INTELLIGENCE - The average person is too clever for his own good. By ‘clever' I don't mean intelligent. He might have information at his fingertips; he might even be able to repeat it, parrot fashion, but mere repetition doesn't tally with comprehension. Quite the opposite. In my experience, the more someone speaks, the less he understands. Only when he acknowledges his ignorance might he actually start toward attaining intelligence. Few people, however, are able to do this. Everyone is in competition. Nobody wants to cede an advantage. Let's take Joe Average. He's completely bewildered by almost every aspect of his day to day existence. He'd like to seek assistance, but he knows that if he says “I'm sorry, I don't understand this,” rather than offer guidance, the other fellows are likely to crow, “Listen to the fool! He doesn't understand!” This is often the one thing he's learned from years of “education”. Therefore, Joe desperately tries to convey an impression of expertise while, beneath the surface he knows next to nothing. He might wallow in ignorance, his work might be second rate, but at least he retains the upper hand. Over the years, he's become such an accomplished dissembler that he even fools himself. He presents himself as an authority on matters he isn't equipped to understand. He might even attempt to instruct other people. If someone were to expose him as a fraud, he'd react with indignation and refer the matter to lawyers (also dabbling in matters beyond their comprehension) who would demand apologies and reparation from the person who dared tell the truth. I present this as a hypothetical case, but, laughably, it pretty much encapsulates the problems I encountered with Muriel's school when I demanded an enquiry into teaching standards. Anyone curious as to why we're currently transforming our young people in substandard dolts equipped only to sell undesirable items over the telephone or construct idiotic websites should read on.

 

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