How important is education in your SO?

[Mme. Chaucer]

For a woman, a man's education and intelligence level is irrelevant. If he has money she doesn't care how smart he is or what he does.

 

Have you ever heard of a drug dealer who didn't have a harem of women?

 

 

Wait ... you don't actually KNOW any women. How come you suddenly can speak for all of us?

[spookie]

Even though I have a degree, the 3 years I spent in college were wasted on drinking and having emotional problems. For that matter, so were the 4 years I spent in high school. If you consider attendance, you could probably say my formal education ended when I graduated 8th grade.

 

That said, I must value learning a little, since I've always been an avid reader, and I've managed to acquire enough math skills to hack a decent living as an actuary.

 

My bf graduated with an engineering degree with highest honors from a prestigious state school, and is going to a top university for grad school. However, IMO, what shapes his personality most, and what I'm most attracted to, is his hillbilly background. I love how down-to-earth he is despite his middle-class realness, how good he is with his hands.

 

I am happy to say that educational background was not a consideration for either of us when we got together.

[marsle85]

I sympathize, but i'm sorry- the posts regarding those without college education aren't realistic. I understand having a degree does not equate having intelligence. But it certainly implies it. The majority of people who do have a degree, have a significantly greater probability of being successful and financially apt. There are always the exceptions.

 

There are countless correlations pairing with increased years of education: longevity, mental health, financial comfortability, sexual health, etc.

[marsle85]

Having a bunch of degrees is not a prerequisite for a high income....

 

I know this, and also commented on it. I value success and growth of the mind- not number of degrees. It just so happens however, number of degrees is also correlated with what I favor.

[Engadget]

I sympathize, but i'm sorry- the posts regarding those without college education aren't realistic. I understand having a degree does not equate having intelligence. But it certainly implies it. The majority of people who do have a degree, have a significantly greater probability of being successful and financially apt. There are always the exceptions.

 

There are countless correlations pairing with increased years of education: longevity, mental health, financial comfortability, sexual health, etc.

 

How many of these go along with the class said person was born into, or the amount of money they had growing up? Any of those factors can be attributed to not being born poor, not even counting education.

 

The richer you are, the more likely it is you'll be educated. No offense there marsle, you're coming off as quite the snob.

[kassy]

How many of these go along with the class said person was born into, or the amount of money they had growing up? Any of those factors can be attributed to not being born poor, not even counting education.

 

The richer you are, the more likely it is you'll be educated. No offense there marsle, you're coming off as quite the snob.

 

Agreed.......

[TheBigQuestion]

I'd venture to say that marsle has been coming across as a tad materialistic/money-obsessed in this thread as well.

[sigurpol]

How many of these go along with the class said person was born into, or the amount of money they had growing up? Any of those factors can be attributed to not being born poor, not even counting education.

 

The richer you are, the more likely it is you'll be educated. No offense there marsle, you're coming off as quite the snob.

 

Thank you.

 

+1

[VertexSquared]

Sorry but I have to defend marsle here because I totally know where she's coming from.

 

I feel like people get really defensive over this subject when they don't need to be. It's not I would say "You absolutely must have a degree because otherwise you must be unintelligent" -- it's that having a certain progression in your educational track IS correlated with a variety of other traits.

 

I'll be the first to toss in another wrench to this argument and open up a new can of worms: I typically date highly-educated Asian females because I find them to be more intelligent on average and more aesthetically pleasing and in line with my general interests/mindset. Does this mean I find non-Asians "inferior"? No. Would I date a non-Asian? Yes, if she were just as aesthetically pleasing and had a comparably great personality and intellect. Would I date someone without a degree? Yes.

 

The fact is, though, that my preferences are the way they are simply because they're very highly correlated with what I like in a woman on a personal/mental level. This isn't to say that these traits can't be found in non-Asians or non-graduates, but they are much fewer in number. That's just the honest truth from what I've found empirically. Over the years I've found out what kind of girl I click with, and they all have certain key factors in common. Therefore, these key factors are typically effective indicators. To say that we want these indicators is not to imply that the underlying traits can't be found in people who lack such indicators.

 

The "outlier" argument is just bogus, too, by the way. I came from a very humble background: My father grew up without a college education and was an extremely hard-working man, and for this reason, neither of my parents wanted to support me going to college "because my dad was able to do it, so I should be able to as well." It's a totally fallacious argument that's a perfect example of confirmation bias. If you're going to acknowledge one person who was able to make it to income level X without college, then you also must acknowledge the countless others without college that *aren't* anywhere near X, otherwise you aren't being honest with the data.

 

You don't *need* a degree to be successful. But it's a crapton harder. Degrees open doors -- otherwise you'll find yourself needing to plow through a lot of wood to get to where you want to go. You can be intelligent and not go to college, but it's dishonest to imply that having degrees isn't correlated with overall intelligence (or even g-loading, for you psych junkies out there).

Edited June 8, 2010 by VertexSquared

[Zed]

Bill Gates doesnt have a degree. is he not smart? alot of famous people never had degrees. you cant equate a degree to intelligence.if when you talk to them and all you hear is "DUUUUURRRR durrr durrr" then nah craig. Plenty of people go to college to party or forced by parents. not education.

 

I do agree to some extent. Everyone knows dumb people with degrees.

 

Still although IQ has a narrow correlation with success, Bill Gates IQ is 160, around the same as purported by Einstein. Thus Bill Gates didn’t need to finish his Harvard education. He already was exposed to computers at a young age and was linked to like minded visionaries that enable him to make billions.

 

Another wildly successful college drop-out is Steve Jobs—only attended Reed College for one semester. But he also had a high IQ in which he skipped a grade. After school he was attending lectures at HP. But like Gates, he always had an interest in computers and engineering from an early age.

 

I think that is the difference for a lot of very successful types with no college degree. They are already highly gifted, inventive, and risk takers. Obviously not everyone can be that way—those types are unusual—they shouldn’t be the gold standard of what a college drop out can do since not everyone is gifted and inventive like them. The right kind of degree is always helpful for the average to above average types with gumption and drive.

 

Of course, how you educate yourself and enrich yourself really has no bearing on what type of job and education allows you to do. The key chracteristics are openeness, native intelligence and they can be achieved without a degree. And being as how the economy has changed and will reverberate for years, there are going to be a lot more smart, undereducated people who may not have the funds to pursue an Ivy or Public degree.

[Ihavenoidea]

All I have to say is have fun getting a master degree while I make my $55 an hour. LOL

 

"Education" is way overrated. I could finish college but realized that I wasnt learning anything that I didnt already know through RL experience.

 

My brother feels the same way, hes been a cop for 20 years, decided to get his degree in criminal justice and has literally learned nothing.

 

the only thing we will get is a piece of paper that really means nothing because we already have jobs and wont have a problem finding a job, and out work experience speaks louder than that piece of paper.

 

I believe the only "real" education is for those who actually need it to apply to there jobs. For example, Speech Language Pathologists.

 

I like how most people I know have a job completely unrelated to there degree.

Edited June 8, 2010 by Ihavenoidea

[Lakeside_runner]

All I have to say is have fun getting a master degree while I make my $55 an hour. LOL

 

"Education" is way overrated. I could finish college but realized that I wasnt learning anything that I didnt already know through RL experience.

 

I believe the only "real" education is for those who actually need it to apply to there jobs. For example, Speech Language Pathologists.

 

I like how most people I know have a job completely unrelated to there degree.

 

...and yet you say "there" instead of "their"... - grammar is overrated .

 

Education is not overrated if the person pursuing a degree does it for themselves, meaning they do it because they actually enjoy studying the topic. You are right - sometimes a degree is necessary in order to perform certain professions but a diploma in itself is meaningless.

[VertexSquared]

...and yet you say "there" instead of "their"... - grammar is overrated .

 

Education is not overrated if the person pursuing a degree does it for themselves, meaning they do it because they actually enjoy studying the topic. You are right - sometimes a degree is necessary in order to perform certain professions but a diploma in itself is meaningless.

 

Agreed.

 

I use a lot of what I learned on the job -- very heavily so.

[Engadget]

Agreed.

 

I use a lot of what I learned on the job -- very heavily so.

 

That's the thing that irks me about education and employment at times. They will lay off someone who's worked a job for 20 years for someone with no work experiences and a degree. I guarantee the guy who's been there 20 years knows more, but they know they can pay the new guy way, way less and get away with it.

[Ihavenoidea]

...and yet you say "there" instead of "their"... - grammar is overrated .

 

Education is not overrated if the person pursuing a degree does it for themselves, meaning they do it because they actually enjoy studying the topic. You are right - sometimes a degree is necessary in order to perform certain professions but a diploma in itself is meaningless.

 

Even though I know the difference between: there, their and they're.

 

That is more a matter of typing than applying.

 

I can agree with your statment, perhaps I meant "overrated" as in people judge too much on them.

[jackson30]

A undergrad degree is suppose to expose you to lots of different areas. It's not just a technical program designed to teach you specific job skills.

 

Hopefully you will learn skills such as how to learn, how to think and analyze and attack problems. How to write, how to think logically. Skills that will help you in most career fields.

[Ihavenoidea]

A undergrad degree is suppose to expose you to lots of different areas. It's not just a technical program designed to teach you specific job skills.

 

Hopefully you will learn skills such as how to learn, how to think and analyze and attack problems. How to write, how to think logically. Skills that will help you in most career fields.

 

from what I have seen most people gain critical thinking skills and lose most of their common sense skills, we are now plagued as a society of over analyzing everything and over emphesis on poltical correctness

[carhill]

I guarantee the guy who's been there 20 years knows more, but they know they can pay the new guy way, way less and get away with it.

 

A business in a growth mode needs to turn over employees regularly to keep labor costs competitive. There are actually formulas for this. A friend of mine who advises other business owners on strategic growth was talking to me about this subject last weekend. I was fascinated that one would actually want to get rid of an 'old timer' who has tons of skill and knowledge to prune a 'mature' workforce. That's something many of the 'youngsters' with college degrees here haven't faced yet. IIRC, at his company, aging runs 80/20 in non-management positions, meaning 80% of the employees have been with the company less than five years. They track performance metrics and discharge employees selectively as they reach maturity. They also track vendor performance. No one is immune

 

So, in this environment, IMO a quality education is a plus, because it provides a broad range of background and training in critical thinking skills as well as methodologies beneficial when job/career seeking, besides the obvious benefit of 'having a degree'. One can have all those attributes without a degree, but the degree is universally recognized as a specific achievement and hence valued by some people when looking for a life partner.

[Ihavenoidea]

That's the thing that irks me about education and employment at times. They will lay off someone who's worked a job for 20 years for someone with no work experiences and a degree. I guarantee the guy who's been there 20 years knows more, but they know they can pay the new guy way, way less and get away with it.

 

I agree they do lay people off and hire a young guy

 

But I disagree with the later, My mom worked for a company for 35 years and they woundt give her a raise at ALL and she couldnt quit as she was closing in on retirment.

 

EVERYONE hired after her was paid MORE because they would not have taken the job for less, they had to advertise the positions higher otherwise no one would take them.

 

Same applies with me I was hired into a position without a degree taking over someone who did have a degree and more experience and I was actually making 20k more than him, True Story

Edited June 8, 2010 by Ihavenoidea

[marsle85]

How many of these go along with the class said person was born into, or the amount of money they had growing up? Any of those factors can be attributed to not being born poor, not even counting education.

 

The richer you are, the more likely it is you'll be educated. No offense there marsle, you're coming off as quite the snob.

 

While there are countless ways to find success, education is reliable channel to do so. I know this because my lifestyle would probably differ from what you'd imagine. My parents haven't even graduated from college. They both work blue-collar jobs. Regardless, they make a considerable income, and rank higher economically than your traditional middle class. Do I reap the benefits of my parents hard work? Sure, I live at home and they have paid for my undergraduate studies. However, i'm a full-time student and work 30 hrs a week. I pay for my insurance, car, repairs, cellphone, etc. I'm far from spoiled. As a college student, I'm far from money-obsessed... I don't HAVE any. I'm not going to apologize for knowing and appreciating a method to establish my own wellbeing, though.

 

There are countless correlations pairing with increased years of education: longevity, mental health, financial comfortability, sexual health, etc.

If you think I assume these factors (and intelligence) are solely due to wealth, or education- you're wrong. Forgive me, I am using scientific terminology to explain my otherwise common, and hardly out-of-the-ordinary point: education often provides and encourages many traits that I find desirable. Any rational-minded thinker understands the benefits of an education... and by "education" I mean learning, not simply receiving a degree.

[Ihavenoidea]

no offense but car repairs, insurance and cell phone bills dont come close to paying your own rent and utility bills.

 

You might not have any money but you also have a support structure that doesnt require you to have any either. The car and cell phone and the like turn into a luxery because you have food on the table and a roof over your head that is provided to you.

 

"education" defined as "learning" is interesting because we are ALWAYS learning just not in the form of a structured organized fashion. So ultimately you are judging someone whether they have a degree or not because we are all constantly learning

Edited June 8, 2010 by Ihavenoidea

[VertexSquared]

no offense but car repairs, insurance and cell phone bills dont come close to paying your own rent and utility bills.

 

You might not have any money but you also have a support structure that doesnt require you to have any either. The car and cell phone and the like turn into a luxery because you have food on the table and a roof over your head that is provided to you.

 

"education" defined as "learning" is interesting because we are ALWAYS learning just not in the form of a structured organized fashion. So ultimately you are judging someone whether they have a degree or not because we are all constantly learning

 

While I don't discredit marsle I do agree with this. I did not have a car/insurance/decent cell phone/etc in college because I couldn't afford it. I was too busy paying for food, tuition, housing, clothing, travel, etc. Until one is truly on their own without any family support, I don't think people know how hard it can be.

 

At any rate, the degree does facilitate a lot of learning. I'd rather date someone who is on a similar life track to my own.

[norajane]

I feel bad for all the people here who say they went to college and got nothing out of it. I cannot say the same - I got all kinds of things out of it.

 

For the first time, I was exposed to people from all walks of life from all over the country and international students as well. It was a rich environment to learn from others as well as to learn about others, both in cultural, economic, and social terms.

 

I learned the basics of some core fields which enable me to understand why the Hubble telescope needed glasses, how Kate had 8 and why none of her children are blonde or blue-eyed, how some "green" technologies may not be as "green" as we would be led to believe, the origins and intricacies of our actions and politics in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, the urban policies and economics that led to either dying cities or revitalization and renewal, the literature which has spawned so many movies (I've read the book!), the religious beliefs of many cultures which are the source of so much of our historical and current challenges, the effect of our monetary policy and the role of the Federal Reserve, and how to read and manipulate all the spreadsheets I use on a daily basis in my job.

 

In addition, I learned how to break down a problem and solve each incremental piece in order to resolve the whole, break down an argument and structure and argument, say the same thing to 5 different audiences in 5 different ways, write everything from executive summaries to published articles, and how to think and see from different perspectives.

 

And I learned to appreciate light and shadow and color and texture and music and dance and improv and volunteer work and foods and how to live among people who are different from me. And I learned to juggle all my school responsibilities along with jobs to help pay for all this.

 

I really, really feel sorry for people who got nothing out of their education.

[Ihavenoidea]

I feel bad for all the people here who say they went to college and got nothing out of it. I cannot say the same - I got all kinds of things out of it.

 

For the first time, I was exposed to people from all walks of life from all over the country and international students as well. It was a rich environment to learn from others as well as to learn about others, both in cultural, economic, and social terms.

 

I learned the basics of some core fields which enable me to understand why the Hubble telescope needed glasses, how Kate had 8 and why none of her children are blonde or blue-eyed, how some "green" technologies may not be as "green" as we would be led to believe, the origins and intricacies of our actions and politics in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, the urban policies and economics that led to either dying cities or revitalization and renewal, the literature which has spawned so many movies (I've read the book!), the religious beliefs of many cultures which are the source of so much of our historical and current challenges, the effect of our monetary policy and the role of the Federal Reserve, and how to read and manipulate all the spreadsheets I use on a daily basis in my job.

 

In addition, I learned how to break down a problem and solve each incremental piece in order to resolve the whole, break down an argument and structure and argument, say the same thing to 5 different audiences in 5 different ways, write everything from executive summaries to published articles, and how to think and see from different perspectives.

 

And I learned to appreciate light and shadow and color and texture and music and dance and improv and volunteer work and foods and how to live among people who are different from me. And I learned to juggle all my school responsibilities along with jobs to help pay for all this.

 

I really, really feel sorry for people who got nothing out of their education.

 

 

I think the argument is that people learn this through experience, I learned the exact same thing and it didnt take a 4 year University to do it. The difference is people assume that becase you dont have a degree you havent learned what they have.

 

I am not speaking about anyone here but from my personal experience people with degrees tend to be more ignorant than thoughs without.

[Engadget]

Yeah I know more from my own curiousity than college ever taught me. I own hundreds of books and am constantly researching and studying new subjects on my own. My last poli sci class I didn't even study for, and had the best grades in the class.

 

My issue with most colleges is they try to teach everyone the same, which doesn't work. Not everyone learns the same, or wants to learn the same things. I despise math with every fiber of my being and beyond the basics, am never going to use it for example.