An intellectual is someone who takes pleasure in education and continues it deliberately throughout life rather than treating it as a little obstacle course to be conquered for the sake of a higher salary.

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Originally posted by tubularbills rjt's an intellectual

Irrefutable proof that you don't need to be a self-labeled intellectual to be a pretentious fuckbag.

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RJT is an intellectual by my definition, or at least he seems like one on TA. So am I.

Label me a pretentious fuckbag if you must.

To be honest, I'd have absolutely no issue being termed an "intellectual" - I think the negative connotations that come along with that label, however, stem from other people's insecurities rather than most so-called "intellectuals" actually being pretentious or fuckbaggy.

Of course there are loads of people who actually live their lives in a "my way or the highway" fashion where what they claim to "know" as true is the only right line of thought - but more often than not I think "intellectuals" are just more steadfast in their positions than those who criticize them, and that confidence often translates to perceived arrogance or pretentiousness.

Also, I hate the trend towards anti-intellectualism that the U.S. has been on for the past 50-60 years - we used to be a country that loved innovation, and now it seems like that's the last thing half the country wants. "No thanks, we're good just how we are" is an attitude that permeates our society, and people just turn a blind eye to the real problems their lifestyles create all in the name of convenience - and then we wind up at places like this (economic crisis) or a better example, Sept. 11, and still manage to wonder what it is we're doing wrong.

We are a nation that embraces and coddles its imbeciles.

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last minute disco dot net

You should read this book, then:

[Reposted review from one of the "reading" threads.]

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Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles I just finished Anti-Intellectualism In American Life by Richard Hofstadter. He traces four different kinds of anti-intellectualism in American history: Religious: the idea that education corrupts the spirit and makes people hard-hearted against conversion. Chronicles the descent of religion from the education-loving and very literate Puritans to the vulgar anti-college rants of evangelists like Billy Sunday. Political: the idea that intellectuals are "unfit" for politics, not being men of action and possibly being deficient in masculinity. There's a startling bit about the acid rhetoric used by conservatives to ridicule the "fruity" Adlai Stevenson when he ran against Eiseinhower in the 1950s, and another section on the first campaign where intellect and "action" were set up in explicit opposition: John Quincy Adams running against Andrew Jackson. Business: the idea that too much time spent in education spoils people for the working world, distracting them from the business of making money and making them unpractical, in addition to making everyday manual workers more thoughtful and dissatisfied. Interesting bits on the transition from the "gentleman businessman" who wanted to make a fortune and then retire, to the kind of money-lover who remained unsatisfied no matter how much he accumulated. Educational: Anti-intellectualism in education? Well, yes. Hofstadter discusses the movement among "progressive" primary and secondary school educators at the turn of the twentieth century to downplay the "academic" side of the curriculum and focus on nebulous ideas of socialization and "life adjustment" at the expense of intellectual rigor. For advanced English they would substitute "business communication," for math "practical arithmetic," and instead of science kids would learn how to do things like pump gas or use ovens. These educators gave themselves out as being "scientific" and as wanting to change the curriculum (debase it, really) in the interests of "society" and "democracy." I think Hofstadter is at his best in that last section, when he tears into the pretentious "education experts" who would hold kids back for the sake of their foolish theories. Some of the rants and quips had me laughing out loud. Very good book and interesting history of American cultural movements. Though it was published in 1964, I think much of its insight still applies today.

hmmm. i think a interlect is a person or persons,who endevors to think open'ly and outward. to seek and understand as much as possable.

any one person can learn all the majore's in study be it mathmatics,science and so on.

but to call one's self a smart ass for no more reason then to sound smart ,is a utter twat.

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Originally posted by RJT We are a nation that embraces and coddles its imbeciles.

This is something that really makes me fed up with so many things in our country. We coddle and cater to the imbeciles in education, enact laws that are for the sole purpose of making society incompetent, and are some of the most insular of any nation there is.

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Originally posted by bas Dual exhaust tips on dual exhaust = QUAD EXHAUST = 300 gain in horsepower. Duh

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Originally posted by bas Undies with a dickhole aren't good for guys. Your balls can get caught in them. That's why I prefer to go over the gate instead of through the fence.

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Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles You should read this book, then: [Reposted review from one of the "reading" threads.]

intreasting and of corse there is a case for all things rellitive.
meaning give children things they can relate to and watch how they learn.through simplistic tasks.this is nothing new in any country or education system.

goverments over vast amount of time and years, only reconise our economics as building block's and sterbilty at best.
and to even hope for anyting more then "smart people great future" is hopeless.

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Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles Ever taken a ride in a hot air balloon?

intellectuals are those who can read. i can

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Originally posted by callme i've slept with a few intellectuals in my time, and to be honest if they were really that smart they wouldn't have fucking done it....bbq

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