This explains a lot about the world

Bro Deal

One reason that the ignorant also tend to be the blissfully self-assured, the researchers believe, is that the skills required for competence often are the same skills necessary to recognize competence...``Incompetent individuals were less able to recognize competence in others,'' the researchers concluded.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/artic.../18/MN73840.DTL

__________________
"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

bkaapcke

Here's how bad it really is. When I first started practicing law, our firm required us to do court appointed misdemeanor cases, as a way to get some real world experience. In the 3 to 4 years I was in the program, I represented about 300 people. They ALL couldn't read. Except for a few immigrants, they all had sat through 10-12 years of public school. They had been passed along until they either quit or 'graduated'. Several converstaions with kother defense attorneys revealed that they were running into the same thing.

This is why the school establishment is so dead set against high school exit exams. They are afraid the public will find out what a crappy job they are doing with our money. bk

Bro Deal

True. When universities have remedial reading and math classes you know the system is farked up.

But it is the incompetent people who are under the impression that they are much more competent than they are that I find fascinating. In the article they describe how people who scored at the highest levels in grammar rated themselves lower than they actually were. When they had a chance to examine other people's work, they realized they were much better than they had rated themselves. Yet people who had scored at the lower end of the spectrum overrated--by ludicrous amounts--their ability, and examining other people's work did not change their assessment of themselves. So it is not just a matter of ignorance or lack of knowledge, like the inability to read; it is true stupidity, just a total lack of critical thinking.

It makes you think about how it applies to more complex skills, like the bad surgeon who thinks he is good, the horrible manager unable to realize he is an jerk, the imbecile politician who thinks he is a great president, etc.

__________________
"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

slovakguy

having seen the intensity some students bring to their own education first hand, i'd say you are expecting far too much of educators. the horse to water cliche. don't scapegoat the teacher when the entire system is failing.

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bkaapcke

You're right, the whole system is failing. Yet, my daughter, who soaks up education like a sponge did quite well in public school. She knewthat you only get out what you put in, so she put in a lot.

M best guesstimate, after dealing with a large cross section of the local population as a lawyer is this; 70-75% are at various levels in the incompetent range, 15% are plodders (work and pay their bills, but aren't going anywhere) and the rest is split between the above averagers and the wizards. I saw so much incompetence, and barely competent, that it is frightening. The top 25-30% ar pulling the wagon for all. bk

weedvspeed

Are you taking the piss? 70%(incomp.)+15%(plod.)+25%(top)=110%
I've used your lowest figures and still come out at an impossible number !
Good job lawyers need english more than math.

Bro Deal

City of Los Angeles
High School Math Proficiency Exam
Name: _______________________
Gang: _______________________

1. Dwayne has an AK47 with a 30 round clip. If he misses 6 out of 10 shots and shoots 13 times at each drive by shooting, how many drive by shootings can he attempt before he has to reload?

2. If Jose has two ounces of cocaine and he sells an 8 ball to Jackson for $320 and 2 grams to Billy for $85 per gram, what is the street value of the balance of the cocaine if he doesn’t cut it?

3. Rufus is pimping for three girls. If the price is $65 for each trick, how many tricks will each girl have to turn so Rufus can pay for his $800 per day crack habit?

4. Jarome wants to cut his 1/2 pound of Heroin to make 20% more profit. How many ounces of cut will he need?

5. Willie gets $200 for stealing a BMW, $50 for a Chevy and $100 for a 4×4. If he has stolen 2 BMW’s and 3 4×4’s, how many Chevy’s will he have to steal to make $800?

__________________
"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

Crankyfeet

ROTFL. Paradoxically, if they worded math problems in class like this, a lot more kids would listen and learn.

Thanks for the article. Although it has destroyed my self-confidence. I previously assumed people didn't laugh at my attempted humor because they just didn't get it. I am now faced with the more plausible reality that I am just not funny.

Ignorance was bliss. Damn you Bro Deal.

Gus Riley

... and teachers tend to be easy scapegoats for those with bad parenting skills.

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Bro Deal

The education issue has veered off the meaning of the article, but I think the education problem is mainly cultural. Many segments of society do not place the proper value on education. Other segments do and their members do very well for themselves in general. The parents can only do so much when the child is immersed in a culture giving him opposite signals.

It is a bad sign when the football coach is usually the highest paid person at a university. It is an even worse sign when the sports programs are funded at a level many times that of the library.

Whether we want government attempting to mold culture is a huge question. Big corporations already do that with their pervasive advertising though.

__________________
"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates