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Going to university does not broaden the mind

economist.com

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Re: Going to university does not broaden the mind

#71

Post by [deleted] »

yters wrote: post #25
shoo wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Jeff Schmidt's book "Disciplined Minds" is a great read about this kind of thing -- http://disciplinedminds.tripod.com/ Here's some discussion from a review of Disciplined Minds by Brian Martin: > Jeff Schmidt provides an answer in his book Disciplined Minds: professionals, including teachers, are selected and molded to have politically and intellectually subordinate attitudes, thereby making their creative energies…

> He cites opinion polls taken during the Vietnam war showing that support for the war was greater among those with more higher education. If support for the war was lower among the less education, does this mean the less educated do not think as independently?

[deleted]

Re: Going to university does not broaden the mind

#72

Post by ams6110 »

docbrown wrote: post #59
mroche wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> My first real college programming job was with people who specifically did not hire out of the CS department. Not going to lie, that sounds incredibly counter-intuitive. However, as long as the people have the right skills or mindset I don’t see the issue. There may be a lacking in deeper underlying systems knowledge, though.

>However, as long as the people have the right skills or mindset I don’t see the issue. That is exactly what they’re looking for, regardless of degree type. Without digging up all the numbers, soft skills in the hiring process are important to a great deal——as long as that person is able to understand the on-the-job training you’re going to give them. You can have person A and B interviewing for a PM position. Person…

The five years of work experience is going to override almost everything else about either candidate.

Re: Going to university does not broaden the mind

#73

Post by maxxxxx »

WalterBright wrote: post #58
maxxxxx wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have talked to some libertarians that once you push them a little seem to view slavery as a lesser evil than taxes or environmental regulations.

But they're still thinking of it as evil. Slavery is completely anti-ethical to libertarianism.

True. I would still argue that they should get their priorities straight. Slavery is much worse than taxation and even mentioning them in the same context is not OK.

Re: Going to university does not broaden the mind

#74

Post by anonytrary »

hnuser355 wrote: post #51
BurningFrog wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A cynical view is that US universities teaches you the opinions and manners you need to assume your role in the ruling class.

Haha, as if the average US university graduate is joining the ruling class

Haha, as if the average member of the ruling class didn't graduate from university.

Re: Going to university does not broaden the mind

#75

Post by iwiririwo »

andrepd wrote: post #64
yosito wrote: post #50

For those interested in broadening their minds, I highly recommend living in a country other than the one you were born in for at least a year. Preferably one with a different language than your first language. It's pretty hard to do that while still hanging on to your narrow mindset. I work remotely and I've had the privilege of being able to live internationally since 2012. But even if you don't work remotely there…

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." Mark Twain

I'm sure that Mark Twain didn't have today's tourists in mind, who are rushing from tourist attraction to tourist attraction, calling themselves "traveller" instead of "tourist".

To get from tourist to traveller, just add 8000km to any flight taken.

I'm very glad that OP included "at least a year".

Re: Going to university does not broaden the mind

#76

Post by someguydave »

WalterBright wrote: post #58
maxxxxx wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have talked to some libertarians that once you push them a little seem to view slavery as a lesser evil than taxes or environmental regulations.

But they're still thinking of it as evil. Slavery is completely anti-ethical to libertarianism.

Is it? What if it is entered into voluntarily?

Re: Going to university does not broaden the mind

#77

Post by unknownkadath »

Link to abstract:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/09567976188062...

At first glance, it seems like the Economist article is drawing broader and more politically charged conclusions than the original authors. On an initial skimming of the whole article in "Psychological Science," I can find no similar sweeping statements about college education anywhere. In fact, the word "broaden" does not appear in the text of the published article at all.

Compare the Economist title with the actual article abstract below:

-------------------

School or Work? The Choice May Change Your Personality

Abstract:

According to the social-investment principle, entering new environments is associated with new social roles that influence people’s behaviors. In this study, we examined whether young adults’ personality development is differentially related to their choice of either an academic or a vocational pathway (i.e., entering an academic-track school or beginning vocational training). The personality constructs of interest were Big Five personality traits and vocational-interest orientations. We used a longitudinal study design and propensity-score matching to create comparable groups before they entered one of the pathways and then tested the differences between these groups 6 years later. We expected the vocational pathway to reinforce more mature behavior and curtail investigative interest. Results indicated that choosing the vocational compared with the academic pathway was associated with higher conscientiousness and less interest in investigative, social, and enterprising activities.

Re: Going to university does not broaden the mind

#78

Post by lake99 »

andrepd wrote: post #66
tootahe45 wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Marxist, so even more in favor of a ruling class above all.

I know you're just trying to be snarky, but how does that make any sense?

I guess it's a reference to George Orwell's "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others".

Re: Going to university does not broaden the mind

#79

Post by pkaler »

The researchers in the article compared German university students with German vocational students. Maybe that is the case for those groups.

I was born and raised in Northern Canada. I'm ethnically India. University is where I first met a gay person and realized they are regular people just like me. Where I made my first Asian, Black, and Jewish friends. Where I first started reading philosophy and classic literature. Where I first realized that I could start a business myself.

I have a degree in computer science but took many liberal arts classes.

Maybe university isn't useful to the upper-middle class other than for signalling? ‍️¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Re: Going to university does not broaden the mind

#80

Post by analog31 »

happertiger wrote: post #68
yosito wrote: post #50

For those interested in broadening their minds, I highly recommend living in a country other than the one you were born in for at least a year. Preferably one with a different language than your first language. It's pretty hard to do that while still hanging on to your narrow mindset. I work remotely and I've had the privilege of being able to live internationally since 2012. But even if you don't work remotely there…

I really think the US should require all college grads to spend a year overseas in a country that speaks a different language. I got an education and then I got a real education from travel myself.

My daughter just started college, so we got our fill of the whole process of choosing a college. Virtually every college claimed to offer some sort of overseas study, either as a requirement or as a frictionless option. The exceptions are regional and commuter colleges that tend to be geared towards being more affordable.
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