Am I arrogant?

[RaynorWolfcastle]

Originally posted by: K1052
I personally don't give a sh!t if the engineers that built the bridge I cross, the planes I ride in, or the car I drive knows who Oscar Wilde is.

And I, as an engineering student couldn't care less about what some dry old man wrote in his basement; some people like litterature, others don't.

Now go ahead and flame me about how I am arrogant, self-centered, and doomed to repeat mistakes that have already been made.

edit: FWIW, I think that Engineering *is* a glorified trade school, as it should be. If I was interested in littereture I'd have chosen a B.A.

 

[ggavinmoss]

Originally posted by: MacBaine

Originally posted by: ggavinmoss

Originally posted by: ggavinmoss
It's pretty silly to put yourself on a pedestal for knowing who Oscar Wilde or Richard Wright are. Just because somebody doesn't know about authors s/he would've read in a class s/he is not required to take does not make you a better person.

-geoff

edit:
On the other hand, I do agree that most engineering program requirements don't do enough for the general education of people...

Most engineering majors already spend 5+ years in school fulfilling the requirements they already have... forcing them to take more non-major classes is a waste of their time and money.

Yeah, because what employers want is someone who can only do x, y, and z... There are plenty of engineers who can't communicate effectively, nor work outside some sort of comfort level (as jobs often require). While the skills of a speech or art history or literature class may not be directly applicable to work, the soft skills these classes foster should help the person.

-geoff

 

[booger711]

Originally posted by: Descartes
I don't think that's arrogant at all, but I have been told my expectations of people is a little high. Just last night I was talking with a new lady friend of mine, and when she asked me to play the piano I said, "How about some Beethoven?" to which she responded, "Like the dog?" She wasn't kidding.

was she blonde?

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: ggavinmoss
It's pretty silly to put yourself on a pedestal for knowing who Oscar Wilde or Richard Wright are. Just because somebody doesn't know about authors s/he would've read in a class s/he is not required to take does not make you a better person.

-geoff

Perhaps I am missing something, but did he in any way imply that he was a better person, and did he put himself on a pedstal? It looks to me like he simply stated his opinion. An opinion that people should be more well-rounded does not imply necessarily that a well-rounded person is somehow better than those not.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: booger711

Originally posted by: Descartes
I don't think that's arrogant at all, but I have been told my expectations of people is a little high. Just last night I was talking with a new lady friend of mine, and when she asked me to play the piano I said, "How about some Beethoven?" to which she responded, "Like the dog?" She wasn't kidding.

was she blonde?

Brunette. She also broke one of my wine stems, so the night didn't go too well.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: dmw16
So today I am talkin to this girl in one of my engineering classes and we were discussing reading and I said that i thought engineering majors should have to take more literature classes. It came up cuz I mentioned Oscar Wilde and Richard Wright and she knew neither. She then said I was arrogant cuz I think people should be well rounded...so am I?

that is not arrogant. that is having an opinion.

 

[shenaniganz]

I went to college for reasons other than just obtaining a BSME. I wanted to do things that made me more rounded. And by well rounded I mean: playing video games, drinking a sh!tload of beer and gettin' a piece every once in awhile, as well as learning useful as well as useless knowledge.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: ggavinmoss
It's pretty silly to put yourself on a pedestal for knowing who Oscar Wilde or Richard Wright are. Just because somebody doesn't know about authors s/he would've read in a class s/he is not required to take does not make you a better person.

-geoff

Perhaps I am missing something, but did he in any way imply that he was a better person, and did he put himself on a pedstal? It looks to me like he simply stated his opinion. An opinion that people should be more well-rounded does not imply necessarily that a well-rounded person is somehow better than those not.

I feel that if he himself weren't already at that level, then saying what he said could have been taken in a completely different way. But as it was... it seemed like he's saying they should be at "his level" (or a level he's already accomplished).

Well-rounded doesn't have to include literature. Why specifically that ?

 

[Maverick]

I don't think you're being arrogant at all. In fact I think she's insecure with the fact that despite all her efforts she doesn't measure up to her own benchmark of intelligence which is derived from the nearest male, personified in this case by you 😀

 

[dmw16]

CPA, I know man...<triumph the insult comic dog voice> I kid, I kid <end dog voice>

I didnt mean to elevate myself above her, i just know far too many classmates who can do nothing but crunch numbers. they are akward and i think being well rounded helps people interact with others (like bosses with degrees in business and stuff 🙂 )

 

[DougK62]

You assume she isn't well rounded just because she doesn't know those authors. That's arrogant. She probably has all kinds of knowledge that you don't have a clue about too - I doesn't mean that you are not well rounded either.

 

[Ausm]

Sorry I am breaking my own sig rule but anyone who uses Cuz when talking about literature really bugs the fvck out of me 😉


Ausm

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: ggavinmoss
It's pretty silly to put yourself on a pedestal for knowing who Oscar Wilde or Richard Wright are. Just because somebody doesn't know about authors s/he would've read in a class s/he is not required to take does not make you a better person.

-geoff

Perhaps I am missing something, but did he in any way imply that he was a better person, and did he put himself on a pedstal? It looks to me like he simply stated his opinion. An opinion that people should be more well-rounded does not imply necessarily that a well-rounded person is somehow better than those not.

Yeah, but next to me you are one of the more arrogant people here, Descartes. :beer:

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: Descartes
I don't think that's arrogant at all, but I have been told my expectations of people is a little high. Just last night I was talking with a new lady friend of mine, and when she asked me to play the piano I said, "How about some Beethoven?" to which she responded, "Like the dog?" She wasn't kidding.

ROFL!!!
I hardly even remember what she was referring to when she said like the dog, but then I thought abuot it and remembered those old movies with that dog name beethoven 🙂

Good times..

 

[Fritzo]

I get that a lot because I can pronounce and recommend wines (I collect wine and drink a lot of it). My friends are drinking Miller Lite and I've got a nice bottle of Languedoc that I'm eating with my bar-b-que chicken, then they start calling me Frasier. I just never aquired a taste for beer. Once in a great while while eating steak or pizza it'll sound good, but not very often.

Anyway, don't be embarrased about what you know. Unless you were trying to show off, I don't think you're arrogant.

 

[isasir]

I don't think it's arrogant.

But the vote doesn't surprise me, since 1/2 the forum is made up of socially-inept, number-crunching computer geeks anyways. 😉