3 ms·

> That's because the educated don't want to just "do" , they want to be successful at it. I've actually observed the opposite. For a non-insignificant number

> That's because the educated don't want to just "do" , they want to be successful at it. I've actually observed the opposite. For a non-insignificant number of people, it seems like their university degree is seen primarily as a piece of paper that allows them to demand a high wage while actively avoiding mental or physical exertion.

Broken_Hippo 5y ago
To be fair, a lot of folks get degrees in part to avoid the sorts of jobs that require physical exertion, which have traditionally been low-skill jobs. I'm not so sure it is true much anymore, considering that a business degree often gets your a retail management job. A fair amount of those store managers unload the truck along with others.
- OJFord 5y ago
  Aside from MBAs (and even of those, the more prestigious among them) after undergraduate $some_profession, when has 'a business degree' ever led to much significantly better than 'a retail management job' on average? The only problem if there is one IMO is that everyone is so encouraged/socially pressured into university, that even in the absence of any intellectual curiosity or merit in a particular field they must go. So of course certain programmes or universities get saddled with poor 'retail management' (or worse!) metrics. There is a stigma against not pursuing undergraduate study (ever increasingly far down the socio-economic ladder) and also against having working to lower-middle class jobs with a degree! We can't have it both ways! If so many people should be post-nominally lettered, then naturally so many jobs should be staffed by graduates.
kurikuri 5y ago
> a piece of paper that allows them to demand a high wage while actively avoiding mental or physical exertion I’d argue that the piece of paper is more for a semi-secure livable wage than a high wage, with or without physical exertion. From my anecdotal subgroup, I’ve yet to meet a person who expects (let alone: hopes for) high wages (above $25/hr) as a result of their degree.
- OJFord 5y ago
  I've yet to meet someone with a degree who expects 'wages' or measures their earnings per hour!

Broken_Hippo 5y ago

To be fair, a lot of folks get degrees in part to avoid the sorts of jobs that require physical exertion, which have traditionally been low-skill jobs. I'm not so sure it is true much anymore, considering that a business degree often gets your a retail management job. A fair amount of those store managers unload the truck along with others.

OJFord 5y ago
Aside from MBAs (and even of those, the more prestigious among them) after undergraduate $some_profession, when has 'a business degree' ever led to much significantly better than 'a retail management job' on average? The only problem if there is one IMO is that everyone is so encouraged/socially pressured into university, that even in the absence of any intellectual curiosity or merit in a particular field they must go. So of course certain programmes or universities get saddled with poor 'retail management' (or worse!) metrics. There is a stigma against not pursuing undergraduate study (ever increasingly far down the socio-economic ladder) and also against having working to lower-middle class jobs with a degree! We can't have it both ways! If so many people should be post-nominally lettered, then naturally so many jobs should be staffed by graduates.

kurikuri 5y ago

> a piece of paper that allows them to demand a high wage while actively avoiding mental or physical exertion I’d argue that the piece of paper is more for a semi-secure livable wage than a high wage, with or without physical exertion. From my anecdotal subgroup, I’ve yet to meet a person who expects (let alone: hopes for) high wages (above $25/hr) as a result of their degree.

OJFord 5y ago
I've yet to meet someone with a degree who expects 'wages' or measures their earnings per hour!