Why listing alma mater is just giving in to appeals to authority.

in education •  3 years ago 

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I don't like to disclose my alma mater online. There are reasons for that.

Part of it is the same as why I don't list my relationship status - it's none of your damn business and it's only important to the people directly involved.

Still, I've been pressured several times recently to talk about my college experience by people who disagree with me. I won't tell them because I know that the inquiry is being made dishonestly.

They figure that if I said that I didn't go to college that would immediately allow them to pull rank on me an dismiss my opinion. Of course, that would be fallacious on their part; but, they want their egos stroked.

Even still, if I did say that I went to college, all they'll do is say that I'm lying and demand evidence, like a diploma, which I'm not going to provide.

Even if I did provide that, they would then want to know my GPA and want to see my transcripts, which I'm obviously not going to provide. Either that or they'll criticize the institutions that I attended or try to assert that they have a higher or more relevant credential.

All of these would be appeals to authority.

I won't get into the details of my schooling because, as Mark Twain (who didn't go to college) once said, "I never let schooling get in the way of my education."

I also won't give that information out because, if you can't win the argument without appealing to your own authority, you're a dick hole who is only pointing to your own credential.

Finally, in general, yes I do think that the average highschool dropout is smarter than the average person with a master's in women's studies or sociology.

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