Justification for Smartness

[Thyunda]

Anyhow, I completely forgot what I was talking about in the first place. Uh. Oh yeah! He asks me how to get ahead with his music...but if I give him advice, he disregards it entirely, unless I tell him to do what he's already doing. I do want him to get ahead. It just frustrates me that I do know what's best and that I can't persuade him to trust me. I just need somebody to help me teach him that mimicking and exaggerating the current music charts is not going to get him anywhere. I don't want to teach him facts, so to speak, I want to open him to facts. If I'm making sense.

But if he wants to do Pop music why not let him? Granted it doesn't sound like he'd be good at it if you wrote his only good songs and he lacks charisma, songwriting and charisma are extremely important in most music and maybe most of all so in Pop.

Tell him that very few people who try suceeds at music and that he has to learn to live in normal life it doesn't work out. Even the sucessfull ones tend to have to work normal jobs before they reach it.

Show him some interviews of smart popstars to point out that you need reasoning and knowledge to get ahead even in music, managers won't always be around to hold his hand. Especially not in the beginning.

That's just some ideas of the top of my head.

Because he's going nowhere with it right now. But, his belief is that charisma consists of fake smiles and sycophancy, so it's no good telling him its necessary. He's been taught that he has it. I don't know who the hell taught him all this stuff, but they've taught him wrong. Another bloody reason I hate acting schools. Acting cannot be taught. T'is a talent you either have or you don't.
Now if he accepted what I'm trying to teach him. I'm genuinely trying to help him. As somebody who is seriously not a fan of the pop industry, I'll look at it objectively. Autotune is a big no-no. You can use auto-tune as a gimmick, like T-Pain, but it cannot be used to replace talent. Justin Bieber is getting by on being young, 'adorable' and fresh-faced. Everybody's dream, eh? And all the teenage girls think he's to die for. Nobody really likes his music. They just like him.
My cousin is older than Bieber, and has nowhere near the childlike appeal. That one's out of the question.
Now why should anybody spend money on autotune if it comes from an uncharismatic source? Now my cousin can sing. I know he can. He DOES have a talent for music. He just needs to demonstrate that singing, and not believe that the world wants to hear autotune. Because it doesn't. Y'know what I mean, right? I'm telling him the world wants talent, and he's countering it by saying the world loves to hear autotune.

 

[Thyunda]

snip

Heh, reminds me of my friend and I. He's in between university years studying history. I haven't done history for three years. We indulge in debates about the world wars quite frequently. It's really quite fun. They go so quick...it starts with a lengthy point about something, then devolves into quickfire Q&A. He always wins. I manage to hold my own for a good ten questions, but some time after that, I'll get one wrong, and he'll tell me so, and the argument ends with a yell of 'FUCK!'

 

[Trolldor]

Why justify it?

Anybody who does not take pleasure in knowledge for knowledge's sake is not worth trying to educate.
There is an entire world of wonder out there, of useless trivia and revelatory beauty.
If you have no interest in that then you can fuck right off accomplishing nothing for the rest of your life.

 

[ChaoticKraus]

snip

Yeah i understand what you mean. But wasn't this thread about trying to knock some brains into his head? That was what i tried to give suggestions for anyway.

Auto-tune is really used because it has a nice sound that happens to have become very popular right now, it's a trend basically. Tell him that he will be left in the dust when the trend blows over and that he has to have other talents/skills if he wants to survive. Besides no-one is going to get famous by using auto-tune, it has been done so many times.

That's my assesment and suggestion for what to say. If he wants to do music and you want to help him improve i'd suggest asking for advice in BonsaiK's "Curious about the music industry" thread. He works at a label and probably knows the do's and dont's of any given genre.

 

[Thyunda]

snip

Yeah i understand what you mean. But wasn't this thread about trying to knock some brains into his head? That was what i tried to give suggestions for anyway.

Auto-tune is really used because it has a nice sound that happens to have become very popular right now, it's a trend basically. Tell him that he will be left in the dust when the trend blows over and that he has to have other talents/skills if he wants to survive. Besides no-one is going to get famous by using auto-tune, it has been done so many times.

That's my assesment and suggestion for what to say. If he wants to do music and you want to help him improve i'd suggest asking for advice in BonsaiK's "Curious about the music industry" thread. He works at a label and probably knows the do's and dont's of any given genre.

Brains are always useful though. I mean, if I can handle his audience so well that he has to keep coming to me for help, and I have literally no credibility in the music industry, then clearly my aptitude for learning is having a huge benefit. Brains are humanity's most important asset, since intelligence can be applied to absolutely anything. My need is for somebody to help me open his mind to learning...after all, you never know when you might need a random, pointless fact.

 

[Squallie Greenthumb]

It's a strange world out there when it comes to knowledge and who has it and who doesn't. I dropped out of high school and whenever I tell people that they always assume I'm dumb or that it was too hard for me (and being a proud pot smoker doesn't help that either). Yet I have more knowledge than a lot of my friends who graduated college. I'm just one of those lucky people who completely soaks up and retains everything I've ever learned which made the school system extremely frustrating for me. Being taught my times tables over and over again from 2nd grade until 8th was too much for me to put up with.

A large percentage of people who make it all the way through school just viewed it as a necessary step in life. What they were being taught in class wasn't knowledge it was just the answers to a test that was coming up that they needed to pass in order to move on to the next step. Then there was college where their parents paid for them to party and go through the whole "memorize to move on" thing all over again. But now that they're done with that and have their career, or are attempting to find it, almost everything they learned is gone. Yes the person who thought Europe was a country did at one point know differently but like they said it has nothing to do with their life now so why should they care?

The idea that knowledge is important is not something everybody has and unfortunately they never will so don't bother trying to force them. Just enjoy laughing at the Tufts graduate who fills out a job application saying "i relly want work for ur company".

 

[ace_of_something]

He sounds like my little sister. She's determined to not be "normal" by going to college and getting "an office job." She says college wouldn't teach her how to do her job, so there's no point in going. So she's going to be a makeup artist for fashion models/celebrities and just get a sugar daddy. All she watches is trash TV.

Basically, I don't try to push anything on her, because my parents have tried that already, and it only makes her resist more. I just talk about awesome experiences in college, all of the free money I get for going, etc. Now she's decided she's going to go too--but just for her associates. And if that works out, maybe she'll go higher.

And if she doesn't do anything? Well, I can't stop her. The sad fact is, sometimes you have to let people make mistakes. And when your cousin gets a taste of reality, he'll likely own up to it (assuming you don't rub it in).

However, if he really does listen to reach, try finding statistics for what he's trying to do. Show him his odds of hitting it big. Let professionals in his field tell him what you've been trying to, and maybe he'll listen.

You can also point out that artists use common knowledge for inspiration and innovation all the time, and point out examples in his field.

Tell her she could get a theater degree like nearly all makeup artists have. I do mean nearly all. Most theaters/studios won't hire a makeup artist without a portfolio you can't get a portfolio unless you get jobs. Can't get jobs without experience. How do you get XP? By taking drama, theater tech, and college courses where they are more or less forced to give you some work to build a portfolio.

That being said not EVERYONE needs to go to college this is a misconception that is part of the reason the job market it made of a basket of farts.

 

[ChaoticKraus]

Brains are always useful though.

I definitely agree, and i have posted my suggestions for trying to open his mind. Good luck!

 

[Thyunda]

Why justify it?

Anybody who does not take pleasure in knowledge for knowledge's sake is not worth trying to educate.
There is an entire world of wonder out there, of useless trivia and revelatory beauty.
If you have no interest in that then you can fuck right off accomplishing nothing for the rest of your life.

I can't let that happen to somebody when I have the power to stop it. Especially not my own cousin. We're not a close family, but we do look out for each other. I really don't want him to make a mess of things. I understand people not getting as fascinated as I do, but I can't understand why anybody would deliberately shut it out.

 

[Trolldor]

Why justify it?

Anybody who does not take pleasure in knowledge for knowledge's sake is not worth trying to educate.
There is an entire world of wonder out there, of useless trivia and revelatory beauty.
If you have no interest in that then you can fuck right off accomplishing nothing for the rest of your life.

I can't let that happen to somebody when I have the power to stop it. Especially not my own cousin. We're not a close family, but we do look out for each other. I really don't want him to make a mess of things. I understand people not getting as fascinated as I do, but I can't understand why anybody would deliberately shut it out.

You won't get him interested in something he has no interest in.
If he's big on music, approach him through music. Talk to him about bands from different regions if they play in the genre he likes.

 

[richd213]

I bring you a cure for your problems

http://www.sporcle.com/

 

[Thyunda]

Why justify it?

Anybody who does not take pleasure in knowledge for knowledge's sake is not worth trying to educate.
There is an entire world of wonder out there, of useless trivia and revelatory beauty.
If you have no interest in that then you can fuck right off accomplishing nothing for the rest of your life.

I can't let that happen to somebody when I have the power to stop it. Especially not my own cousin. We're not a close family, but we do look out for each other. I really don't want him to make a mess of things. I understand people not getting as fascinated as I do, but I can't understand why anybody would deliberately shut it out.

You won't get him interested in something he has no interest in.
If he's big on music, approach him through music. Talk to him about bands from different regions if they play in the genre he likes.

I think the popular music right now is pretty much dominated by the United States...and he already sees the US as the Timbuktu of the entertainment industry. I'd rather not reinforce the notion that the metaphorical city of gold is all that matters in the music industry.

 

[Thyunda]

Yeah, but that's what agents are for, right? Or..perhaps...'nerdy' cousins who just happen to look like a freaking genius compared to you.

That doesnt always work, look at lady gaga. Im sure she has some really intelligent agents but that didnt stop her from going bankrupt.

Lady GaGa went bankrupt? Oh. That sucks. I like Lady GaGa.

 

[GrimHeaper]

Yeah, but that's what agents are for, right? Or..perhaps...'nerdy' cousins who just happen to look like a freaking genius compared to you.

That doesnt always work, look at lady gaga. Im sure she has some really intelligent agents but that didnt stop her from going bankrupt.

Lady GaGa went bankrupt? Oh. That sucks. I like Lady GaGa.

olalalal rarara shshahsahsa asmabinladainalalalal

Now, most of us are probably thinking, "Why the hell do I have to justify being smart?"

Well, I'm sure we've all come up against that knowledge barrier. You know the one. "I don't care about geography, so why would I have to know that Europe isn't a country?"
So how would you justify spreading this knowledge? Why would that stupid blonde whose only desire is to become a fashion model actually need to know any of this stuff?
I ask because I'm desperate. My cousin thinks he's a musician, and he auto-tunes the shit out of his music. He is going nowhere. And yet, he still neglects common knowledge. For obvious reasons, this is bad. Anybody that has been to both France and America, and yet thinks Paris in in Florida, clearly has problems.
I want him to at least gain a bit of worldly knowledge...just so he still has a fighting chance at real life. But, he is set on pop music, and has literally no interest in learning anything. He's a year younger than me. I finished school three years ago. He's still in the year before last.

So, the discussion here: What examples of stupid have you experienced, and how do you go about justifying the fact that stupidity is bad?

Sounds like a pseudo intellectual to me.
Pimp slap him with your mind till he has no choice, but to see his own flaw.

 

[Jegsimmons]

so i dont become frustrated enough to strangle your dumbass.

thats my justification.

 

[norwegian-guy]

Knowledge should be desired for the sake of knowledge. To shun knowledge on the argument that one does not need it is as foolish as it gets.