posted September 12, 2013 10:54 AM              

In the end the other forums (who are either educated with a college degree like he was or deemed themselves as "intellectuals") started going on a groupthink rant about how the masses are so stupid and this said user began to feel better and he posted that he is glad to be an intellectual.

This thread really caught my attention. I see the old stigma repeated that the "stupid masses" are so intellectually inferior that they cannot comprehend the fundamentals of what are deemed as "intellectual endeavors" such as the arts and philosophy is being repeated as always.

OK to put some background about me I am not well-educated nor do I consider myself an intellectual. In fact taken my knowledge into account, most intellectual societies such as MENSA would not even consider me for membership.

However despite not being an intellectual nor educated, I am interested in subjects deemed as "intellectually captivating" that includes philosophy and history. I have some knowledge of various intellectual subjects and even have gained deeper levels of knowledge only specialists could learn such as in the case of literature some of the deeper messages hidden within Gone with the Wind.

So when I saw this post I was irritated seeing an old stigma repeated. Because it assumes only the intellectual and educated sectors of society can hope to discuss or even merely enjoy such "intellectual endeavors" like science or art.

I know a lot of people into such endeavors and they are neither well-educated nor what society stereotypes as intellectuals. For example one of my DeviantArt friends reads a lot. As in she read at least 5% of the books listed in the l "Bestselling books of all time" on Wikipedia (which is A LOT when you see over a 100 books are listed on the page) and reading is one of her main hobbies.

But most intellectual endeavors either she only has basic general knowledge off or she is not interested in. For example as far as history goes she's intereste din the Middle Ages and World War 2 but her knowledge are mostly cliches repeated in general history books or told from the perspective of her country (Finland).

So she enjoys literature and has more knowledge than the average Joe (esp. in the fantasy genre). She is educated however (graduated from college I'm not sure what level but at least the minimal requirements needed by the Finnish government). But she probably never heard of Marshall Arthur Wellesley more famously known as the Wellington nor has she likely heard of James Buchanan. She probably has not read Phenomenology of Perception (a major work of philosophy).

But her knowledge of fantasy literature amazes me and I was surprised how many books she already has read on Wikipedia's list of Bestselling books of all time. I doubt most self-proclaimed intellectuals and the well-educated had heard of her favorite fantasy series.

To use another example, my father has a Masters. But he's barely remembers any of the classic works of literature he had to read in school nor is he even aware of many classic works outside mainstream ones like the Illiad. In fact the only literature he is aware of (and reads frequently) are those in the War genre and related to the Military such as the Art of War. He isn't interested in philosophy and the only science he really pays attention to not shown in the news are those related to sports medicine and health.