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Americans are stupid. Why?

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ParaSait:
Actually I'd say this is not per say a case of stupid Americans, but more like stupid teens. These kids live in their own little world of movies and entertainment and don't know shit about what's happening outside of it. Then there are those who are unfortunate enough to be spoiled in their childhood or have irresponsible parents, and they get into real life with completely no experience or knowledge or way too high living standards, and get scammed everywhere and spend the hell outta their money on useless things and depletes before they know it.
Such a shame--but it kinda makes me happy that I, as opposed to these kids, did have a youth where I wasn't kept spoiled and stupid like that.

RKade8583:
I was sheltered and spoiled but I always looked for knowledge about everything. I still do, in fact. I was one of those kids that talked like an adult to adults. The lack of any kind of intellectual curiosity (and the sheer numbers in which it pervades) is just maddening.

Tormuse:
I don't think that kind of "stupidity" is limited to Americans.  (For that matter, the article you posted doesn't single out Americans)  I think society in most countries generally treats children like they're idiots, which turns into a self-fulfilling prophecy.  No one challenges the kids to do better, so they don't learn anything by their teens and they become the stupid teenagers that ParaSait alluded to.  (and many of those stupid teens grow into stupid adults!)  It all comes from parents who don't bother raising their kids and just trust the TV to do it.  If all parents took a more active role in engaging their kids' attention and encouraging an atmosphere of curiosity and learning, I think the world would be a better, happier, less ignorant place.


--- Quote from: RKade8583 on April 15, 2012, 03:00 ---My wife and I aren't having kids for exactly this reason. We're buying dogs. We don't have to make dogs go to schools filled with idiots like this.

--- End quote ---

But the fact that you recognize the problem makes it even more of a good idea for you to have children!  Because you can help fight the tide of ignorance filling the world.  (And your country)

And if you don't like the idea of sending them to public school, might I suggest home-schooling?

Sure, this means your kids will be the brainier, less popular kids, and it takes a lot of work and a lot more involvement on your part, but I think you'll find the results to be a lot more rewarding.

RKade8583:
My wife's brother and sister are home-schooled and she's well familiar with it. From what I'm told, they're not the geeky over-achieving home-schooled kids... They were like that before they got into home-schooling. Nowadays there are plenty of ways for home-schooled kids to socialize such as groups that do field trips just for home-school kids and sports leagues.

For the record, though, we're not having kids because of other kids but also because of laws pertaining to discipline and both of our bodies and mental health. I firmly believe that 10% of parents love their kids and their lives. We would not be in that 10% even if our bodies did work (and trust me, they don't.)

LuckyDee:
I agree with Tormuse that stupidity is not an American thing, it's a part of humanity I guess. I'm a parent of 2 young kids myself, and you better believe I'm raising them to think for themselves instead of relying on others (or worse, devices) to do their thinking for them. I realise we're living on a crowded globe - which is why I'm sticking to 2 kids, one to succeed each parent - but if I'd let that sole fact detain me from having kids at all, the number of 'stupid' kids would rise a little, relatively speaking.

And indeed, it's definitely not the kids that are to blame: I've never been in a physical fight for my entire life, but boy would I relish the opportunity to punch some parents on the nose. I believe there should be parenting exams, with a minimum pass grade to be allowed to have children, if not for the benefit of the world then for said children themselves. I also believe that neutering should be part of our legal system (provided the system is fair and just). And once that's in place, we can talk post-natal abortion ;)

The last bit's bullshit of course, but I really think that raising children isn't getting the public attention that it should get.

Oh and in regard to the issue that set this off: be very VERY aware of the heavily coloured lens through which media are presented to you. Sure you can find 20/50/100 kids who didn't know the Titanic was real, who have no clue as to what WWI and II were about (or who were participants) or who think God put fossils in the ground in order to mislead us.
There will be at least as many kids who do know their facts, but they're not exciting enough to do an article about. So the moral of the story is the same: thou shalt think for thyself.

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