Writer's Block: School Ties

[vovat]

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My undergraduate major was history, which I really don't use in my career. My graduate major was library science, which I use a little. For the most part, I didn't really use my education as a means to an end. A guy I know from an Oz e-mail list once described himself as an "intellectual magpie," and I think that fits me as well. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any way to make any money from that kind of study.

I guess I consider myself reasonably well-informed, but there are some areas in which I'm totally ignorant. I've noticed, however, that being well-informed isn't really of that much use in most situations. I've been in so many situations where someone said something that I knew was bullshit, but I just couldn't think of any way to reply intelligently. And even when you do, sometimes people just think you're being rude. It seems like the trick to being believed and accepted is to show confidence and sound like you know what you're talking about even when you don't, and that's just not something I have down.

Comments

[nova-one.livejournal.com]

"It seems like the trick to being believed and accepted is to show confidence and sound like you know what you're talking about even when you don't, and that's just not something I have down."

I say nuts to that on principle. The world is changing now. I think we're going to come around to valuing this trait much less than it currently appears we do.

[suegypt.livejournal.com]

The secret to being believed has nothing to do with ignorance or expertise. The secret to being believed, unfortunately, is knowing how to bullshit (show confidence and sound like you know what you're talking about even when you don't). I'm kind of glad you don't know too much about this, as I like you. Wear it as a badge of pride that bullshit is not one of your many talents.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

It's not simply that I don't know about it, but that I couldn't do it even if I wanted to. I'm just too awkward, even when I DO know what I'm talking about.

[kevenn.livejournal.com]

I have a degree in acting. I work at a law firm for my day job. I don't really consider that my career. I consider it the things I do to pay the bills. My career is illustration and costume design. I use my acting degree in all of those, however. I use my degree in some ways in all of them. Studying acting taught me to listen better and how to tell stories.