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  • #2254521

    Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

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    by shellbot ·

    Read this article last week and it really hit a note with me. Are all the people i think are more knowledgable than me really so? Ok granted they’ve more experience than me, and when it comes to a Dr, fair enough..but lets say teachers right..I recently overheard a guy who does a bit of teaching say he just rips stuff of the net and hands it out in class, thats how he “keeps up with the new stuff”. Anyone can do that.

    Here’s the article, any thoughts?

    One of the most terrifying lessons I have learned is that, by and large, grown-ups don’t really know what they are doing. As a schoolkid, I mistook my teachers for all-knowing, infallible beings protected by an invisible forcefield of adulthood. Even as I grew older, left school, became a student, left polytechnic and became a fledgling adult myself, I laboured under the delusion that people in positions of authority were inherently more “adult” than I was – that they possessed some kind of on-board mental computer that guided them towards making the right decision, even if I didn’t always agree with it.
    My overdue epiphany finally arrived in my mid-20s, at a barbecue, when I found myself talking to a girl the same age as me who was a schoolteacher, and she described how, much of the time, she was teaching the kids things she had only read the week before in the textbook. As long as she stayed one chapter ahead, she was fine. At first I was genuinely surprised; I had thought all that knowledge was stored in their heads. Then it got worse.
    I met a doctor, not much older than myself, who was a) drunk and b) pretty stupid. I realised that in terms of age, I had caught up with the “adults”, and was horrified to learn they were all just as ham-fisted as me. At least the young ones were. The older generation surely had a better handle on things, I reasoned. They had to, or the world would slide into chaos. Then I passed 30 and realised I still didn’t have a clue what was going on. Now I’m 36, and if there is one thing I do know, it’s that I still don’t know that much. No one does. Everybody’s winging it. Everything is improvised.
    And the world never “slides into chaos” – it’s perpetually chaotic because all of us, from beggars to emperors, are crashing around trying to make the best of an unpredictable universe. We are little more than walking mistake generators. Dumb animals, essentially. Things would be just as messy if hens ruled the world. This is true, and it’s scary. But also sort of glorious.
    Consider that an extended caveat for the following humiliating confession: I don’t understand the news. Not entirely. Let me explain: I watch and read the news, not obsessively, but probably often enough to be doing my bit as a concerned citizen. But I can’t keep up with it. I follow it, but I don’t always truly follow it, if you see what I mean.
    Entertainment news aside, every story comes with a complex back story consisting of a million tiny events, of countless shades of right and wrong, of mistake piled upon mistake, successes and failures, injustices and struggles. It’s like trying to follow the plot of the most complicated and detailed soap opera ever made, one that was running for centuries before you started tuning in. To truly understand a major news story often requires real effort – more than many people are willing to give – which is why most of us know more about celebrities than, say, the Israel-Palestine situation.
    I think people who work in hard news often forget this. They are submerged in it. They know the cast, they have followed the storylines and they can’t help assuming their readers or viewers have similar knowledge. In reality, most people probably missed the crucial, earlier episodes, and subsequently can’t quite relate to the story. We can see it’s important – it’s the news! – but we don’t always feel its importance. If more of us did, there would probably be open revolt – or at least more revolt, more often.
    In my mid-20s I wrote for videogames magazines. I was proud of my work. It was just an excuse to write jokes really, and it was great fun. But while videogame fans seemed to like what I did, it was baffling to the average Joe: peppered with terminology about polygon counts and frame rates, and gags that referenced other, older games. To the casual observer, it was a minefield of unfamiliar acronyms.
    This is fine for specialist writing but it alienates the outsider. A lot of news coverage is specialist writing. It’s news written for news fans. And the stuff that isn’t seems to consist of stories about Sienna Miller’s arse, which is easy to follow because, well, there’s not much to it. Because she is so thin.
    I can’t help thinking that what we need now, perhaps more than ever, is a populist and accessible Dummies’ Guide to Now. The BBC News website does this brilliantly, with regular bite-sized primers attached to major stories, which attempt to explain the back story to newcomers clearly and concisely, without being patronising or stupid. It has simple titles such as “Who is Scooter Libby?”, and is a rare oasis of clarity. I would like to see it launch some kind of 24-hour “news companion” channel, or red-button service, that does the same thing on TV: a rolling fill-in-the-blanks service that helps you get up to speed. A catch-up service for reality, if you like. Not dumbed-down news, but clear information – something that often gets lost in the 24-hour scramble of breaking developments and updated headlines.
    Maybe it’s just me who craves that. Maybe I’m thick. Maybe the rest of you understand everything and I’m alone in my ignorance. But I doubt it. I think the vast majority of us are winging it, at least 18 chapters behind in the textbook and secretly praying no one else will notice. If we all knew more, we would do more to lend a hand, instead of shrugging and hoping the news might some day go away or submerging ourselves in comforting trivia. Don’t just tell us what is important. We might not have paid attention earlier. Toss us a bone. Tell us why.

    Charlie Brooker
    Monday March 26, 2007
    The Guardian

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    • #2519724

      Charlie Brooker

      by now left tr ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      Total Fook*r?

      Come on – can’t keep up with the News – the News should be the least of their worries…

      What paper was this from ??? 🙂

      • #2519699

        The Guardian

        by shellbot ·

        In reply to Charlie Brooker

        🙂

        well, dunno about the news bit..but it made me take a good look at the person across from me.. i realised they don’t know jack, they just quoting buzz words

    • #2538620

      Yes

      by onbliss ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      They got to the position because they have some “stuff”. Capability and Willingness are crucial factors in getting the individual where he or she wants to go.

      As far as me, I think the entire world is smarter than me 🙁

      • #2539888

        With grammar like that…

        by zarathustra2010 ·

        In reply to Yes

        With grammar like you used, I can understand why everyone is smarter than you.

        Improve your English grammar skills, and you too can be as intelligent as the rest of the world.

        A few hints:

        “They attained the positions they have because they had the “right stuff”.

        “In my opinion, the entire world is smarter than I.”

        And you write software for a living? No wonder so much software is so buggy. With software authors like yourself (who can barely understand English grammar) writing code, bugs are guaranteed to enter.

        English is NOT a programming language, in case you fail to realize it. Do not speak and write English the same way you write code.

        Perhaps, a few formal lessons in English Grammar (which you probably missed while in High School because you were out partying instead of studying) will help. A decent grasp of English Grammar will improve your programming skills considerably.

        Donald L McDaniel

        • #2539883

          U udnrestood waht I said

          by onbliss ·

          In reply to With grammar like that…

          Rgiht?

          I no technical writer. I programmer. I no write in WSJ or NY Times. I write code with C# – curly bracket language. I no Shakespeare just a coder.

          S, me keep feeding my family. They happy, me happy. Works fine 4 me. Looks like you not happy. Sorry not wroking fine enuf 4 u.

          This no chat room, neither Oxford.

          Finally, how U equate buggy software to buggy english grammer? You no compile code before?

          You shout like compiler shout when bad code written. Compiler atleast inhuman and courteous – N no jumps to conclusion.

        • #2539858

          LOL

          by w2ktechman ·

          In reply to U udnrestood waht I said

          I was gonna comment earlier, but your comments are way better. Maybe being busy wasnt a bad thing!

        • #2519236

          haha

          by shellbot ·

          In reply to U udnrestood waht I said

          good one..

          question is..was he joking or was he serious?

          geez louise some people..

        • #2539881

          Thanks a bunch…

          by onbliss ·

          In reply to With grammar like that…

          …for making me realize I am smarter than one individual 🙂

        • #2539860

          Incredibly sucksinked, McD!

          by daveo2000 ·

          In reply to With grammar like that…

          I am impressed! The way you wrote that fits in perfectly with the topic of discussion. You come off as a leader showing off his knowledge and at the same time make it look like you are completely insensitive and don’t know how to talk to people showing vulnerabilities.

          You have shown the poster-boy personality of the thread! Good job!

          If I am wrong, PLEASE someone, point me to the truth.

        • #2539799

          That was pretty unnecessary

          by tig2 ·

          In reply to With grammar like that…

          For a person who speaks English as a second language and speaks fluently in another, I think that Onbliss does just fine.

          Software isn’t written in English. It is written in code. He does mighty fine with that as well.

          You may wish to consider that this is an international forum and speaks to a wide variety of people from all over the world.

          Your rant does you no credit, sir. Along with speaking proper English, you would do well to consider appropriate behaviour as well.

        • #2539498

          Step one – firmly grasp the stick.

          by inkling ·

          In reply to With grammar like that…

          Step two – remove it from your arse.

          You’ll thank me on the ride home today.

          Schmuck.

      • #2529792

        With that attitude…

        by Anonymous ·

        In reply to Yes

        You should be the one in charge.

    • #2540050

      The concepts right.

      by lastchip ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      There are of course specialists that have extensive knowledge in a specific field, but in the main, people know bugger-all.

    • #2540013

      Not More Knowledgeable Just Willing

      by johnny bee ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      I don’t think anyone is really aware of what is going on at any given time except aboutthe things that they are responsible for. And even then, who knows. Maturity is actually more about accepting responsibility for the inevitable mistakes and being able to calmly deal with them to find solutions and implement measures to prevent re-occurrence.

      Unfortunately, when it comes to world leaders, this does not seem to be the case. They appear to sepnd more time trying to improve their own position by applying either military, financial, or intellectual force on their people and the world community. By intellectual force I mean that they make you think that you are stupid and that they know better.

      In essence, as you stated, this is all an act. Adults are essentially children who are better able to disguise and hide their true motives from others. They have learned that status and power are illusions based on the unwililngness of others to step forward and take responsibility for the results of their actions. Most of us simply can’t be bothered. We’ll complain, but how many will actually ever do anything about it (without hurting others, I mean)?

      So, we assume that knowledge and intelligence are inherent to those in positions of authority because they appear to know what the answers are. In truth, they are simply willing to put in the effort to find them, and to stick their necks out once in a while in the pursuit of answers. This can be summed up in an explanation I got from some of my military training (Canadian Forces).

      When describing the “intelligence factor” of officers, a Warrant Officer explained, “As officers you will be expected to know the answers. You do not have to know the answers, you have to know where to find them, and be willing to do so.”

      I have fashioned my methodology around that simple philosophy, and it has served me well for the past 30 years.

    • #2539996

      I’d like to know where the article came from too…

      by carbondog ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      please?

      • #2519235

        well..i’m trying hard to be nice here

        by shellbot ·

        In reply to I’d like to know where the article came from too…

        but did you read the whole article? cause down at the bottom it ends like this:

        Charlie Brooker
        Monday March 26, 2007
        The Guardian

        *HINT The Guardian is a newspaper..not saying you know that particular paper, but it doesn’t take too much of a leap to assume its some sort of publication

        🙂

        • #2519232

          I love your attempt

          by steffi28 ·

          In reply to well..i’m trying hard to be nice here

          I wouldnt of bothered serves them right for not reading it all properly!! :p

        • #2530065

          D’OH!

          by carbondog ·

          In reply to I love your attempt

          yep, it does serve them right, doesn’t it? Lazy dolt!

          Perhaps a link by the actual reference would’ve been nice too…

    • #2539982

      Teachers often show their colors if you can catch it…

      by daveo2000 ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      I have seen too many examples of “leaders” or “teachers” that get too full of themselves and “the knowledge”.

      I had an automotive electronics teacher once who started explaining something in class that was clearly wrong (about the innards of an amp meter). None of the students in the class would ever take an ammeter apart so I guess his incorrect info wouldn’t matter but, being a geek-in-training, I had to ask.

      Guess what…

      He defended his answer, the rest of the students told me to shut up and listen to the teacher and I got a “C” in that class. I had no other grades lower than “B+” in that school (which was mostly practical and up to the teacher).

      Later, I was taking a programming class for business students. Since I had an undergrad computer degree I was asked to tutor students in the class I was taking.

      On one homework, several of those students were given very bad grades for perfectly correct answers. When I asked the teacher about it he said that “they had used ‘i’ as a loop counter and business students wouldn’t know to do that.” So, he decided, they had cheated.

      Strange things happen in this world.

      • #2538983

        teacher’s true colours…..

        by lakshmana ·

        In reply to Teachers often show their colors if you can catch it…

        i had a similar experience in my engineering studies…My physics teacher started her clas about some vague concept involving infinite potential well and she actually inverted the formula for that!!
        When we found out and told her,she became defensive and told us to correct the mistakes that we usually end up doing …
        she didnt even acknowledge her mistake!!

        that was the last time i concentrated in her class..

    • #2539973

      Yes, Yes I am

      by jamesrl ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      Seriously if you didn’t rebel just a little against some of your teachers in hig school, I’d consider you apathetic.

      I questioned my teacher in high school all the time. Some took it badly and chewed me out after class. Some chose to take it as a learning opportunity and opened up the debate. I was a small C conservative in a fairly “liberal” school, but even a couple of conservative teachers would not let me get away with making unreasoned arguments – they would challenge me to challenge them. And I appreciated that they taught me great lessons from that.

      As for those in authority as bosses and world leaders, I respect that they may have worked hard to get where they are, and that process may have given them different insights. But we still have the right to suggest and question, at least in most things. How you do it can be a huge factor.

      From my years of experience I know that leaders are people too. I’ve had a beer with an ex Prime Minister. He had been Prime Minister, beaten up by his own party, and come back to be a respected politician. But he still is human, and flawed like us all, and he at least was humble enough to admit it (he was pretty good at self-deprecating humour).

      James

      • #2519233

        James

        by shellbot ·

        In reply to Yes, Yes I am

        You rebeled in school??

        I’m shocked..i just cannot imagine it..your such a polite, kind, gentle person.

        Simply shocking behaviour!

        ]:)

        *how ya been anyways? hope yer keeping well!

        • #2519199

          Was I rebel?

          by jamesrl ·

          In reply to James

          Well yes and no. I had a great teacher who impressed upon us the value of critical thinking.

          That particular teacher was so full of himself. I couldn’t let his error go unchallenged when he was passing it along to a full class.

          I’ve been better. Wife has been in the hospital for two weeks. She had a seizure, hit her head on concrete and had a fracture and concussion. Brain swelled, lost some speech ability and also had inner ear balance problems. No cognitive deficits, just problems getting the words out, concetrating on reading, short term memory issues. She is coming home today. She can now walk with the aid of a walker.

          I’ve been on a regular cycle – I am working shorter days (thank you boss), getting the kids off to school, making meals, cleaning house and shuttling back and forth to the hospital. I have no apologies to make for not keeping everyone of her relatives and mine up to date with every single piece of medical trivia that comes up – but somehow they think I should do that on top of everything else. We have succeeded in keeping my mother in law at the current distance of 3000 miles away. 🙂

          I’m getting through. I’ve had some work challenges – its review time, my boss is reorganizing the groups, and I’ve been struggling with senior management in the US over resources.

          James

    • #2539938

      Somebody shut this guy up

      by waynesreed ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      My friend, welcome to the elite. We are those who know the secret. The top 20%. Don’t let anyone else know.
      I’ve come to the conclusion that the masses find solitude in the belief that everything out there is being guided by those of high intelligence with a master plan. Here’s the truth. Everything just sort of flows along IN SPITE OF the best efforts of those in power. It’s really all about normal humans just plugging away at it looking after their own self interest. Adam Smith called this the “Invisible Hand”.
      I was kidding about keeping it secret. You can try to tell the world that their teachers, preachers, politicians, parents, bosses, etc. are no than smarter than they, but they won’t hear you. Just like the other guy mentioned, it’s all about taking responsibility. If you are a responsible person, welcome to the club and keep it to yourself. If you can’t handle the responsibility then you can just hide in a little corner of the world and show up 9-5 and try not to think too much about it.
      Politicians and teachers are just faking it in a desire to forward their own interests (which usually includes feeling important/useful/powerful).
      In terms of the news, you’re putting too much faith in the reporters. The news stories are usually 98% fluff with the occasional factoid. You can usually glean just as much important information from Jay Leno’s monologue as in an hour of network news – with entertainment added for no extra charge.

    • #2539933

      NO

      by grimshiire ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      NO…………

    • #2539912

      The Great Equalizer and Importance of Philosophy

      by jhardy2 ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      In a certain respect, we are all winging it. But that is not the same thing as chaos. Loosing a bit of one naivet?? is a good thing. Nobody knows everything?even about our individual areas of expertise. But we can know quite a bit. The trick is to go through life without repeating as many errors as possible. We accomplish this by learning from our own mistakes and from those made by others. If we do this even reasonably well, it develops for us a philosophy. In the most simple form, we learn that fire is hot by touching a glowing ember ourselves, or by watching the results when our neighbor does so. Years later, we see a glowing ember and do not need to touch it or experience it directly in any way to understand what the potential consequences are. We then instruct the young who come after us in these things. If they are relatively bright and free of rebellion, they will never have to burn their hand.

      Older Adults do know more as long as they have retained this knowledge. We have 5000 years of recorded human history to instruct us. Since the first drop of pigment was laid upon papyrus?even further back?since the first scratch was laid upon stone to record a message until this very day, we have passed knowledge and wisdom down. We fail largely to the extent that we forget, ignore, and/or disregard that which has been learned and re-learned throughout the eons.

      Dumb animals?.scratching hens? Maybe only to the extent that we do not learn. If we approach each lesson or life event as if it were new and unique, we are destined to spend much of the time re-mistaking (to coin a term). It is a form of narcissism to believe that life and time begins and ends with you and your experiences. And doing so virtually defines a societal insanity?repeating the same things over and over again, lamenting the results and hoping it will all be different, this time. Fortunately, if one wishes to remove an amount of chaos and uncertainty from one?s life, those who came before took the time to record a bunch of stuff for our reference and those records forms the core of our successful philosophical tradition.

      Be well,
      Huckleberry
      http://www.huckleberrythinks.blogspot.com

      • #2531700

        Excellent – and thank you…

        by boxfiddler ·

        In reply to The Great Equalizer and Importance of Philosophy

        “Dumb animals?” I have to take issue with that statement as well.

        If all we are is dumb animals, we certainly don’t do animal behavior particularly well. Animals exist and function in concert with their environment. We humans on the other hand are constantly trying to force our environment to bend to our will. Periodically the freaking Army Corps of Engineers brings up rerouting the Mississippi River. Puhlease… Only a human could come up with that sort of conquering attitude toward natural force.

        Even animals tend to learn – where not to cross the river in Spring for example. And how did they learn that? By crossing the river there last Spring (ie. learning from their mistakes – perhaps with the exception of lemmings…).

        Animals starve and die off when the population becomes too numerous for the environment to support. We humans on the other hand “show compassion” and go out of our way to try to save the starving.

        Animals instinctively kill other animals (including thier young) for food or for some reason relating to territory or mating. Humans too often enjoy killing other humans for no particular reason.

        Excepting (that I know of) certain species of ants and hornets (and those are insects, not animals), animals don’t go to war.

        Dumb animals have sense enough to flee eminent disaster. Humans have a ridiculous tendency to hang around the house trying to protect their posessions, often at the cost of their lives.

        While the last statement could be mistakenly taken to prove that we are indeed dumb animals, it is in fact a negation of that. Humans do not behave in concert with their environment and trying to keep their “stuff” safe is the ultimate example of that.

    • #2539909

      And now you see why we have BUSH as President!

      by the_webninja9 ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      Yes, you carefully outlined the awakening of the situation in life for many of us.
      You are right on many counts. But it is not the same for everyone. It all boils down to Priorities and Values. We focus on what we think is important, and that is what we fill our heads up with on a daily basis.

      For example we don’t care so much about what is happening in the News, because the Country is run by an idiot who doesn’t listen to anything we have to say anyway, and Fox News reports whatever they feel like it, forget about the FACTS, it’s all about entertainment now, not the Facts. Like you said it’s basically a Soap Opera, and rationally minded individuals, have pretty much given up on it all. We can’t change anything when the Idiots are in charge, when the News is no longer representing the Truth, then what is the Point?

      So we redirect our attention to other things, which is exactly what people like Bush and Chenney WANTS us to do, play stupid and go along with whatever they Tell you.
      The World Trade Center was Crashed by Places and Building 7 Collapsed well…just because,…and they found an Jet Engine of a Fighter Jet or Military Missile inside the Rubble of the Pentagon because….uhh..well,..don’t worry about that right now,…and forget about the fact that the people they said flew the Planes are alive an well working Jobs SCREAMING that the whole thing is Bullshitt, forget about that too.
      Forget about the fact that Flight Records listed the Flight number of a Plane that had supposedly Crashed AFTER 911 still flying around. Forget about that too.

      We can’t DO anything about Global Warming, we’re Doomed, plain and simple, so everyone with all this going on, is more focused on immediate temporary happiness. Not the News,
      the News is the LAST thing we want to watch. Unless you like being Decieved and Lied to, maybe relative to watching a Who REALLY Done it. Or a What REALLY happened? 🙂

      If you enjoy the cold harsh Realty that Thousands of our Neighbors and Loved ones are getting their Arms and Legs Ripped off by Bombs on a daily basis so that Bush can secure and Oil Deal for the Iraq Pipeline and make Billions in Personal Gain for the Bush Family and Haleburten, if you can agree that Thousands of Americans are being Slaughtered on a Daily basis for Bush’s personal Gains, then maybe you might want to keep up with just how many are dying to make Bush Money at $3.00 a Gallon for Gas at the gas Pumps. That might be something you want to know.

      But most of us feel more like we want to burry our heads in the sand and forget about Life. Simply because we feel like there is nothing we can do about it anymore.

      And as far as Adults being Smarter than the Rest of us, well, it’s good you have been Humbled and Awakened by the Truth, but this Truth will also cause you pain, because now you will realize for the rest of your Life you will have to work for People who are stupider than you are. And it will frustrate the Living Helll out of you, believe me!

      As you progress with your Awakening, you will realize it only gets worse. People will no longer hire you based on Merrit or ability to do the Job, instead they are more concerned about if you misspelled anything on your Resume. They will just be itching to LOOK for any reason they can to Damn you. That is the TRUTH of our Society, any little thing will toss your life into the dark Abyss forever. One little asshole Boss down the line, and you are finished.

      One dirty little Rumour from being one of those Homeless people pushing Carts down the Street. THAT is your Reality.

      It is not about what you are Capable of, what you can DO for Society, it is about if you are willing to Play the Game. Once you decide you have figured out the game, that’s when your Trouble REALLY begins.

      Doctors PRACTICE Medicine, because they really don’t know what they are doing. Half the Procedures they do, they have never done before. And Most of them don’t even BELIEVE in Vitamins and Nutrition! Like it is Sacriledge to think of anything as a Solution but DRUGS.

      Hatred and Contempt RULE the people’s minds as a Dominating Thought Process, invaiding every single aspect of Society. Work, Home Life, School, Music, Entertainment, it’s all about Violence, Hatred, making up any reason at all to Hate Others, instead of treating them with Compassion and Understanding.
      Ask the YO MTV Gangstas that Hate for Street names, Colors, and sides of Town, you know the one’s crusing around in Brand New SUVs with Record deals because everyone Worships their Songs of Hatred and Contempt they are made into GODS of Idol Hatred, while others who just try to survive are Denied Jobs because they Misspelled something on a Resume.

      While a Military Member who is Crippled can wonder if they will ever have Sex with a Woman again. Because Bush was Greedy for Iraq Oil.

      This is your Reality. But it is good that you are awakening to it. Now you have a Responsiblity to TAKE ACTION, because you are no longer ignorant.

      the_webninja@yahoo.com

      • #2539897

        Always good for a laugh or two. :)

        by daveo2000 ·

        In reply to And now you see why we have BUSH as President!

        This guy is just too funny. I like the way he randomly capitalizes the first letter or sometimes entire words.

        What is really cool is how he takes entire passages out of 60’s communist propaganda and word-smiths them to appear current. :p

        I worry sometimes, though, that somebody might actually take him as being serious. What a travesty that would be! ]:) I know he tries to put hints in like entertainingly misspelt words and grammatical impossibilities, but sometimes it gets lost in the attempted realism of his diatribes.

        You have to hand it to the guy. He took this absurd personality that he made up and makes it look almost believable in spite of itself! 😀

      • #2539890

        Is this post rational?

        by jhardy2 ·

        In reply to And now you see why we have BUSH as President!

        Interesting. The Webninja says,”…and rationally minded individuals, have pretty much given up on it all. We can’t change anything when the Idiots are in charge….”

        Webninja says that the “rationally minded” have given up and that “we can’t change anything,” inferring that Webninja considers himself to be one of the ratioanlly minded.

        Well, placing such self-compliments aside for the moment, it appears that Webninja is at the very least cynically-minded. Not everything is about Global Warming, President Bush, and your personal job-search struggles–whether you agree with them or not.

        Be well,
        http://www.huckleberrythinks.blogspot.com

        • #2539867

          If you want a real chuckle, visit his website

          by daveo2000 ·

          In reply to Is this post rational?

          as noted in his profile.

          Then you, too, can decide if this guy is for real, somewhat out of touch with reality or just dropping in on his way through this part of the galaxy to never-never land.

        • #2539857

          Oh Yee of Little Words,…

          by the_webninja9 ·

          In reply to If you want a real chuckle, visit his website

          Notice how you take such focus in trying to pick apart everything about me with such Hatred and Contempt, yet you offer very little in substance for your opinions, because you are more deluded and confused than you try to make ME out to be.

          Everything I believe is based on FACTS. What about you? Do you base your Beliefs on Fairy Tales, Demons, Devils, imaginary friends?

          Then you use Hatred and Contempt to try to discredit ME? HA!

          Try as you may, the proof of my Strength is shown in your weak attacks on my character, and the very fact that you THOUGHT there was some reason to attack me in the first place. This gives me great pleasure to know I have attained such a level of Worth. Because without you, I would be nothing. 🙂
          YOU VALIDATE ME WITH YOUR REMARKS 🙂

          Thank You.

        • #2539847

          Not to put too fine a point on it….

          by jhardy2 ·

          In reply to Oh Yee of Little Words,…

          Webninja says, “Because without you, I would be nothing.”

          Can we all just agree that Webninja is absolutely correct about at least this one point–prima facie?

          That way we can leave him in his solipsistic bubble and move on with a rational discussion.

          Huckleberry
          http://www.huckleberrythinks.blogspot.com

        • #2539804

          Actually

          by w2ktechman ·

          In reply to Oh Yee of Little Words,…

          he pointed out that you had a website, and asked for each to judge it themselves.

          How they judge it is up to them. I took a glimpse at your site myself, only because he posted where to find it. I looked at 1 thing and did not see listed facts, what I saw was an article claiming that something was true, but no evidense to back it up. You may beleive it to be true, but many will dis-agree with you.
          What hatred? to hate you would mean that he really cares about you, but I did not see that in his post.

          Edited to add: I normally wouldnt comment on something like this, but I am really, really bored today.

        • #2539787

          And oddly

          by tig2 ·

          In reply to Oh Yee of Little Words,…

          You validate Dave with yours. Unplanned error?

        • #2531699

          LFMAO!

          by boxfiddler ·

          In reply to If you want a real chuckle, visit his website

          Never-never land indeed! 😀

        • #2539788

          No

          by tig2 ·

          In reply to Is this post rational?

          But it WAS mildly entertaining.

          🙂

        • #2538857

          I agree

          by w2ktechman ·

          In reply to No

          but he will probably get a few more hits on his cult site (I mean website)…
          I forwarded this to a few conspiracy theory people, so I am sure that they can all ‘share the love’ and admire or adore him.

      • #2539752

        Weedhopper

        by ontheropes ·

        In reply to And now you see why we have BUSH as President!

        Whut?

        Sensei say: Too much wax-on whacks-off make you confuse unintelligible gibberish with understandable Engrish.

        • #2539474

          Sensei Replies….

          by jhardy2 ·

          In reply to Weedhopper

          Take a whack at the Thesaurus and Dictionary and get back to me. The ideas are sound even if the vocabulary escapes you. 🙂

          Be well,
          Huckleberry
          http://www.huckleberrythinks.blogspot.com

        • #2539043

          Gee. Thanks for the smiley and the advice…

          by ontheropes ·

          In reply to Sensei Replies….

          I weren’t bright enuff to figger out nuthin’ superninja spewed out there without yer he’p.

          Sometimes its not “the message” or “the messenger” that offends and sometimes its either or both that do.

          I don’t know what ninjadudes kick really is and I don’t care. I do think that he appears to be just another minor-leaguer. It’s my opinion that his type of spew is ridiculous and I think it just gives another reason for others to not look for themselves and decide if they can believe the “official story” behind events that happened before, during and after 9/11.

        • #2539039

          Now wait a second there

          by tig2 ·

          In reply to Sensei Replies….

          If you haven’t been exposed to the Webninja in the past, count yourself among the lucky. He’s a seagull poster.

          OTR was trying to be funny. Many of us try that. Some of us? Maybe not so much.

          I know OTR. He speaks better English than I do. Amazing though it might seem!

        • #2519083

          Smilies all around

          by jhardy2 ·

          In reply to Now wait a second there

          Sometimes it’s hard to tell who is ranting and who has their tongue planted in cheek.

          We allow everyone a little mania here and there, but I think that we can all agree that WebNinja probably needs a little therapy–being that he resides just outside the first standard deviation of rational stability. Until then, the rest of us can laugh a little bit (at ourselves) and share a beer as we solve the world’s problems.

          Two smilies to all 🙂 🙂

          Regards,
          Huckleberry
          http://www.huckleberrythinks.blogspot.com

        • #2518940

          You’re good

          by tig2 ·

          In reply to Smilies all around

          Always nice to see a friendly face.

          I re-read your posting and (finally) caught the humour. Remind me to not read in my sleep anymore, okay?

          Thanks for the clarification.

          🙂

        • #2531708

          Cheers

          by ontheropes ·

          In reply to Smilies all around

          Mmmmmm… Beeeer goood!

          I’m glad to see that TR has their “Top 100 churn” finally fixed so that seagull posters don’t show up there.

          Peace y’all.

      • #2539582

        Reply to all the Haters

        by the_webninja9 ·

        In reply to And now you see why we have BUSH as President!

        The fact that you can’t understand what I am talking about concerns me, because that is partly what I do with most of my time is communicate with people as much as possible.

        So this is why I am trying to clarify what I said, because it is important to me that people understand what I say. Because I CARE, that’s why.

        First of all you should notice that instead of trying to accept what I said you immediately used Hatred against me, as if maybe you hate me simply for Political Reasons instead of what I actually said. This actually means YOU are the ones who are not thinking Rationally. Because IF you evaluate what I say close enough, you might begin to see the Truth. And whether you accept it or not the TRUTH IS IMPORTANT!

        Now getting back to my original comments which inspired so much Hatred in all of you.
        Paragraph1- “We focus on what we think is important, and that is what we fill our heads up with on a daily basis.” THIS IS A FACT.

        Paragraph2- Watch Ferenheight 911 Video, and if you review all the Presidential Advisors Reports you will see how often Bush ignores other people to pursue his own Self Interests. THIS IS A FACT.
        Bush USES the Office of the Presidency for his own Personal Gain, he is Guilty of War Crimes, and Violation of International Law for Invading a Country without just cause. (There were no Weapons of Mass Destruction Found) which was the Cause of Invading Iraq.
        Bush Family Deals in Oil, Yet Gas Prices are the Highest in History? Bush was involved in Securing a Deal with the Iraq Pipeline for Oil, just because YOU are not aware of it, does NOT change THE FACTS.

        And there have been more than 20 THOUSAND Casualties of the Gulf War in Iraq. THIS IS ALSO A FACT.

        GLOBAL WARMING IS ALSO A FACT!

        For my Refences related to the 911 Staged Attacks I offer:
        http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7218920724339766288&q=Loose+Change

        That Video also offers FACTS, such as Metal and Chemical Analysis, and Stress Tests, Video Clips from the Hotel Across from the Pentagon which shows a Missles hitting the Pentagon. Recorded Audio from the Fire Chief of NY talking on the Radio while he was LOOKING at the Airplane Burning on the World Trade center Tower, and then you hear Emplosion Bombs going off on every Floor over the Fire Dept Radios. Videos of the Emplosion Bombs Going off. Pictures that Shows Relatives of the Bush Family was in Charge of Security for the World Trade Center. There is SO MUCH Evidence that Proves it was a Staged Event, it is undeniable!

        For YOU to even Question it after watching that Video, you would have to be considered an Accessory to the Fact, and be just as Guilty as those who are directly responsible.
        Another little tid bit to throw in there is Osama Bin Laden STILL has never been Caught.
        But you can see the Bush Family hanging out with Osama Bin Laden’s Father in Ferenheight 911 Video. This is also a FACT.

        Those who can’t understand what I write are usually Hating me because they either don’t know the Truth, don’t WANT to know the Truth, or would rather use Hatred and Contempt than to consider the Truth. You are not more righteous than me, no matter how you might THINK you are. THAT is also a FACT.

        • #2539542

          The Truth about 911

          by the_webninja9 ·

          In reply to Reply to all the Haters

          Here I got a Better Link for the 911 Video, it contains unseen Footage, and the other video cuts short.
          This one is Better.

          http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7866929448192753501&q=Loose+Change

        • #2539537

          I have seen this, and I recommend to others to watch it

          by w2ktechman ·

          In reply to The Truth about 911

          But, as far as hating you, we do not know you enough to hate you.
          Also, you flew off the handle very quickly without much reason, and you changed the subject of the thread.
          Your webgsite IS funny, regardless of what content is there. I mean just starting
          ‘Do you know why you ae here Yes/No’. I chose ‘no’, and a page comes up ‘You Should’

          Tell me that is not funny. Maybe it was not meant to be, but it is.
          As for content, I only browsed a short time. There looked to be lots of theories (conspiracy), but in the 1 article I opened, there was NO credible referenses to the FACTS that you keep talking about. In fact, there were no references, just a rant. Your site looks like you are trying to start a cult of webninja followers. Why should we care so much as to worship you?

          Here is my conspiracy theory
          thewebninja is recruiting for a cult to make him/her rich. Posting on TR and other spots, looking for dumba**es to try to brainwash.

        • #2539478

          Haters? Global Warming? 911?

          by jhardy2 ·

          In reply to Reply to all the Haters

          Rationality escapes us, it seems. The compulsive need to reflect every topic to the points of your obsession is troubling.

          It appears that a great deal of your self-assessment is caught up in your being “correct” on these particular issues. A subtle neurosis creeps in so that now everything you see and hear only serves to reinforce your positions. Everything that does not is evil and bad. So much for diversity of thought. I guess this makes the rest of the world an “Accessory after the Fact.” Again, the trouble is that you are the only one allowed to state “facts” as you see them and to define “good” and “bad.”

          The whole mess gets more ironic in that the thread was started by the “older/those in power do not necessarily know more.” But remember that just because you are not older or in power doesn’t automatically infer that you do know more.

          I will rest more comfortably tonight knowing that you are not in any position more powerful than the rest of us.

          Be well,
          Huckleberry
          http://www.huckleberrythinks.blogspot.com

        • #2539442

          It isn’t HATE. Not even hate. It is just

          by daveo2000 ·

          In reply to Reply to all the Haters

          that you deign to grace us with your holier than thou presence telling us (with no lack of capital letters) what is truth and fact.

          You don’t try to establish any sort of dialogue, you simply rant and leave. I am actually amazed that you came back to comment this time.

          Most of the time you act more like a sacred pigeon, flying in, dropping your droppings all over the place (in the form of LOTS of words and opinions) and then fly away, never to be heard from (on that specific topic) again.

          It is like either you are afraid to interact with people that question what you say and might burst your bubble or tarnish your silver armor or you consider yourself so far above the rest of us common scum that you wouldn’t want to sully the bottoms of your shoes by stepping on what you think of as the human refuse that ferments here.

          Your own presentation has made you look like a joke. Because of the way you post here we aren’t laughing with you, we are laughing at you. Lighten up. Be human. At least most of the rest of us here are aware of our own humanity.

        • #2539042

          There is no text in this posting. I killed it. Is that so wrong?

          by tig2 ·

          In reply to Reply to all the Haters

          .

        • #2531697

          OMG…

          by boxfiddler ·

          In reply to There is no text in this posting. I killed it. Is that so wrong?

          I didn’t think it could get better, but it did! 😀

        • #2539041

          I’ve been blinded by the CAPS LOCK!

          by tig2 ·

          In reply to Reply to all the Haters

          Web Ninja- if you cared a darn about communicating, you would understand before you open your “mouth” that if you browbeat people into submission, you will not successfully communicate anything.

          The fact is that you end up looking like a “true believer”- one who believes without thinking. This is not furthering your cause.

          If you want to communicate, consider a SHARING of IDEAS, rather than posting the odd link and assuming that we will all happily drink your brand of Kool-Aid.

          You need a grip. Kindly follow it with a clue.

        • #2539024

          QQ

          by w2ktechman ·

          In reply to I’ve been blinded by the CAPS LOCK!

          Have you watched the video? I originally was given it and thought nothing of i. Several people kept on me to watch it, but, sadly, I procrastinated. A conspiracy theory video on 9/11, this was not new as I saw fareinheight 911.
          Ok, after procrastinating, I finally put it in my DVD drive and pressed play. I was more involved in my video game, so i was just supposed to be in the background, and only so that I could get these buggers off of my back about it.
          I do not think hat it was even on for 10 min when I was keeping my game paused to watch this. By the time it was done I had o process all of the info.
          Some of it seemed off the wall, somewhat incorrect, or easily deniable. BUT, I will not tell you the parts, as some of it just blew me away.
          I am in no way a big conspiracy theory person, I do no mind hearing them much but I do not look for them.
          After watching it I had to watch it a second time a few days later, after processing the info and coming up with my own theories about what COULD have been possible, and what I thought was really reaching. I also did some web searching to see what alternate explanations were around, just for some checking up.
          Since the second watch, I had to burn copies (their website says to in order to get the info ou there). I burned 6 copies and gave em all out to people, 2 in govt. jobs, 1 in the reserves, and 3 other people a work. The first 3 (govt. jobs and reserves) did not wan to watch it at all. I gave them he cd’s anyway but did not push hem to watch it, just highly recommended it.
          A month later, everyone had (sometime in the month) gotten back to me and told me that they had seen it, were blown away, and made copies for people that they knew.

          So, for everyone who is interested, I DO recommend downloading or watching it. This movie WILL make you think a bit, and here is nothing wrong with that.

          However, I think that the webninja should have started her/his own thread for this. I can respect that he/she cares enough to try to share this info and increase awareness, but I disagree with almost every way he/she has tried to do it thus far.
          And his/her website, to me, actually looks like he/she is trying to start a cult.

          But, do not take it that this person knows little or nothing, as disturbed as he/she is, judging from posts and website, there are a few good points to look at.

          I hope that everybody watches this video and passes it around, only AFTER judging it for themselves. The Loose Change video IS a must see in my opinion, even if you are not into conspiracy theories.
          If you want to purchase it or purchase multiples to hand out, they can be purchased at http://lc911.com/lc911/catalog/

          the Loose Change website

        • #2539021

          I watched it

          by tig2 ·

          In reply to QQ

          But had other information that made the conspiracy thing not credible.

          I understand that it looks good on the surface. All I can say is that the surface lies.

        • #2539015

          While I agree that there was a lot

          by w2ktechman ·

          In reply to I watched it

          of extra non or less credible stuff. There were some good points. That is why I say for people to make up their own minds after watching it. I think that overall, I do feel that there was a conspiracy, but to what extent I cannot say.

        • #2529079

          You might just be a kook

          by sn53 ·

          In reply to Reply to all the Haters

        • #2529074

          Hey SN

          by tig2 ·

          In reply to You might just be a kook

          While new information is always welcome, trying to get sense out of this guy is a useless waste of time and effort.

          I get so sick of the “conspiracy theorists” who claim that it never happened. Or that someone else did it. Or that a giant mushroom landed in their back yard.

          Sheesh!

          I know the planes. My father designed aircraft in his professional career. I may know more about those particular planes than many.

          I know structural engineering (remember my Dad?). I have seen both the blues for the building and have added to that what I know about the planes.

          Beyond this point, I can’t say much. But I can say with a personal certainty that there was no conspiracy.

          The JFK/RFK conspiracy theorists had some traction because the theory was plausible. In this case, I do not yet see the plausibility.

          Period.

        • #2529057

          A link for those who are not kooks

          by sn53 ·

          In reply to Hey SN

          Hi TiggerTwo,

          I really posted the link for others who might NOT be kooks. 🙂

      • #2529804

        Do the world a favor

        by gerberb58 ·

        In reply to And now you see why we have BUSH as President!

        Wow, way off the deep end. Go play in the street….no need to add blindfolders, you already have them on.

    • #2539893

      Are they really smarter?

      by zarathustra2010 ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      Are people in positions of authority smarter than the rest of us?

      Does anyone really care?

      The Writer of the Book of Ecclesiastes (in the Christian Bible) tells us “the race is not always to the swift, nor is the victory always to the strongest.”

      I add, “Authority is not given by men or God because of a man’s intelligence. It is given by men or God on the basis of a man’s trustworthiness, not his intelligence.”

      Why? Because many times, wisdom does not accompany great intelligence. I prefer a wise man to rule over me, rather than an intelligent one.

      A ruler with both wisdom AND intelligence is usually a good leader. Men who are NOT good leaders should NEVER be given authority.

      Donald L McDaniel

    • #2539875

      Something I learned a long time ago,

      by locolobo ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      is that everyone can teach me something if I’m willing to learn, and I can teach anyone else something if I try (and they’re willing).

      My epiphany came in grad school as a teaching assistant. I was teaching general chemistry labs. When I started I thought I knew the subject matter well. Early in the course I realized that the students were teaching me more than I was them. Not that they knew the subject better. But they came up with questions I never considered. Learning to answer and explain to them forced me to learn the subject in a depth I hadn’t done before.

      If you really want to learn something try teaching it. Or at least try explaining it to someone with limited knowledge, someone interested that is. 🙂

    • #2539854

      Adult’s aren’t really any smarter

      by tonythetiger ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      We just have the experience which allows us to go wrong with [b]confidence[/b] 🙂

    • #2539791

      Not particularly

      by tig2 ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      People in positions of power, real or perceived, are merely in positions of power. No more, no less.

      I know more about some things than others. I know less about many things than others. That would make me… well… normal. Which isn’t a bad thing to be.

      I have something weird in my brain that causes me to remember some things. When questioned about those things, I can generally provide the required response. That said, there are things that just pass me by. I don’t get it and am not interested enough to care.

      I can remember when I thought of adults as magical beings. And then I discovered that they were simply obsolete children. And that I had become one of them.

      This writer strikes a chord because we have all had that experience in one form or another- the sudden realisation that no one has the answers and we are all desperately seeking them. The good news? That puts us all on equal footing.

      Keep your chin up. We are all in this together.

      • #2539786

        Well Said

        by w2ktechman ·

        In reply to Not particularly

        I have stated numerous times, that a team works best because each person has interests that are different from the other teammates.
        In this way, each person has a different perspective on the same thing, and may have alternate contributions for a problem. Nobody knows everything (except maybe the Chas, I am still debating that one).

        • #2539754

          To add a thought…

          by daveo2000 ·

          In reply to Well Said

          Very often, the people “in power” are there because others thought that they would be up to the task and be willing and able to shoulder the responsibility.

          Sometimes the people that do the choosing are the ones to be led, sometimes they are chosen by other leaders. Either way, somebody expects them to be responsible.

          There are many responsibilities to this position.
          – You have to be the speaker for the people you represent to the person/people that you report to.
          – You have to insulate the people you represent from the person/people that you report to.
          – You have to see that the role(s)/job(s) that you need to get accomplished get done and get the resources necessary to complete them.
          – You have to see that the steps get done according to the plan that has been laid out. That plan was probably put together by some of the people that report to you.

          Occasionally, but not very often, you need to know how to do the actual job.

          If you are very lucky and the gods smile on you, every one of the people that you represent will know more about how to do the job than you do. If not, the ones that don’t know it will need help from the ones that do.

          If you are smarter than all of the people that report to you then you will spend all of your time teaching them and none of your time doing the job you were chosen to do.

          If you ask a good manager where the knowledge is s/he will say “with the people who I manage.”

          Unfortunately, some managers forget all of this. Or, worse yet, never learned it. They still get chosen for the reasons mentioned above. They just don’t “get it”.

          That is the sad part.

    • #2539750

      You’ve taken the first steps to understanding –the following explains it

      by r teza ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      Research: Incompetents believe they?re all right

      A Cornell University study indicates that incompetent
      people overrate their abilities.
      By Erica Goode
      N.Y. TIMES NEWS SERVICE
      There are many incompetent people in the world. Dr.
      David A. Dunning is haunted by the fear he might be one
      of them.
      Dunning, a professor of psychology at Cornell University
      in Ithaca, N.Y., worries about this because ac cording to
      his research, most inco-m petent people do not know that
      they are incompetent.
      On the contrary. People who do things badly, Dunning has
      found in studies conducted with a graduate student, Justin
      Kruger, are usually supremely confident of their abilities
      ? more confident, in fact, than people who do things
      well.
      ?I began to think that there were probably lots of things
      that I was bad at and I didn?t know it,? Dunning said.
      One reason that the ignorant also tend to be the blissfully
      self-assured, the researchers believe, is that the skills
      required for competence often are the same skills
      necessary to recognize competence.
      The incompetent, therefore, suffer doubly, researchers
      suggested in a paper appearing in the December issue of
      the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
      ?Not only do they reach erroneous conclusions and make
      unfortunate choices, but their incompetence robs them of
      the ability to realize it,? wrote Dunning and Kruger, now
      an assistant professor at the University of Illinois.
      This deficiency in ?self-monitor ing skills, researchers
      said, helps explain the tendency of the humor- impaired
      to persist in telling jokes that are not funny, of day traders
      to repeatedly jump into the market ? and repeatedly lose
      out ? and of the politically clueless to continue hold ing
      forth at dinner parties on the fine points of campaign
      strategy
      Some college students, Dunning said, evince a similar
      blindness: After doing badly on a test, they spend hours
      in his office, explaining why the answers he suggests for
      the test questions are wrong.
      In a series of studies, Kruger and Dunning tested their
      theory of in competence. They found that subjects who
      scored in the lowest quar tile on tests of logic, English
      grammar and humor were also the most likely to ?grossly
      overestimate? how well they had performed.
      In all three tests, subjects? ratings of their ability were
      positively linked to their actual scores. But the lowest-
      ranked participants showed much greater distortions in
      their self-estimates.
      Asked to evaluate their performance on the test of logical
      reason ing, for example, subjects who scored in the 12th
      percentile guessed that they had scored in the 62nd
      percentile and deemed their overall skill at logical
      reasoning to be at the 68th percentile.
      Similarly, subjects who scored at the 10th percentile on
      the grammar test ranked themselves at the 67th
      percentile in the ability to ?identify grammatically correct
      standard English,? and estimated their test scores to be at
      the 61st percentile.

      On the humor test, in which participants were asked to
      rate jokes according to their funniness (subjects? ratings
      were matched against those of an ?expert? panel of
      professional comedians), low-scoring subjects were also
      more apt to have an inflated perception of their skill. But
      because humor is idio-syncraticaly defined (a matter of
      personal opinion), the researchers said, the results were
      less conclusive.
      Unlike their unskilled counter parts, the most able
      subjects in the study, Kruger and Dunning found; were
      likely to underestimate their own competence. The
      researchers attributed this to the fact that, in the absence
      of information about how others were doing, highly
      competent subjects assumed that others were performing
      as well as they were ? a phenomenon psychologists term
      the ?false consensus effect.?
      When high-scoring subjects were asked to ?grade? the
      grammar tests of their peers, however, they revised their
      evaluations of their own performance. In contrast, the
      self- assessments of those who scored badly were
      unaffected by the experience of grading others; some
      subjects even further inflated their estimates of their own
      abilities.
      In a final experiment, Dunnink and Kruger set out to
      discover if training would help modify the exaggerated
      self-perceptions of incapable subjects. In fact, a short
      training session in logical reasoning did improve the
      ability of low-scoring subjects to assess their performance
      realistically, they found.

      From SARASOTA AM DATED JANUARY 18, 2000

    • #2538862

      A true teacher’s lesson

      by daveo2000 ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      I had another teacher at the aforementioned school that never really positioned himself as an “authority” though he definitely commanded respect in his own way. And he had a far more useful bit of advice to his students as long as they were willing to listen. His message? Well,

      [i]Listen.

      Listen to everybody.

      What you will find is that there are some people who like to brag about what they know.

      Be aware that everybody knows something that you don’t know. And, conversely, you know some things that nobody else knows.

      If you ignore the “know it all” you have just passed up the chance to learn something. Listen to him/her. Learn what you can from them.

      And if they choose to ignore you, well, they just lost the chance to learn something new for themselves.

      Now you know something more and they have less advantage over you.[/i]

      That teacher was a bit of a cynic but was a great instructor. I learned quite a few useful lessons from him that help me even today.

      It doesn’t matter that he was teaching diesel fuel injectors and I am now a manager in a software development group. The lessons stand and stand the test of time.

    • #2538811

      I enjoyed reading this :D

      by dadspad ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      Some it was too close to home. :0

      I belive in the 80/20 rule: that 20% of the people do most of the work, while 80% of the people are at the water cooler or online.
      What! That can’t mean people like us! ;\

      Actually, even though I have no documentation to back it up, that females make up most of the 20%. Why? Well how many posts have you read that a female was right? ]:)

      When I first got married, I knew my wife’s name was Right. I just did not realize her first name was Always. Red Skelton

      • #2539488

        Me too!

        by inkling ·

        In reply to I enjoyed reading this :D

        Growing up sucked.

        I had a similar realization that adults weren’t necessarily any smarter or infallible than teenagers.

        I realized that family members can be real a-holes.

        I think it is a fairly profound article.

        To each his own I suppose.

    • #2538705

      Most people in Authority. . .

      by codecurmudgeon ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      Most people in authority, especially political authority, are just a wee bit above average.

      Indeed it is rare for someone with truly superior intelligence to even WANT many positions of authority.

      Of course, I ‘ve been aware that teachers were sometimes just a chapter ahead of the students since I was in grade school: I read a memoir of a teacher who, back in the 1930s, was barely able to keep a chapter ahead of his best students to teach them calculus.

      Consider Presidents: Most of them have been in the “Bright average” range. For that matter those few who have been really smart have found it a handicap rather than an advantage: Think of Carter’s massive information overload or Slick Willie’s lawyerly parsing of language which made him look like a fool.

      As for the news, I find it kind of hard to relate, since I’ve been a news junkie for 40+ years and wanted to be a journalist like my big sister ’till I figured out I was too shy for the job and discovered computers.

      OTOH, a web comic I follow had a story about the jargon World Of Warcraft players use. It was completely incomprehensible. I finally resorted (horror of horrors) to ASKING what the heck they were talking about.

    • #2539483

      Authority Craving!

      by gabycrow ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      Some people are just authority cravers; it will fill out some hole in their lives and it will make them feel accomplished. In most cases it has to do a lot with ambition and even greed. While you can be a well adjusted happy person who doesn’t need to boss people around, you can be a well adjusted happy person who is happy because he/she can boss people around. I don’t think “smart” comes anywhere near the distinction.

      • #2539450

        Where “smart” comes in is

        by daveo2000 ·

        In reply to Authority Craving!

        while most of us were younger, we simply [i]thought[/i] that people in positions of authority were smarter. They (in most cases) didn’t [b]tell[/b] us that they were smarter (although many of us have posted about people who did) they just were there and we assumed that they are.

        In most cases, I would bet that the person doesn’t actually think that they are smarter. Many teachers and managers that I have known freely admit to their peers that the people that they teach or manage know a lot more about some of the stuff than they actually do. The difference is that the teacher/manager knows what to [b]do with[/b] that knowledge and put it to better use than the others. Or, also common, the teacher/manager knows where that knowledge whould be applied and where is shouldn’t be.

        I would be willing to bet that there are people who look to T2 and say that they think she is smarter than them. And, they will be the next ones to write in some forum that they discovered one day that she wasn’t as smart as they thought.

        The difference is that, in this case, they will be wrong. :p

        • #2539036

          Thank you, Dave

          by tig2 ·

          In reply to Where “smart” comes in is

          But I am really no smarter than the next overpoweringly beautiful, security conscious, generally brilliant, hardware/software genius that you ever meet! 😀

          The bottom line is that we bring what we bring to the table. Even people like WebNinja have a truth to tell.

          I have been a leader. I can tell you without question, I have only ever been as strong as the weakest link on my team. My job was to empower people to use their skills and seek new ones. My job was about GROWING people in ways they had never considered.

          Sometimes we need this reminder. It hangs in my workspace.

          Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
          and remember what peace there may be in silence.

          As far as possible, without surrender,
          be on good terms with all persons.
          Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
          and listen to others, even dull and ignorant;
          they too have their story.

          Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
          they are vexations to the spirit.
          If you compare yourself with others,
          you may become vain and bitter;
          for always there will be greater
          and lesser persons than yourself.

          Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
          Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
          it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
          Exercise caution in your business affairs;
          for the world is full of trickery.

          But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
          many persons strive for high ideals;
          and everywhere life is full of heroism.

          Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection.
          Neither be cynical about love for in the
          face of all aridity and disenchantment
          it is perennial as the grass.

          Take kindly the counsel of the years,
          gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
          Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in
          sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself
          with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue
          and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline,
          be gentle with yourself.

          You are a child of the universe,
          no less than the trees and the stars;
          you have a right to be here.
          And whether or not it is clear to you,
          no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

          Therefore be at peace with God,
          whatever you conceive Him to be,
          and whatever your labors and aspirations,
          in the noisy confusion of life,
          keep peace with your soul.

          With all its shams, drudgery,
          and broken dreams,
          it is still a beautiful world.

          Strive to be happy.

          And like the Hokey Pokey, that’s what it’s all about!

    • #2519230

      It is not only being smarter…

      by allentech ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      They are in the position of authority because they have leadership… they have the guts to make big decisions… they have the willingness to take on bigger than life responsibility… or they have been through more hands-on than you. And being on top does not necessarily mean you are good or successful, sometimes you are the reason the company goes down. so i believe when they say its lonely on top, everybody is expecting you to make big decisions and never commit mistakes… sometimes they are not smart… they just pick what to do and fight all the way to make things happen.

      • #2530016

        To a point, but not always.

        by daveo2000 ·

        In reply to It is not only being smarter…

        They are in the position of authority because they have leadership skills or, sometimes, because they forgot to run when a leader was needed.

        Don’t forget that there are times when leaders are chosen not because s/he steps up to the challenge but because s/he was put in that position by his/her peers.

        It is important, as a follower, to know this. This does not discredit the leader chosen in this fashion, it just puts more responsibility on the followers to not expect too much from the “leader” and to help the leader lead.

        [b]Guts[/b], as you refer to them, are sometimes supplied not from within but from the followers.

    • #2519229

      It is not only being smarter…

      by allentech ·

      In reply to Are people in positions of authority really smarter than the rest of us?

      They are in the position of authority because they have leadership… they have the guts to make big decisions… they have the willingness to take on bigger than life responsibility… or they have been through more hands-on than you. And being on top does not necessarily mean you are good or successful, sometimes you are the reason the company goes down. so i believe when they say its lonely on top, everybody is expecting you to make big decisions and never commit mistakes… sometimes they are not smart… they just pick what to do and fight all the way to make things happen.

      • #2529810

        No, box of rocks

        by gerberb58 ·

        In reply to It is not only being smarter…

        No way. The only way they got there was because they can’t do anything else. I have worked for 3 companies in the last yr as a contractor and believe me, every supervisor I had was dumb as a box of rocks. But hey, they have a full time job with the company and telling anyone how stupid they are – I would be out the door in 2 seconds. Just a bunch of kiss-a**es. They pucker up ofter ’cause they know if they got canned, no one in their right mind would hire them.

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