Why Are People Willfully Ignorant?

[GHMonkey]

nicley stated generalization. yep, all us that you would consider jocks are all knuckle dragging dumbfucks who have an instant leg up no matter where we go. i don't know where you went to school but it sure as hell didnt fly where i went and go.yeah, just like any other groups of people there are going to be vocal idiots amongst them.i think its just a bias everyone has though, jocks see some of the gamers and assume that they are very geeky, no girlfriend, and play world of warcraft where as the gamers see the jocks as a step abouve glorified cave men.

 

[Icehearted]

I think that the internet may have something to do with most of this, but then it's a "chicken or the egg" question.

Were people already by and large the creatures described by the OP before the internet, but because of the internet's vast networking capabilities they found acceptance among their numbers and became "un-closeted"?

Or did the fads of poor grammar, lazy writing (ur =| you're, your and you're are not the same words), and just flat out ignorance become so normalized by the internet's vast networking capabilities that people just stopped caring?

I used spelling and grammar as an example, and have greatly over-simplified my thoughts to make this point.

 

[Sketchy]

I think people in general are ignorant. I don't claim to be the most intelligent person in the world (too often), but some people just REALLY annoy me.

So for the most part, I agree with you. But it's not necessarily the "jock and whore" culture, it's just sometimes I swear I'm the only person in my school with any sort of common sense.

 

[Kubanator]

I just feel the need to point out there are so many different types of intelligence. Even the humble football jock has to make hundreds of decisions in a game. He has to use his spatial awareness, cognitive abillity, hand eye co-ordination, and maintain focus on the strategy of a game whilst playing a role in a team effort. Then add all his speed, agillity, stamina and strength into the mix all working in real-time and you have quite a capable human being (for playing football at least). A football game probably taxes on his brain more than he actually allows it to be taxed when say engaging in a political debate, because this is what stimulates him. He probably doesn't care about politics and this is fine. But he's going to be a much better football player than your average politician. We all find things that stimulate us mentally and I think it is unfair and quite simply ignorant to assume a persons intelligence based on what their interests are.

If he chooses to act like a dick after his big game, well frankly that's not your problem and you should concentrate on your interests instead of judging others on theirs.

A football player doesn't think. He acts on training. He's been told to do certain actions under certain conditions, all he has to do is remember them, which he does because he practices them 24/7. To say that experiential actions require thought is to say that up is down.

Intelligence is the ability to extrapolate based on previous evidence. For example, if I flick a switch and a light turns on, I rationalize that the switch controls the light. A football player does not do this. He does not make plays on the fly, he does not think of trajectory, he simply throws it in the way that it always worked. Also, hand-eye co-ordination is not a form of intelligence. It's your awareness of position of your limbs.

http://www.aele.org/law/2008FPAUG/wb-19.pdf

 

[clericwithnolife31]

I often "liek" to wonder why the topic writer didn't press the "preview" button before he or she posted this topic. meh

 

[FROGGEman2]

So many grammar/spelling mistakes...

I think you're being judgmental. These people may not be as ignorant as you perceive them to be.

 

[theultimateend]

Ignorance is bliss.

Which is why religion in general is so popular.

Why attempt to confront the mysteries of life and possibly have unsettling realizations when you could simply ignore it all and smile.

The shame being that each time you are confronted with a conundrum that you attempt to solve you do literally get better at thinking and overall become smarter.

So many grammar/spelling mistakes...

I think you're being judgmental. These people may not be as ignorant as you perceive them to be.

I have worked retail off and on for a half decade (College needs some side money)...trust me...they really are.

During the Windows 7 switch our store hasn't had that many PC's because of a few financial reasons. I had at least twice daily people walk in and ask "So nobody makes PC's anymore?"

The best response I came up with once (jokingly) was "Nope. Everyone uses Iphones now."

I just feel the need to point out there are so many different types of intelligence. Even the humble football jock has to make hundreds of decisions in a game. He has to use his spatial awareness, cognitive abillity, hand eye co-ordination, and maintain focus on the strategy of a game whilst playing a role in a team effort. Then add all his speed, agillity, stamina and strength into the mix all working in real-time and you have quite a capable human being (for playing football at least). A football game probably taxes on his brain more than he actually allows it to be taxed when say engaging in a political debate, because this is what stimulates him. He probably doesn't care about politics and this is fine. But he's going to be a much better football player than your average politician. We all find things that stimulate us mentally and I think it is unfair and quite simply ignorant to assume a persons intelligence based on what their interests are.

If he chooses to act like a dick after his big game, well frankly that's not your problem and you should concentrate on your interests instead of judging others on theirs.

Muscle Memory != Thinking.

I used to spar, I would be in a fight for a full minute or so where myself and another person are kicking and punching (as well as your various grunts or take downs). I don't remember most of any fight. I basically went into the fight and just 'felt it' all the way through. It was largely trained muscle memory responses that had little to do with my brain. I'm sure the vast majority of reactions came from impulses at the spinal level.

Same with a few sports I've played in. Most of the best players tended to respond with "I dunno" when asked what they think about during the game.

Dogs don't do physics problems in their heads when they are catching a frisby and neither do humans.

 

[IxionIndustries]

I can't relate any more.

Ignorant people make me wanna kill the neighborhood kitten.

Heh... After reading your post and looking at your avatar.. It made me chuckle.

OT: I don't understand it either, and I honestly don't want to even try anymore.
I'll just go along with my life and let assholes be assholes... Just keep me the fuck out of it.

EDIT: Hypothetically speaking, doesn't my post make me an asshole too?

 

[Dys]

Why are people willfully ignorant? Well, that's easy to answer...Ever heard the old saying "ignorance is bliss?

The rest pretty much follows.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

because society is fucked up.

 

[Raven's Nest]

Ignorance is bliss.

Which is why religion in general is so popular.

Why attempt to confront the mysteries of life and possibly have unsettling realizations when you could simply ignore it all and smile.

The shame being that each time you are confronted with a conundrum that you attempt to solve you do literally get better at thinking and overall become smarter.

Hence the bliss, some people prefer not to think about and choose an answer they are happy with. I don't see that as a bad choice in my opinion. I know I would be happier not knowing or thinking about some of the things I have thought about. This hindsight is my perogative to seek out the answers... And all I get is more questions.... *sniff*

I just feel the need to point out there are so many different types of intelligence. Even the humble football jock has to make hundreds of decisions in a game. He has to use his spatial awareness, cognitive abillity, hand eye co-ordination, and maintain focus on the strategy of a game whilst playing a role in a team effort. Then add all his speed, agillity, stamina and strength into the mix all working in real-time and you have quite a capable human being (for playing football at least). A football game probably taxes on his brain more than he actually allows it to be taxed when say engaging in a political debate, because this is what stimulates him. He probably doesn't care about politics and this is fine. But he's going to be a much better football player than your average politician. We all find things that stimulate us mentally and I think it is unfair and quite simply ignorant to assume a persons intelligence based on what their interests are.

If he chooses to act like a dick after his big game, well frankly that's not your problem and you should concentrate on your interests instead of judging others on theirs.

A football player doesn't think. He acts on training. He's been told to do certain actions under certain conditions, all he has to do is remember them, which he does because he practices them 24/7. To say that experiential actions require thought is to say that up is down.

Intelligence is the ability to extrapolate based on previous evidence. For example, if I flick a switch and a light turns on, I rationalize that the switch controls the light. A football player does not do this. He does not make plays on the fly, he does not think of trajectory, he simply throws it in the way that it always worked. Also, hand-eye co-ordination is not a form of intelligence. It's your awareness of position of your limbs.

http://www.aele.org/law/2008FPAUG/wb-19.pdf

I'm no expert but I think your confusing subconcious reaction training with the abillity to think on your feet. If you have to observe the velocity, direction and trajectory of a football in order to catch it, I'm pretty sure in order to be succesful in catching the ball some thinking has been involved. The human brain isn't a device that can be programmed with every concievable eventuality during a game of football. That's just impossible.

"to say that experiential problems require thought is to say up is down"

What!? You need to make a concious choice as to which is the best way of reacting to a problem. This is called thinking in my book.

To say that a football player doesn't make plays on the fly would be to say that no one has ever acted in an unpredictable fashion whilst playing a game.

I did not mean to suggest hand-eye co-ordination is a form of intelligence, but to use it in conjunction with a cognitive ability constitutes a concious thought if any desired outcome is to be achieved.

By your logic, I could say that a game of chess requires no thought as a chess player knows where the pieces could potentially be at all times.

 

[Chipperz]

I love the ammount of butthurt on this thread. The cool kids didn't like... Sorry, liek me because I was smart! They must be stupid, and evil, yes! YES! There is a conspiracy to make people like me feel bad! That's why they hated me! It wasn't because I spent my life trying my hardest to be nothing like them, no, it was the CONSPIRACY!

Yeah... No. You're all wrong. You'll notice that the popular people are the ones who still pass tests and spend time studying so they can go to the football* pitch and practice? The popular girls are the ones who everyone likes, except you, because you go out of your way not to talk to her? It's not because they're stupid "jocks"/whores, it's because Charisma is more than something that gives you a bonus to selling stuff to merchants. Try talking to some of those people that look like boys but with bits sticking out the top not the bottom, see what happens! Don't talk about games or how repressed you feel in a wallowing pit of your own self-pity, talk about the classes you have together, talk about stuff you'd talked about in class, get to know these people rather than avoiding them. Many of them are actually quite nice.

Or maybe it's because I went to school in England, where the only stupid ignorant people were the ones who taught maths classes.

*In my school it was Rugby 'cos they were real men, but whatever.

 

[Griphphin]

I can't relate any more.

Ignorant people make me wanna kill the neighborhood kitten.

Is...is your avatar your latest victim!?

 

[inhuMANATEE]

it makes it easier to live life. I understand it, I just don't subscribe to it

 

[zombflux]

geez.

nerd rage.

This reminds me of that comic where there are five Ayn Rand fans on the same train.

"Look at these people. Glassy eyed automatons going about their daily lives, never stopping to look around and think! I'm the only conscious human in a world of sheep."

You see, it's funny because they are looking at the people around them and thinking the same.. Ah, well you are smart, you'll get it.

Spoiler

xkcd

 

[Xavia]

I have to say, this topic peaked my interest.

First off, some people do not value "classic" intelligence (I.e. Ability to problem solve, or ability to regurgitate information given in a glass) because that it will not help them get to where they want to be. Different people have different interests, and they begin to specialise their brain along with their body to achieve the goals they have set for themselves. They may find you ignorant in the ways of sports, or in some cases social life.

This leads me nicely into another point. A few (read: a vast majority) of the "stupidest" people I have ever met were in fact smarter than me in what I earlier referred to as "classic" intelligence; This going so far as being people in a school I was "Too Dumb" to achieve a spot. You see them as less intelligent then you because their interests are different. They see you as less able because you (generalizing, sorry for any inaccuracies here) may not display as much social-aptitude.

Then there is the final case. This is when people pretend to not care about intelligence because they think they do not have it. These are the people who pretend not to care about their marks or results, but deep down lament every fail they receive. These are the people who honestly tried, but were rejected from the intelligent people around them.

In conclusion, you cannot feel superior or lesser to another person and you should never let anyone make you feel either way about them. People do what they want, because it is that what makes them happy; you have chosen Academia as your goal and I can relate to you in this, but if they choose to become the most sought after person on the earth then each to their own.

 

[zombflux]

I have to say, this topic peaked my interest.

First off, some people do not value "classic" intelligence (I.e. Ability to problem solve, or ability to regurgitate information given in a glass) because that it will not help them get to where they want to be. Different people have different interests, and they begin to specialize their brain along with their body to achieve the goals they have set for themselves. They may find you ignorant in the ways of sports, or in some cases social life.

This leads me nicely into another point. A few (read: a vast majority) of the "stupidest" people I have ever met were in fact smarter than me in what I earlier referred to as "classic" intelligence; This going so far as being people in a school I was "Too Dumb" to achieve a spot. You see them as less intelligent then you because their interests are different. They see you as less able because you (generalizing, sorry for any inaccuracies here) may not display as much social-aptitude.

Then there is the final case. This is when people pretend to not care about intelligence because they think they do not have it. These are the people who pretend not to care about their marks or results, but deep down lament every fail they receive. These are the people who honestly tried, but were rejected from the intelligent people around them.

In conclusion, you cannot feel superior or lesser to another person and you should never let anyone make you feel either way about them. People do what they want, because it is that what makes them happy; you have chosen Academia as your goal and I can relate to you in this, but if they choose to become the most sought after person on the earth then each to their own.

I feel superior to a lot of people. Why can't I, again?

 

[US Crash Fire]

I am in high school, and all my short life I have considered myself smart. Not Eistein smart, just a bit above the average. I often liek to question things. Just kind of who I am. But lately there is a question that has been slowly growing in the back of my mind: Why are people so goddamn stupid and ignorant?

I don't mean people with a low IQ or a disability. I mean your regular, everyday, bleached blonde dumb whore. I see them every freakin day, and I always wonder why? I chose to believe that everybody is born at (roughly) the same level of intelligence. So why are there so many dumb stereotypical Jocks and Blondes? It's not even that they're dumb, they're just ignorant. They don't see anything past there little bubble involving their BFF's and OC. Why? Like am I the only person who sees the value of getting their head out of their ass? The other day in my civics class we were talking about how sports are valued so much over smarts, and somebody(another stereotypical girl) said "Who cares about being smart? It's pretty much worthless." Honnestly? Nobody even argued that point.

And for the most part it's true. People go through years and years of school just to have thousands of dollars of debt that they magicaly have to pay off. Meanwhile, Johnny nobody goes straight to work and does almost aswell as the guy who spent all this time getting educated. What the fuck?

So here is my question to you guys (actualy, I have 2):
1-When did being a dipshit become cool? And how the fuck did we let that happen?
2-Why doesn't society honour those who do well, get educated, ect?

I'm shure this topic has been done before, but I would still like you guys to go for constructive critisms, not trolling me. Otherwise, post away.

First off, OMG I love your avatar! I saw the Matches open for the Strokes in pipeline cafe in Hawaii. I remember that they put on a MUCH better show and were cool enough to hang out with everyone after and just sit around and have some drinks. They even gave me a signed hat!
Okay back on tangent!
Fuck society! Let me break it down to you. Once you're out of high school, you go off to college, get a degree, get job with a salary, buy an Audi, get hot wife.
The jock goes to work at his dads business, probably as a laborer because he didn't get any education on how to be an electrician or plumber or carpenter, cant pay for rent and baby he had with blonde bimbo at 17 so he needs to kill himself working overtime while his wife cheats on him at home, he finds out gets a divorce and drowns himself in alcohol while driving his POS 1971 ford pinto into a tree at 85 MPH.
So yeah idiots get their own later in life. Let them live it up now because these are the best years of their lives (which is pathetic). Just know your best years are to come and you will see them one day 20 years later taking your order at McDonalds.

 

[Xavia]

Because there will always be somewhere thet can beat you.

 

[clipse15]

I don't know maybe this is just america but where does it state that JOCK=STUPID? Maybe its just some sort of jealousy thing, like these are the popular kids and i'll get some kind of satisfaction in beliving that they will fail at life.

I played football in high school (wide reciever) and now im a third year university film major with a minor in english do I fit into your generalization?