Education is not limited to the walls of a classroom or the pages of a textbook. It’s a lifelong journey of curiosity and learning! So being poorly educated doesn’t mean a bad grade you got on your chemistry test. It’s all in how you live your life and treat others.
One Redditor asked, “What screams “poorly educated”?”
This thread received thousands of comments as users jumped in to share their views, and we have compiled the top 20 famous ones for you.
1. Interrupting Others
We’re all passionate about certain topics, and sometimes we can’t help but jump in with our two cents. But instead of just interrupting others, try to give others a chance to speak and listen to what they have to say.
One user wrote, “When you’re in an argument, and the person you are arguing with thinks they are winning because they keep interrupting you and won’t let you talk. Drives me up a wall.”
Another replied, “My father-in-law does this whether or not there was an argument to begin with. If I say anything, he interrupts me after my first sentence to argue against what he thinks I’m going to say. Seldom has he accurately predicted what I am going to say, so he ends up ranting about some random thing that he made up in his own head. It has gotten to the point that I just leave if he ever comes to visit. Thankfully my wife is understanding. I just go solo backpacking for the weekend.”
2. Arguing
This person said, “Well, as a wise man once said, “Don’t argue with idiots.”
Another agreed, “I had a person on the phone vehemently arguing with me about a technical thing once. They were field engineer/tech, and I worked in the office administering the system. I explained the issue and that I was working on it.
They continued arguing and said, “Well, I just don’t believe that’s true.” I was getting pretty frustrated and just said, “That’s the great thing about truth; it doesn’t matter if you believe it or not.” Hit the enter key and said, “Try it now”. What do you know, it worked. LOL.”
It can be healthy to engage in a spirited exchange of ideas. But there’s a fine line between a constructive argument and a display of poor education!
3. Being Loud
Someone said, “Saying something stupid at a higher volume does not make it any less stupid.”
Another commented, “Yah, but you have to get that sentence out for it to have an effect. Idiots just keep going and getting louder to prevent you from making any kind of counter-argument. It’s infuriatingly effective.”
So, being loud doesn’t necessarily make your argument stronger or more valid!
4. The Grey Area
First off, life is rarely black and white, as most issues have layers of complexity. They require us to consider multiple perspectives, weigh different factors, and acknowledge that there may not always be a clear-cut right or wrong answer. So, being poorly educated in nuance means missing out on the depth of these discussions.
This Redditor said, “The inability to understand nuance. Everything’s very simple and easy to understand, and they think you’re mental if you try to describe the shades of grey.”
Another shared their frustration, “Ugh, the inability to understand that things are not black or white… Or the ability to understand that if one person is wrong, the other isn’t necessarily right, he might actually be wrong too, mind blown.
Right now, with the Russia crisis, there are people calling the Wagner group leader a hero because he goes against evil Putin. They can’t get it in their heads that this guy is likely even worse than Putin and is no hero. Is it really that hard?”
5. Linguicism
Someone said, “Treating people who speak with an accent like they are ignorant or inferior. These people are literally communicating to you in a second language to them…”
This user added, “Okay yeah, that’s kind of a bad**s line, lol D**n. And I totally agree with that. Kind of reminds me of Gloria from Modern Family: “You have no idea how smart I am in Spanish” because her accent makes others think less of her intellect.”
Language is a tool for communication, and it comes in all shapes and sizes. Just because someone speaks with an accent doesn’t mean they’re any less intelligent.
6. Buzzwords
Buzzwords are those fancy-sounding words that everyone seems to throw around to sound smart. But here’s the thing: using buzzwords without understanding their true meaning just screams, ‘I have no idea what I’m talking about.’
A person said, “Using buzz words without knowing what they mean. Especially when you ask them to clarify what they are talking about, and they continue regurgitating the same buzz words.”
This user agreed, “If you can’t describe something in very simple terms, you don’t really know it. I experienced it firsthand. I knew how to do OOP programming, but didn’t really understand it, hence I couldn’t explain it to anyone who doesn’t do programming (except I would always be open about the fact I can’t explain it). Now that I actually understand it, I can explain it to my mum.”
7. Social Media Likes
We live in a digital age where our online presence has become a measure of our success. But obsessing over likes and follows can be a slippery slope to seeking validation rather than reflecting our true self-worth.
Someone said, “”If this post gets 200,000 shares, a big corporation will donate a kidney to this brave little girl in desperate need.” Actually, commenting and sharing a FB post to win a custom RV because the last person they tried to give the prize to was underage, so couldn’t accept.”
Another shared a memory: “I remember like 15 years ago seeing a picture on Facebook of a little girl with all kinds of tubes coming out of her and ‘IF THIS GETS 10K SHARES THE DOCTOR WILL PERFORM THE LIFE-SAVING SURGERY ON HER FOR FREE’ and people sharing it left and right… As if the doctors were so horrible and heartless that they would ONLY perform life-saving surgery if enough people shared her picture. ‘Sorry little girl, you’re gonna die ’cause not enough people care. Oh well.’”
Another commented sarcastically, “Sorry Susie, the Facebook post only got 9800 shares. We’re not going to be able to give you that super simple life-saving operation. We wish you a long and happy rest of your life, which we estimate is about 6-8 months.”
8. Headlines Only!
A Redditor wrote, “Reading a headline and thinking you now know the whole story.”
Another said, “Like 6-7 years ago, someone did a test with r/politics where they posted an article with an incendiary headline, but when you actually clicked the link, it went to some meme page. There were sooooo many insane comments on the post; it was clear that no one bothered to click.”
So, relying solely on headlines for information is like judging a book by its cover!
9. Not Taking Any Accountability
Taking accountability is a part of being a responsible and mature person. And when we refuse to take accountability, we’re basically just trying to dodge the consequences of our actions.
This person commented, “A refusal to admit that you’re wrong or don’t know something. An inability to objectively analyze something (an article, an opinion, etc.).”
Another added to the list: “Literally a part of my interview process for any swe candidate. If you can’t admit you don’t know and explain that you’re fully capable of figuring it out if you have time, you’re not going to succeed.”
10. Pay Raise
Someone said, “Thinking that getting a pay raise means you’ll make less money because you are in a higher tax bracket.”
Another person responded, “I used to work with people who refused to work overtime because “it will put me into a higher tax bracket, and they will just take it all.””
Getting a raise means more income overall, and while you may have to pay a slightly higher tax on it, you’ll still come out ahead!
11. No Determination To Learn New Things
deagreez1 via DepositPhotos.com.
This user said, “Lack of curiosity/unwillingness to learn.
I have talked to neighbors and coworkers that I thought were backward and unintelligent and have been very surprised by their willingness to explain their position, listen to mine, reconsider, learn, and maybe even research a little. Those folks are intelligent and growing and have just come to a different conclusion than me, and I can respect that even if I disagree.
I have family members who are way more book educated than I am, who have drank the Kool-Aid and believe what Facebook and certain news stations that are more like entertainment stations tell them in snippets. It’s like their brains turn off about certain topics, and they don’t want to debate/understand, only parrot.
I don’t judge on grammar or appearance because I don’t know other people’s backstories. But if you can’t be open-minded, you are stagnant.
Someone I went to school with was telling me online how their child asked a very reasonable question about a zoo animal while they were at the zoo, and they laughed him off because it was about a bodily function and “kids will be kids!” I looked it up on my phone and had the answer posted in two minutes. They were all, “Yeah, figures you’d do that; you were always the smart one,” and I said no, I have a phone, and I used it. The kid was curious. I, too, was curious. He’s not going to know unless you tell him (too young for his own phone at the time). Teach him how to find out, and he will never be ignorant. The worst part is that this same parent was homeschooling at the time. Poor kid.”
12. The Earth Is Flat!
It’s both fascinating and bewildering to think that in this age of advanced technology and space exploration, there are still people who firmly believe that the Earth is flat!
Someone said, “I will never understand flat-earthers. You can literally see the curvature of the earth depending on where you are.”
Another Redditor shared, “I never understood the reason they thought everyone else was lying. There’s no motive to say the earth is round unless it were true, which of course it is.”
13. No Critical Thinking
In a world inundated with information and opinions, cultivating our critical thinking skills is more important than ever. But sadly, it seems that many people are falling prey to accepting information at face value without even analyzing it.
One commenter wrote, “Lack of critical thinking and dismissal of science and the scientific method.”
Another replied, “When objectivity and rationality are viewed as dangerous and threatening.”
14. Level of Intelligence
A person commented, “Confusing someone’s formal education level and intelligence.”
Another responded, “The d**best person I work with has a Master’s degree.”
Someone else shared, “My boss has multiple degrees, yet he still can’t figure out how to open a Zoom meeting by himself.”
Confusing education level with someone’s education is a blunder that can lead to judging their capabilities and potential.
15. No Basic Education
Education is a fundamental building block without which there will only be little growth and development.
This user wrote, “I don’t like to criticize people for lack of education because not everyone is afforded the same opportunities, but I am astonished at the number of people who have gone to school, and everything in it seems to have rolled off of them like water off a raincoat. There are grown *ss adults who have no grasp of really basic concepts taught in middle or primary school or who can barely read or write in their native language despite having graduated high school.”
Another commented, “I had a student social worker one summer. She couldn’t spell or print, let alone decide if her name should be spelled with a y, I, or ee. It was Ashley. This is a person who will decide whether to take children away from parents one day.”
16. Bragging About the Wrong Things
Someone said, “Bragging about not reading.”
Another shared, “I was told by my ex-boyfriend that I was stupid because I read a lot; all those books made me stupid. It wasn’t even in a fight; he was just annoyed cause he didn’t get the joke I told. And once I told him he was egocentric, and he got mad because “I use words he doesn’t know on purpose”.”
Bragging about the wrong things is an intriguing phenomenon that raises all our eyebrows!
17. Social Media Influencers
Someone wrote, “Taking social media “influencers” seriously.”
A Redditor said, “My little brother worships these people and calls me a loser because I don’t use TikTok and disagree with him.”
Just because someone is popular on social media does not automatically make them an authority on a specific subject, so don’t take their word for it!
18. Grammar Police!
One Redditor said, “Their, there, they’re.”
Another added, “I hate seeing “balling” when people mean “bawling.” I know it’s a less common word than there/their/they’re, but still.”
Someone else shared, “Lose, loose.”
Do you think incorrect spelling or punctuation can make a person seem less educated?
19. Alpha Male
One person commented, “I did a tour with wolves a few months ago, where we got up close to them and could hang out with them. One of the handlers told us that the term “Alpha male” referred to the male who took care of the whole pack: We are talking everyone from babies to sick ones to grannies!
I’ll never forget his line: “So next time someone refers to themselves as an alpha male, make sure they understand that the alpha male is the guy pushing the stroller with a Fanny pack full of bandaids, lollipops, and medicine.”
Someone else shared, “The alpha sigma term is just gender pronouns for right-wing idiots.”
The idea of the ‘alpha male’ often reinforces toxic masculinity and unhealthy power dynamics. It also promotes an ideal of hypermasculinity that can be detrimental to both men and women.
20. Geographical Knowledge
Without basic geography knowledge, we may have a limited understanding of the world around us.
One person said, “Having no basic geography knowledge.”
Someone else replied, “I moved to Mississippi. Long story. When asked by one of the locals where I was from, I replied, “Seattle.” They asked me what country it’s in.”
Another shared, “”I’m traveling to Europe” “Cool, where in Europe?” “The Europe, DUH.”
Someone else responded, “My 23yo coworker in Texas: “Japanese and Chinese are different languages?””
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This article was produced and syndicated by A Dime Saved.
