need comments on a paper on intellectual snobbery

GWC Community GWC Hive Mind
#1

[I’m looking for comments; this is an emotional issue for me (long and boring story). I figured awesome GWCers could help me root out the whinyness if anyone could. :slight_smile: ]

I recently wrote this blog post on what I feel the basis of human quality to be.

I’m always disturbed when a person complements me for being better then them, simply because I’m smart. I’ve been “invisibly” disabled for all my life, and I’ve always envied construction workers (who work with their hands) over software engineering (which is far more feasible for me but not nearly as fulfilling).

I don’t understand why it’s acceptable to stigmatize a man or a woman for choosing to work with their hands, instead of their conscious mind. The subconscious is amazingly powerful; kinesthetics requires brainpower too, especially when operating gigantic construction rigs that resemble octopi more then machines.

Anyway, I thought this community would be a great place to discuss these issues. Many GWCers are intellectual without being elitist or snobby, and seem to appreciate these issues.

#2

Interesting, although I suspect most GWCers will simply nod in agreement.

#3

To be honest, I’d love it if Audra looked at this. She might know how to fit it into the culture and worldview of DC beltway intellectuals (my eventual target audience). It’s be nice to target political bloggers as well, but we’ve had an outbreak of bigotry among leftwing and rightwing bloggers.

I don’t expect to meet any of these lofty goals anytime soon, but one of my lifes goals is making sure my own children–when I have them–don’t grow up in a country where bigotry is widespread but accepted, so long as you follow the PC rules. Especially in education; my mother had to postpone her life for fifteen years because of unionized educational policies (that left no room for poorly-understood “invisible” disabilities), homeschooling me and my siblings despite the persecution from unions and state politicians.

It may take decades, but surely enough people who think like me can make things better. We just all have to try.

#4

I suddenly had a flashback to early on in GWC days. . .there’s a no politics rule isn’t there. Eek!!

#5

I am amazed by that too. To me what defines an intellectuals is not the type of field they choose to work in or work on. Instead, it is defined by your attitude and approach to that particular work.

If someone who is constantly thinking and working on how to improve their work, then he/she is an intellectual.

If a construction worker is constantly thinking how the work can be done faster/safer/more efficiently/more cost effectively, then he is an intellectual.

If a engineer only want to follow the manual and copy commands and paste previously written codes, run predefined benchmarks, without ever thinking about how it can all be better, then he is not an intellectual.

that’s how i see it.

#6

More of a suggestion, really. Most of us are reasonable enough not to let such discussions get out of hand, so it’s rarely a problem.

#7

Well put.

Yeah, just be respectful.