Colorado Technical University

Why do people think that those without college degrees are the scum of the earth?

I just went back to college this semester, because I want to learn and have better career opportunities, anyway I got really tired of the attitude that those without college degrees are the scum of the earth. Why do some people think this about those without college degrees?

Public Comments

1. I don't think most people feel that way. I'm sure there are a lot of liberal elitists that do but who cares what those arrogant buffoons think?
2. Because they are looked at as lazy good for nothing. Not trying to be mean but that's reality. People would most likely hire someone who has had more education than someone who only graduated from high school or was a drop out. If you think about it, if you had a business would you hire the person that went the extra mile and has a good degree or the high school graduate/drop out. People see you in a different more respectful light if you have a college education.
3. I don't think that at all.. where did you get that idea from? In my experience people who look down on another group of people do so because they are insecure with their own lives. A college degree does not guarantee happiness, job security or fulfillment.
4. I don't think that... Honestly, not everyone is meant to go to college. I'm trying my hardest to not be offensive, but there are many jobs that must be filled and a college degree is simply not required to fill those positions. We do not need Garbage Truck drivers having a B.S. to just to pick up our trash. We need people to have those jobs or society could not operate and people must realize that in order for things to flow smoothly in life, everyone will not be on the same education level. AND, just because you aren't on the same education level as someone else, it does not mean that you aren't just as smart as them. There are very dumb college graduates and very wise people who never stepped foot in a college/university. Throughout life you come to realize that different people are naturally meant to do different things. While some people are skilled at mathematics and other fields that require a lot of thinking, we see that others are more skilled at using their hands and fixing things. We need both types!
5. Not scum of the earth, just less informed about some things. I can't speak for everyone, but my personal experience from within my family is that those with a college education are more rounded and can think outside the box because they have been exposed to a lot more information than others who have not gone to college. College exposes you to a variety of subjects and views you don't always come across in everyday life. The liberal arts curriculum teaches you a little of everything, and encourages you to see how all things in life interconnect. College graduates have been encouraged not to take things at face value, but to question things that are presented as facts. In my experience, the people who do not further their education beyond high school and do not read or open themselves to experiences of the greater world, often come off as uninformed and ignorant, believing much of what they hear from the news and other people. But like all stereotypes, not all college graduates are smart, and not all people who forgo college are ignorant. Besides, once you leave college, you forget much of what you learn and can end up just as ignorant about life and everything as you were before college. Everyone has their own areas of expertise. My cousin who has trouble spelling his own name and barely graduated from high school is a whiz at fixing cars and conquering video games. I can analyze a batch of chemicals and can calculate how to save a messed up batch if it can be fixed. I can take X-rays and give detailed answers about molecular biology and anatomy and physiology. I can intelligently debate things on many different subjects. When something is wrong with my car, I call my cousin. Life experience is just as valuable to society as the things you learn in college, and isn't something you can learn in an academic institution. People who view those without college degrees as less worthy than those with a college degree are often unsatisfied with their own lives and success, and have to feel like they are better than someone else so they don't feel so insignificant themselves. In the end we are all members of this society, and we contribute what we can.