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Atlas is Shrugging
And it’s not pretty
There are many types of people in the world. I am one sort. I was in a PhD program in engineering at Purdue and worked on my Master’s in history as well as engineering. I am what is considered highly-educated. So what?
While I do really well on mental challenges like remembering trivia and doing integrals in my head, I’ve got plenty of weaknesses too.
My friends can attest to my lacking in common sense at times and also the fact that, at least for the first half of my life, I often lacked social skills. It took some painful experiences to help me outgrow some of this.
Why do I bring this up?
Because it’s all too common for highly educated people to believe we are somehow special.
Well, we are, in the sense that every human being is unique. But are we essential? Are we Atlas, and when we shrug, will anyone care?
When the sh*t hits the fan, do you really need someone who can solve a differential equation in her head?
If we lost all of our politicians (sorry, but they’re an easy group to pick on) how bad would life get? On the other hand, what if we lost all our farmers? What do we need more — food, or laws? Or, what would you miss more, having a working toilet or the latest version of Office?
