Americans, and their World Knowledge - scary

[firstlook]

Posted by Seikou-Kishi (here)

Posted by firstlook (here)

Posted by Seikou-Kishi (here)

Posted by firstlook (here)
Are Stupid people considered weak and therefore useless?

I don't think so. Are weak people considered useless?

You skipped the first part. Are Stupid people Considered Weak?

I skipped nothing. I said "I don't think so". So, are weak people considered useless?

I don't think so.

I'm trying to determine why Americans without knowledge of the world is "scary" (thread title). Is it because they will believe bad intentioned authority about how we should be afraid of "outsiders" and "foreigners"?

So is this more so about Group mentality and hierarchy then it is about individuals? Just some thoughts I'm working through, Its interesting because When Judging people on this, I find that context is more important then actual lack of knowledge. It's interesting how Authority plays a large part in why people do not explore the outside world more. Survival of power? Maybe.

[modwiz]

Posted by Whiskey_Mystic (here)
This topic and the same videos were shown here last year. This is not a reflection on the intelligence of the average person of a particular country. Anyone can edit video and leave out the intelligent people. I see this whenever the media interviews occupy protesters, for example.

Although a distillation of the situation, it is my experience that the average person is this poorly informed. The average person thinks about food and TV and whatever insult or indignity they are dealing with.

[firstlook]

Posted by modwiz (here)

Posted by Whiskey_Mystic (here)
This topic and the same videos were shown here last year. This is not a reflection on the intelligence of the average person of a particular country. Anyone can edit video and leave out the intelligent people. I see this whenever the media interviews occupy protesters, for example.

Although a distillation of the situation, it is my experience that the average person is this poorly informed. The average person thinks about food and TV and whatever insult or indignity they are dealing with.

Food and Tv sounds ok to me. I usually dont walk past a food court and think to myself... "assholes". LOL>

[RMorgan]

Well, unfortunately, these videos reflect some part of the truth indeed.

As a Brazilian, I was asked many absurd questions by my fellows North-Americans, like:

- Do you have a pet monkey?
- Do you live among an indian tribe?
- Are you sure are you Brazilian? You don´t look like an indian!
- Is your house built on top of the trees?
- How do you manage to have internet connection in the middle of the rain
forest?
- Do you have a lot of trouble with snakes?
- Do you know Pelé?
- Where is Brazil?
- Plus a lot of ignorant stuff I can´t remember right now...

It´s really sad what the educational system from the US is doing to its people.

Cheers,

Raf.

[firstlook]

Posted by RMorgan (here)
Well, unfortunately, these videos reflect some part of the truth indeed.

As a Brazilian, I was asked many absurd questions by my fellows North-Americans, like:

- Do you have a pet monkey?
- Do you live among an indian tribe?
- Are you sure are you Brazilian? You don´t look like an indian!
- Is your house built on top of the trees?
- How do you manage to have internet connection in the middle of the rain
forest?
- Do you have a lot of trouble with snakes?
- Do you know Pelé?
- Where is Brazil?
- Plus a lot of ignorant stuff I can´t remember right now...

It´s really sad what the educational system from the US is doing to its people.

Cheers,

Raf.

When People ask me if I'm drunk when I tell them I'm part Irish, I say "I only drink in the mornings".

I don't really see it as ignorance. Just Fear of rejection and acceptance. They are protected by these shorthands and jokes. So don't feel bad.

[Unified Serenity]

Raf,

How old were the people asking you these questions? The Americans I know would never make such stupid assumptions or ask such questions of you. I know there are ignorant people everywhere because I have been blessed to travel all over the world and stay for extended periods of time in various locals. I make it a point to mingle with the people who are from those areas.

When I was a teenager, I left school and joined my family in London. I had my school yearbook with me at a small pub/restaurant and was surprised they had never seen a school yearbook. They had never heard of such a concept back in the 80's.

There are a lot of things about various cultures people do not know about because it never crossed their minds to investigate it. It's why I love travelling so much. It opens my eyes to a lot you just don't get in your own country.

[modwiz]

Posted by RMorgan (here)
Well, unfortunately, these videos reflect some part of the truth indeed.

As a Brazilian, I was asked many absurd questions by my fellows North-Americans, like:

- Do you have a pet monkey?
- Do you live among an indian tribe?
- Are you sure are you Brazilian? You don´t look like an indian!
- Is your house built on top of the trees?
- How do you manage to have internet connection in the middle of the rain
forest?
- Do you have a lot of trouble with snakes?
- Do you know Pelé?
- Where is Brazil?
- Plus a lot of ignorant stuff I can´t remember right now...

It´s really sad what the educational system from the US is doing to its people.

Cheers,

Raf.

As bad as the educational system is, the questions asked are part of any topic of discussion on MSM or alternative sites. Jay Leno, Letterman and John Stewart make a living riffing off of these subjects and people. Maps are not kept hidden away in the Vatican library. If you showed me a map with Australia being anything but, I would think you were playing me for a fool. They were and fools aplenty out in the streets, all with the right to vote. So that is where the scary part of the thread title applies. People take nothing seriously except everything they shouldn't. The world is upside down and backwards.

There is no excuse for these people there is only an explanation, and it is they do not care. They are ignorant and have no mind to remedy it. Even in Plato's time, in his "Republic" the ignorance of the common person was figured into things. It is how we got rulers in the first place. The average person has a below average interest in the broader world. Intelligence may play a part, but I will not 'go there'.

[firstlook]

Posted by modwiz (here)

Posted by RMorgan (here)
Well, unfortunately, these videos reflect some part of the truth indeed.

As a Brazilian, I was asked many absurd questions by my fellows North-Americans, like:

- Do you have a pet monkey?
- Do you live among an indian tribe?
- Are you sure are you Brazilian? You don´t look like an indian!
- Is your house built on top of the trees?
- How do you manage to have internet connection in the middle of the rain
forest?
- Do you have a lot of trouble with snakes?
- Do you know Pelé?
- Where is Brazil?
- Plus a lot of ignorant stuff I can´t remember right now...

It´s really sad what the educational system from the US is doing to its people.

Cheers,

Raf.

They were and fools aplenty out in the streets, all with the right to vote. So that is where the scary part of the thread title applies.

Ok so voting is "scary"?

[modwiz]

Posted by firstlook (here)

Posted by modwiz (here)

Posted by RMorgan (here)
Well, unfortunately, these videos reflect some part of the truth indeed.

As a Brazilian, I was asked many absurd questions by my fellows North-Americans, like:

- Do you have a pet monkey?
- Do you live among an indian tribe?
- Are you sure are you Brazilian? You don´t look like an indian!
- Is your house built on top of the trees?
- How do you manage to have internet connection in the middle of the rain
forest?
- Do you have a lot of trouble with snakes?
- Do you know Pelé?
- Where is Brazil?
- Plus a lot of ignorant stuff I can´t remember right now...

It´s really sad what the educational system from the US is doing to its people.

Cheers,

Raf.

They were and fools aplenty out in the streets, all with the right to vote. So that is where the scary part of the thread title applies.

Ok so voting is "scary"?

No, ignorant fools with the right to vote is scary. Was that really not apparent?

[spiritguide]

This video may clarify some viewpoints...

https://youtube.com/embed/F4WTyVdN6Ko

Then maybe not.

[firstlook]

Posted by modwiz (here)

Posted by firstlook (here)

Posted by modwiz (here)

Posted by RMorgan (here)
Well, unfortunately, these videos reflect some part of the truth indeed.

As a Brazilian, I was asked many absurd questions by my fellows North-Americans, like:

- Do you have a pet monkey?
- Do you live among an indian tribe?
- Are you sure are you Brazilian? You don´t look like an indian!
- Is your house built on top of the trees?
- How do you manage to have internet connection in the middle of the rain
forest?
- Do you have a lot of trouble with snakes?
- Do you know Pelé?
- Where is Brazil?
- Plus a lot of ignorant stuff I can´t remember right now...

It´s really sad what the educational system from the US is doing to its people.

Cheers,

Raf.

They were and fools aplenty out in the streets, all with the right to vote. So that is where the scary part of the thread title applies.

Ok so voting is "scary"?

No, ignorant fools with the right to vote is scary. Was that really not apparent?

Why? Does them (fools) voting send you Cancer waves?

Also, Being scared about something is highly uncomfortable I imagine, at least for me it is. But I don't like being angry either because its unproductive and shrinks ones perception. So forgive me for trying to work through the "scary" label.

[HORIZONS]

Actually, intelligent elitists' are what are scary.

[RMorgan]

Posted by Unified Serenity (here)
Raf,

How old were the people asking you these questions? The Americans I know would never make such stupid assumptions or ask such questions of you. I know there are ignorant people everywhere because I have been blessed to travel all over the world and stay for extended periods of time in various locals. I make it a point to mingle with the people who are from those areas.

When I was a teenager, I left school and joined my family in London. I had my school yearbook with me at a small pub/restaurant and was surprised they had never seen a school yearbook. They had never heard of such a concept back in the 80's.

There are a lot of things about various cultures people do not know about because it never crossed their minds to investigate it. It's why I love travelling so much. It opens my eyes to a lot you just don't get in your own country.

Hi my friend!

Well, I was asked such questions by people between 20 and 35 years old.

The impressive thing, is that they were not kidding at all.

You know, if I was from a tiny tiny island in Asia, I would completely understand this behavior, but Brazil isn´t what we could call a tiny, politically unimportant country.

Believe it or not, almost every person I know has similar stories about North-Americans who asked similar questions.

Please, don´t get me wrong. I know this is not a general picture at all. I also know many very cult and informed North-Americans as well.

I´m sure I can find a lot of Brazilian with poor sociological knowledge about the world as well, even more, if we consider that Brazil is not a first world country.

You know, once I went to a village in a remote part of Brazil, I mean very very remote, where the people didn´t even know in what state they lived. Really.

I think this subject is much related with how US most citizens are raised and led to believe that the US is the center of the world. Generally speaking, North-Americans have a much bigger knowledge about their own countries than Brazilians, as an example. However, in terms of foreign history and geography, their education tend to be superficial.

I guess this subject is very connect to patriotism as well. Lots of houses in the US have a national flag right there in the garden. I´ve never seen something similar in Brazil.

Maybe, if the people from the US were educated in a more comprehensive, embracing way, about the whole world, the US wouldn´t have grown into such a powerful country. A country can´t grow that big, economically speaking, if it is aware and concerned about the problems and qualities of foreign countries.

That´s exactly why the patriotic propaganda is made for.

It´s just like telling a kid the he´s the best, he´s the most smart, he´s the most beautiful all the time. Eventually, the kid will acquire enough self-confidence to actually become these things.

However, if this very same kid is aware that there are other kids that might be better, smarter and more good looking than him, his self-confidence might be shaken somehow.

Cheers,

Raf.

[firstlook]

Posted by HORIZONS (here)
Actually, intelligent elitists' are what are scary.

I agree. People who are more intelligent then me are scary (sometimes). LOL.

But then I remember that My mom said I'm the smartest kid in the world, and so I feel like they can't touch me.

[modwiz]

This thread has gotten scary. I'll pack my intelligent elitist bags and go. Perhaps y'all could discuss some sports scores or recipes amongst yourselves.

You may reply but I am bye bye. (Poof!)

[EnergyGardener]

The intelligent responders were edited out of the videos; Ron Paul was missing among the pols.

This thread has gotten scary. I'll pack my intelligent elitist bags and go. Perhaps y'all could discuss some sports scores or recipes amongst yourselves.

You may reply but I am bye bye. (Poof!)

Modwiz, you, or your friends, might like my chili recipes. Likely not their preparation, but certainly their consumption.

I can appreciate being overwhelmed by the stark reality we are indeed surrounded with; perhaps you were a bit tired and didn't appreciate attempts at levity; simply to smell the roses, see the glass half full, if you will.

Looking forward to your further participation, (whether that is Poofing in or out).

Remember, nobody said this was going to be Easy!

Cheers,

[firstlook]

Posted by RMorgan
The impressive thing, is that they were not kidding at all.

So they were asking you genuine questions. Why would you be offended by Genuine questions?

[jorr lundstrom]

Well, if we dont let our attention stroll away from Facebook, the Simpsons, junkfood and

Budweiser life seems to be quite easy to handle. Leaving our comfort zone by finding out

about the world on the other side of the fence seem incredibly dangerous. We might find

that nothing is as we imagined ie if we had any idea at all about wots outside our close

surroundings. I and Maria had a discussion today about our friends IRL. All of them have

laptops with an internet connection. How many of those use this tool to find out about

the world at large and wots happening out there. Well, very few indeed, most people

seem to inhabit a very small world, and dont seem to think its worthwhile to know about

anything outside this little box. Ithink you, the people I have come in contact with through

different forums are belonging to a very small percent of the people on this planet who

pay interest to the world out there. Wot to say about that? I dunno,

Maybe a Zensaying is wot it takes: Wot is, is and wot isnt, isnt.

[firstlook]

Posted by modwiz (here)
This thread has gotten scary. I'll pack my intelligent elitist bags and go. Perhaps y'all could discuss some sports scores or recipes amongst yourselves.

Aww. Cm-on, The unexamined life is not worth living Modwiz. Where's that philosopher spirit.

[RMorgan]

[QUOTE=firstlook;400050]

Posted by RMorgan;400043The impressive thing, is that they were not kidding at all.[/QUOTE

So they were asking you genuine questions. Why would you be offended by Genuine questions?

Hi mate,

I was not offended at all! I was just impressed with their lack of knowledge about a country which is actually a neighbor country. You know, we´re also Americans.

They were asking such questions seriously, however, such questions don´t make any sense.

Even in the Amazon region of the country, the big cities look pretty much like any other big city in the world.

Cheers,

Raf.