Statistics about monolingualism in the US?

"There are a lot of them out there. It's "anti-intellectualism". People like this see knowledge as elitism."-Guest


Yes, exactly! This is not uncommon in my state, people pretending to be humble, disdaining "book learnin'" unless it suits their situation (when they have to see a healthcare professional)...

"How very horrifying. I've never come across anyone who looked down at another person for knowing something." Wintereis

You are joking, of course, aren't you? It happens all the time. I've seen it at Antimoon in the Languages section sometimes.

<<You are joking, of course, aren't you? It happens all the time. I've seen it at Antimoon in the Languages section sometimes.>>


No, I am not joking. I have come across "anti-intellectuals", certainly, but no one who, when confronted by a piece of knowledge or an entire sphere of it, didn't pay it respect. It has been my experience that most people, despite some protests, do honor and regard knowledge--realizing that, quintessentially, knowledge and power go hand in hand. For instance, my great grandfather, a man known to occasionally use the term "educated idiot", was very concerned about the well being of my generation’s education (since we used calculators instead of slide rules when working on mathematical equations). Likewise, this is a man who left home at 13 with and 8th grade education so that he could go to work for F.D.R.'s C.C. He went on to become a carpenter, an architect, and ended his life owning two ski resorts--securing enough in holdings to see to the retirement of four generations of my family on the interest alone (Well educated, no; but very, very intelligent.) . . . and should the Pickens plan be adopted (and it should be and not for my sake), another five or six. So, suffice it to say, though some people may profess to be "anti-intellectual", I tend to take this with a grain of salt. Even an old employer of mine, straight out of the trailer park, was fascinated with stratigraphy, crystallography, and other forms of geology as well as language.

It's a defense mechanism. You're just an ordinary bloke and suddenly here is this uber-sophisticated, cultured, well-travelled person you feel quite intimidated and inferior.. So you bloat on about how 'down-to-earth' you are and how you don't need education to be a cool dude (quite true). So I don't think they REALLY look down on knowledge, they just try to save face.

<<It's a defense mechanism. You're just an ordinary bloke and suddenly here is this uber-sophisticated, cultured, well-travelled person you feel quite intimidated and inferior.. So you bloat on about how 'down-to-earth' you are and how you don't need education to be a cool dude (quite true). So I don't think they REALLY look down on knowledge, they just try to save face. >>

I agree, but I think it is more meaningful if one is "down-to-earth" while being uber-sophisticated, cultured, well-travelled etc.