I only have the one...
Usually, I'm quite easy going. Whilst I may be visually offended by say, someone who resembles a tidal wave of human flesh, or I may be irritated by some chav playing a dischordant noise from his phone speaker, or attacking the TV every time I see a Go Compare advert, not a lot bothers me. Apart from one thing. It may seem pointless, petty to some, and at best quite stupid from any other people's point of view, but fuck it, it's my prejudice and by the FSM I will allow myself to have it.

Wilfull ignorance. Two small words. Tiny little words. Insignificant and inconsequential on their own, but combined they mean so much more. It's not just being stupid or ignorant. Many people can't help it. I know I remain in ignorance about a great many things. It's only life, I can't know everything, but hell, I can learn. What I don't get is people who do the opposite. Try to do everything in their power to remain in their little bubble of mediocrity. Reading OK Magazine and watching Jeremy Kyle because anything else is "Well boring innit!". Deriding people who read books and try to improve themselves as gay or poofters or not worthy by their own small-minded criteria. People who will only eat turkey twizzlers and oven chips because they can't be arsed learning to cook something that requires any effort to learn. They remind me of crabs- when you try to take a crab out of a bucket, sometimes its compadres will grab on, and try and the skyward crab underwater.

I really, really don't get it. Because that's what prejudice is, isn't it? Fear of the unknown, based on a lack of understanding. Because I sure as fuck don't understand why a desire to improve yourself or even try to improve your bank balance can be seen as a bad thing to certain parts of the population.

Anyone have any ideas?
( jim_bob can herd cats., Sat 3 Apr 2010, 11:43, 10 replies)

No ideas
but I entirely agree with this
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Sat 3 Apr 2010, 12:16, closed)

Comfort zones
People get antsy and scared when confronted with anything outside theirs. Some people's are larger than others', or more flexible. Others you can cheerfully accommodate inside a cigarette packet (and maybe a pint glass, a wage slip, a few episodes of daytime TV).
(Falstaff's Spiritual Successor, Sat 3 Apr 2010, 12:27, closed)

I like the way that,
in a post on wilful ignorance, you've managed to misspell "wilful".
:)
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Sat 3 Apr 2010, 12:52, closed)

I checked that out.
And both count, according to www.thefreedictionary.com/wilful.

The English language can be a strange mistress at times.
( jim_bob can herd cats., Sat 3 Apr 2010, 13:27, closed)

In fairness, I had to check it myself before my snidey post.

( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Sat 3 Apr 2010, 14:06, closed)

S'ok. I just usually go with what seems to fit best if there are two separate spellings.

( jim_bob can herd cats., Sat 3 Apr 2010, 14:13, closed)

I agree
The kind of people who can look up at the infinite majesty of the night sky and go "Yeah, wot? It's just lights, innit?"

The kind of people who know the score of every football match since the year dot (which is kind of impressive in its own way) but then deride others for knowing stuff which is not football.

The kind of people who take Oprah seriously.

The kind of people who use the phrase "there's more to medicine than just evidence".

The kind of people who make lists of the kinds of people they hate...

...oh bottoms.
( Amish Information Systems hates misplaced, commas, Sat 3 Apr 2010, 23:09, closed)

Ergh
Even seemingly educated people (i.e. graduates) tell me that I "think too much", and that sometimes I use long words that other people might not know, and by implication, that this is a bad thing...

What I hate about this attitude is the expectation that I should 'dumb-down' for people. Why should the prefered option be that of less sophistication and thought?

People are mentally lazy, except for when they are inventing ways to justify their mental laziness, and then I have to deal with endless accusations of elitism, poorly thought out relativist opinions, and mock humbleness.
(theremin put the lotion in the basket on, Sat 3 Apr 2010, 23:16, closed)

Educated =/= intelligent.

( The Mock TurtIe ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Sun 4 Apr 2010, 0:34, closed)

crab bucket
have you been reading terry pratchett's unseen academicals?
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Tue 6 Apr 2010, 2:12, closed)