments watering down exams in order to appear to be improving education. It's a load of ********.

This country gets it wrong in so many ways, because the politicians can't see the wood for the trees.

Maybe they are pulling your chain, and talk about the economic effects of the pottery industry in Saxony during the 17th century (amongst other things) while you are not in the office?

Colburn_Claret wrote:Human beings are regressing quickly, in another 1000 years they'll be dragging their knuckles across the floor.

I was reading about a local Bevin Boy being honoured yesterday. To imagine a 14 year old working, no grafting down a pit, under any circumstances, is laughable.

When I was a teenager and drinking in the pub at 16, fighting was a pasttime. You would never dream of starting on the generation before us, as they were hard as nails. Every generation since has got weaker, mentally as well as physically. I know there are always exceptions, but on the whole the youth of today are pathetic.

They are a generation brought up with full knowledge of their rights, no interest in their responsibilities. Computer games till God knows what time , little exercise and even less fresh air. Red Bull making them hyperactive, but nothing to focus that energy on except the key board of their mobile.

Schooling fell down because of sats and the withdrawing of the cane. Discipline is essential to learning. It only takes one arsehole to disrupt a class and everyone suffers. School sports days cancelled, because nobody is allowed to be a loser. So everyone loses. Teachers more concerned with school inspectors than the pupils. Successive Governments watering down exams in order to appear to be improving education. It's a load of ********.

This country gets it wrong in so many ways, because the politicians can't see the wood for the trees.

Quite possibly the biggest load of revisionist ******** ever posted on here and that is a bold claim to make because there have been some whoppingly bad takes in the past. Go and boil your head.

Rileybobs wrote:I’m pretty sure that young people thesedays [sic] posses [sic] more intelligence and knowledge than young people ever have.

Knowledge, in theory, although, everything is on the distribution spectrum. Same with intelligence measure.

When people are looking up to the type of thickets that appear on 'Love Island' and 'Towie' who have no talent and are often illiterate they want to be like them.

evensteadiereddie wrote:Debatable.

If losing three phones - or having them nicked - while being plastered in Leeds, at student prices, over three years is a sign of being thick and not careless, fair do's.
If being brilliant at Physics, travelling widely, being well-read and generally being perceptive and level-headed count for nothing then yes again, you know best.
Mind you, using your logic, Ringo - being thick AND a pi$$-artist, is well and truly ******, isn't he ?

I'd debate that having common sense is a sign of intelligence also but each to their own.

Indeed.



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Colburn_Claret wrote:Human beings are regressing quickly, in another 1000 years they'll be dragging their knuckles across the floor.

I was reading about a local Bevin Boy being honoured yesterday. To imagine a 14 year old working, no grafting down a pit, under any circumstances, is laughable.

When I was a teenager and drinking in the pub at 16, fighting was a pasttime. You would never dream of starting on the generation before us, as they were hard as nails. Every generation since has got weaker, mentally as well as physically. I know there are always exceptions, but on the whole the youth of today are pathetic.

They are a generation brought up with full knowledge of their rights, no interest in their responsibilities. Computer games till God knows what time , little exercise and even less fresh air. Red Bull making them hyperactive, but nothing to focus that energy on except the key board of their mobile.

Schooling fell down because of sats and the withdrawing of the cane. Discipline is essential to learning. It only takes one arsehole to disrupt a class and everyone suffers. School sports days cancelled, because nobody is allowed to be a loser. So everyone loses. Teachers more concerned with school inspectors than the pupils. Successive Governments watering down exams in order to appear to be improving education. It's a load of ********.

This country gets it wrong in so many ways, because the politicians can't see the wood for the trees.

An astonishing - in a terrible way - tirade. You don't know many young people, I take it. It's maybe just as well.