Do college educated persons look down on those that are less-educated?

[Charles]

By this, I mean those that are just high-school graduates and work in capacities that either didn't require a degree, or just got by with some trade-tech from a community college.
In the blue-collar fields, it's possible and quite common to earn just as much of a living as someone working some sort of job requiring an advanced degree of some sort.
However, when for whatever reason a blue-collar worker attempts to step beyond their social circle for a little more enlightenment, do people in the other circle get alarmed?

[Xavier Tremely]

Many folks with credentials love to view them as proof of superior intellect.

[the incredible b]

many do. these are boring people.

i did theatre school and, let me tell ya, among artists in general but theatrepeople in particular this is very much the case. they feel that as an artist theyre special people that can think of the world like the others could never. very arrogant, very cliqueish and very, very uninteresting. i decided to stick to poetry after school. a lot of poets suck as people too, but at least i can work on my own and have kickass fun with my bluecollar, griddy friends.

[hadit]

Non college educated people sometimes look down on college educated people. It's a natural urge, to find one's own "tribe" to be superior to another.

[Chachma v'Oz]

Non college educated people sometimes look down on college educated people. It's a natural urge, to find one's own "tribe" to be superior to another.

I noticed that about myself and my friends when we were growing up. We lived on the "poor" side of town and went to one junior high school. The "rich" kids lived on the other side and went to a different JHS. We didn't like the "rich kids" for all sorts of reasons.

There was only one high school so there we were mixed. I was surprised that the "rich kids" didn't look down their noses at us. To them, we had gone to that different junior high because we lived south of Olympic Blvd. That was it. They didn't make any other distinction or had any particular prejudice about us. We were the only ones who were prejudiced, probably because we were envious. We felt somehow inferior and resented the other "tribe" for its "privileged existence".

I saw that same phenomenon in the workplace as an adult. I had black coworkers who were simply coworkers who were black. Period. Once we got to know each other, some of them confided in me that they had automatically considered me more than just a white coworker - I represented "whitey" (my term, not theirs). I had no particular prejudice about them for being black, but they were initially prejudiced against me simply because they didn't know me but suspected that I might feel superior to them because I was white and therefore "privileged".

[BooRadley]

I was surprised that the "rich kids" didn't look down their noses at us.

Kind of the same thing, but some of them were extremely snotty. My busstop got moved once, and my stop, only 3 people at it, started getting picked up by the "rich" bus. One little fucker wouldn't let me sit down because I wasn't from the right neighborhood, so I punched him in the head a bunch of times. We both got swats. The next day he didn't have a problem with me sitting there.

Anyway, a lot of people think their credentials are proof that they're superior. I worked in a very, very academic research "think tank" in the Beltway for a while. Some people don't care, but some are extremely snobby about it. You're as good as your highest degree, and that's the end of that.

As far as I'm concerned, a dumbass with a degree is still a dumbass. A dumbass without a degree is also a dumbass. A dumbass is always going to be a dumbass. A smart person is better off if he gets a degree than he would be if he didn't, but, either way, I'd rather work with a smart HS grad than a dumbass with a degree.

[queenlillian1962]

I lived on the poorer side of town to begin with and generally had less money then everyone else on my side of town. Basically I was the bottom of the bottom in my falling down house, hand me down clothes and holey shoes. I got comments and picked on. It sucked but I'm a stronger person because of it. Anyone gives me that" I'm better than you cause I have a degree" shit can go fuck themselves; your not better than me by a long shot.

[pollysandiego]

I come from the poor side and casually dated a lawyer for about a year, whose father is a doctor. I would assume that he grew up more privileged, but I didn't care to ask because his career intimidated me enough. I couldn't ever tell if he looked down on me or if it was just my imagination, but ever since he took the bar I think I mentally put myself down and felt that he knew he was too good for me. I don't envy people with degrees so much because I have met the biggest morons who have somehow graduated college, but I am intimidated because they are generally capable of more than I am. At least for now.

[Hyperbully]

Some of the stupidest people I've encountered happen to be the most well-educated. Most people can accumulate knowledge or skills, if they're interested. It's the ability to apply knowledge wisely that makes someone truly exceptional. A lawyer isn't superior to a non-lawyer. It just means that they're a lawyer, and have different skills and abilities than you.

[86Dùde]

By this, I mean those that are just high-school graduates and work in capacities that either didn't require a degree, or just got by with some trade-tech from a community college.
In the blue-collar fields, it's possible and quite common to earn just as much of a living as someone working some sort of job requiring an advanced degree of some sort.
However, when for whatever reason a blue-collar worker attempts to step beyond their social circle for a little more enlightenment, do people in the other circle get alarmed?

Yes, they do in most cases.

[antiquity]

Many folks with credentials love to view them as proof of superior intellect.

In my experience its just liberal who do that.

[Archaix]

Degree courses that closely follow the industries their students end up in usually turn out practical and decent grads. Fortunately most of the pretentious people I studied with couldn't stand actual archaeological work and either dropped out or did poorly when it came to interpreting the material record.

[86Dùde]

AmeriKA needs more trade skill people and less business majors. I can't overstate this.

[Zordar]

To answer your question simply: yes.

Less simply:
A college degree really doesn't say that much about a person's intelligence, but it does say a lot about their ability to focus on and stick with long term goals and projects. It is an experience that can enrich you as a person, while the process forces you, at least to an extent, to learn about subjects beyond your own personal interests. This is especially true for liberal arts programs, where you have to learn a second or third language "because it's good for you," and take a few history/culture classes, even if they aren't related to your degree.

This is a cruel generalization -- and I'll probably think of five exceptions as soon as I type this -- but I do tend to find people who lack formal education beyond high school to be intellectually incurious, and generally uninteresting as human beings.

Doesn't mean I dislike anybody or will be a jerk about someone not having a degree, but if I'm being completely honest: yes, I do kinda look down on adults who lack at least a bachelor's degree. Also, technical degrees, despite oftentimes being of more practical value than a university degree, don't count...

[Lulu]

AmeriKA needs more trade skill people and less business majors. I can't overstate this.

I recently read an article, can't remember where, that said there are a lot of open trade and technical jobs that employers can't fill. There are certain specialized skills where there simply are not enough qualified people and these are high $80's/year to 6 figures.

[86Dùde]

Yeah, exactly. I have some mad mechanical skills but I'm too tired to use them.

[Hyperbully]

My highest level of education is Grade 10.

[KillZone]

By this, I mean those that are just high-school graduates and work in capacities that either didn't require a degree, or just got by with some trade-tech from a community college.
In the blue-collar fields, it's possible and quite common to earn just as much of a living as someone working some sort of job requiring an advanced degree of some sort.
However, when for whatever reason a blue-collar worker attempts to step beyond their social circle for a little more enlightenment, do people in the other circle get alarmed?

Anyone that looks down on the people you mention has passed arrogance and entered the realm of hubris.

I've a masters degree and I'm a CPA and I am no better, or smarter, than the people you mention above. My most successful client, who is now worth 50-million bucks--his company went public a decade ago--never finished high school, yet he is a visionary; a real one. I've many clients that never walked into a college classroon that are very intelligent and have achieved incredible financial success.

My father-in-law, PawPaw to me when he was alive, ran away from home when he was 13 becasue his father beat the hell out of him with whatever he could find whenever he could. His wonderful dad made him quit school after the 4th grade to help on the farm. Yet PawPaw (now deceased) was one of the most well-read, informed, and intelligent men I've ever known. He worked his ass off and never really achieved "success" as most measure it, but he was as successful to me as the client I mention above. His 2 kids are as good-hearted as they come (I married one of them, Tracie, who is smarter than God; her brother is my best friend). No doubt my kids have high IQs because of my wife, who got hers from PawPaw, not from me.

Many folks with credentials love to view them as proof of superior intellect.

Yes, they do. And yet, creditials can be misleading.

I had to study my ass off in college. Indeed, I found myself surrounded by people that were smarter, so I studied harderlonger than they did and made better grades. I sacrified a great deal for my education and to pass the CPA exam (that is, I had scant free time since I studied so much; so much that Tracie, who didn't have to study like I did, often was exactly thrilled with me). So anyone with normal intelligence could do what I have done if they were willing to sacrifice like I did.

Hell, my dad knows more about financial matters than do I and he graduated from high school when he was 16, went 1 semester to college on a full football scholarship, got injured, left school, and never went back, and he still knows more about financial matters than I ever will.

Don't misunderstand/be mislead by me: My BA in Accounting, my MS in Accounting, and being a CPA are all things I am proud of. They were accomplishments for me and still are, but they give me no right to look down on others that never went to college.

[antiquity]

My highest level of education is Grade 10.

That is about three grades higher than I previously thought. My I ask you why you dropped out?

[Hyperbully]

That is about three grades higher than I previously thought.

Oh, you conservatives can be so mean.

My I ask you why you dropped out?

The mind can be a terrific prison. You could say that I'm on parole.