Listening to a weekly "Somewhere In Time" edition last Saturday night (rerun of an early original "Coast to Coast" with creator/original host Art Bell)
Caller: ...Can I just say, you seem like you're a well-educated guy. I listen to all these other talk-show hosts and a lot of them seem so ignorant and narrow-minded. But you come across as being so knowledgeable.
Art Bell: Well, I did do a couple years of college. However, most of what I've learned in life comes from all the traveling around I've done, from visiting other countries and absorbing some of the cultures of each one---and I've held down many different types of jobs over the years as well, in all sorts of areas.
So I think having been exposed to so many different environments is, in large part, responsible for having broadened my perspective, enabled me to look at everything from all angles----a lot more than one could do by strictly learning about the world from textbooks. At least I'd like to think so, anyway.
Now, I'm not putting down higher education by any means, mind you. I think there is immense value to getting a college education and to getting a degree. I just don't believe it should be the only avenue one takes to acquire a well-rounded knowledge of the world.
I've known folks who went on to further their education, and got their degrees---their Masters and PhD. And years later I would meet up with them again, and I would notice "something missing" about them. Like they weren't able to function at everyday life in a normal way, and had problems relating to the average person. As if, when taken outside the academic environment they seemed kind of "lost"
...like they've become "socially disabled" from spending so many years of their life mostly inside an academic environment ....
Personally I think this to be essentially true of all of us.
We're all "socially disabled" to a large extent because of the domestic and demographic influences we've allowed ourselves to be limited to most of our lives.
The only people who make sense to us are either "our own kind" or those who express attitudes or opinions similar to our own.
You'll always notice having to be around "just anyone else" whose conversations drift off into subject matters we have no concern about or interest in for any length of time tends to make us a bit "antsy", ready to excuse ourselves and move on.
Caller: ...Can I just say, you seem like you're a well-educated guy. I listen to all these other talk-show hosts and a lot of them seem so ignorant and narrow-minded. But you come across as being so knowledgeable.
Art Bell: Well, I did do a couple years of college. However, most of what I've learned in life comes from all the traveling around I've done, from visiting other countries and absorbing some of the cultures of each one---and I've held down many different types of jobs over the years as well, in all sorts of areas.
So I think having been exposed to so many different environments is, in large part, responsible for having broadened my perspective, enabled me to look at everything from all angles----a lot more than one could do by strictly learning about the world from textbooks. At least I'd like to think so, anyway.
Now, I'm not putting down higher education by any means, mind you. I think there is immense value to getting a college education and to getting a degree. I just don't believe it should be the only avenue one takes to acquire a well-rounded knowledge of the world.
I've known folks who went on to further their education, and got their degrees---their Masters and PhD. And years later I would meet up with them again, and I would notice "something missing" about them. Like they weren't able to function at everyday life in a normal way, and had problems relating to the average person. As if, when taken outside the academic environment they seemed kind of "lost"
...like they've become "socially disabled" from spending so many years of their life mostly inside an academic environment ....
Personally I think this to be essentially true of all of us.
We're all "socially disabled" to a large extent because of the domestic and demographic influences we've allowed ourselves to be limited to most of our lives.
The only people who make sense to us are either "our own kind" or those who express attitudes or opinions similar to our own.
You'll always notice having to be around "just anyone else" whose conversations drift off into subject matters we have no concern about or interest in for any length of time tends to make us a bit "antsy", ready to excuse ourselves and move on.
Re; College. "To get a good job get a good education." My BA was BS. I'm in the group that found higher education didn't mean squat.
ReplyDeleteIt's best to just be in a constant state of "I'm open to anything".
ReplyDeleteBesides, favoritism and social/community connections always trump any clinical qualifications an individual may have.