More degrees but less common sense?

Question

A quote you may or may not have heard. I think it's partially true...

I've found in life that those supposedly intelligent people who have a lot of qualifications seem to have less common sense and general knowledge than those alledgedly without. I'm not saying this is always the case, certainly not, but it happens quite often.

Do you think this is true? If so, why?
If not, why do you think some people hold this opinion?

Thanks

Answer 1

It depends entirely on the person - for some the syaing is very, very true - for others not at all.

Let me tell you about two friends I have from university.

One was very intelligent, got straight A's in everything he did, got an MA and is now an economist for a top blue chip company. Because he was intelligent, he didn't have to work so hard, and had time to go to the pub, watch football, etc. He has a lot of common sense and general knowledge as well as his degrees.

Another friend is less intelligent, but got the same results by working really hard and never going out anywhere enjoying himself. He has the same degrees, but knows nothing of life, common sense and GK, as he has not given himself the opportunity.

Me, I worked hard to get my qualifications, then got thrown out of the job centre when I lost my temper with the consultant who told me that my hard-earned qualifications were no good without any experience.

Having said all of the above, the thickest of thicky thick people I have ever come across have no qualifications, no common sense and no knowledge of anything, general or otherwise !

Answer 2

First, full disclosure: I have a Ph.D. and two Master's degrees. I work for a university and have a love of contact with the sort of people you describe. The fact is, they are also just people at heart. They still take out the garbage and eat Lucky Charms. Some are short-tempered jerks and always were. Some are very young and don't have a lot of life experience or have been narrowly focused only one area.

This surprises those who expect more out of those with more degrees. I sometimes get "How you don't know that, doctor?" Don't mistake me or anyone I know for the Professor from Gilligan's Island. That's just an expression of a cultural stereotype. Also, I must have been absent when they covered mind-reading.

To put my researcher hat on, though, you'd need some pretty good data to support your "quote" and make it more than a sound bite. My hypothesis: People with advanced degrees don't have less common sense than everybody else. They have the same amount, which means a few have absolutely none and some have almost none. It's such a small group, though, that they stand out more.

Answer 3

The people with a dozen degrees and two alphabets hanging behind their name have spent a great deal of time in an academic environment. Almost by definition they are insulated from the real world. While they are being "indoctrinated and brainwashed" we, the uneducated are burning our fingers to learn that fire is hot and generally being knocked around learning about the world.

This also holds true of the extremely wealthy and powerful. For example an extremely wealthy person won't know how much money it takes to buy a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk. They do know exactly what 93,267 sq feet of land at Hollywood and Vine in Los Angeles is worth. An academic will apply all the theory of flight and come to the conclusion that a bee can not fly. It's weight vs. wing surface simply makes it impossible. They will be able to design an aircraft wing that will break at exactly 150% of it's anticipated maximum load.

So we can conclude that these people know different things than the rest of us do. Now the question is; how do we define "common sense"? Now that I can't help you with. IMO it is subjective and what I might consider obvious, you might consider obscure.

I'll close this with a remark my Brother makes form time to time. "Common sense is not all that common anymore".

Have a good day...

Answer 4

I think this is only the case in some cases. Because if it was true, then if you have common sense you would not need a degree.

Broad generalizations are always unfair as well as inaccurate.

Answer 5

I believe in it. I have a sibling who is technically, academically genius, well-experienced career-wise with references coming from around the world and yet, i find him sometimes asking irrelevant, stupid Qs involving life skills and practicality. I sometimes avoid his phone calls because I am annoyed by these questions he impertinently asks me about.
I am just an avarage, degree holder, but I can probably survive life more than him.

I don't know the reasons why. But i have learned in Psychology that it has something to do with the pairing of chromosomes, malfunctions and all that. That is why in theories of personalities, no single human in this world is perfect. There is always a flaw to compensate with.

Answer 6

I think its true! It seems to me that the people with the degrees think thats the hole key to things And i consider myself a well rounded person and i know that you have to have the best of both worlds its increases the intelligent level But we all know that those two words do not go together [common sense]

Answer 7

i agree with that. i have a few friends exactly like that. super smart but no common sense. i am not sure why. i think it's difficult to educate yourself on being practical and having good common sense. i think some people are just born with it, or at least the ability.

Answer 8

Yes I think it is true... I've found that people who are extremely intelligent don't necessarily have the greatest social skills and can't, or find it difficult to, pass knowledge onto others...

Answer 9

i dont think so ,it is just that we notice the one who has less degrees and is intelligent and say wow!!and that who has degrees and not we get astonished and say how come!!!both r very noticed because r unexpected.

Answer 10

true.their actions are practically based on theories or concepts without really applying it to the real world..what´s in the book are not the same in the practical way of life...they are not realistic but idealistic