I think a lot about a woman I used to know who adamantly refused to look up words she didn’t know. If she couldn’t figure it out from context, that’s just what it was.
She had some weird beliefs. Also the worst DND player I’ve ever had, I think.
Less lazy, maybe. “Smart” seems like a bit of a nebulous term to me. I remember seeing some utterly ingenious posts in the r/redneckengineering sub, and then there are intellectuals who can’t cook spaghetti.
One thing I found out recently is that the reading standards for American schools almost explicitly discourage that. They literally teach kids to guess what the word means based on context, or just skip over that word and move on.
As a socialist I think it is a bad idea to use “advanced” words. Do we only want intellectuals, academics etc? Or should we appeal to the masses?
You raise a good point.
I’m not that smart myself — I just look up words I don’t know and then I… know them.
But I suppose we aren’t all motivated by the same desires. Like I still suck at directions despite living here all my life
I think a lot about a woman I used to know who adamantly refused to look up words she didn’t know. If she couldn’t figure it out from context, that’s just what it was.
She had some weird beliefs. Also the worst DND player I’ve ever had, I think.
That makes you smarter than most americans…
Most humans
Less lazy, maybe. “Smart” seems like a bit of a nebulous term to me. I remember seeing some utterly ingenious posts in the r/redneckengineering sub, and then there are intellectuals who can’t cook spaghetti.
One thing I found out recently is that the reading standards for American schools almost explicitly discourage that. They literally teach kids to guess what the word means based on context, or just skip over that word and move on.
That must be more recent because I most certainly was encouraged to look things up in school. But then I’m Gen X.
Ignorant masses is what capitalists want
Yes, which is why we should prioritize educating peoole about politics, not needlessly “complex” words.