Are Americans really this stupid?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:There is no excuse for being this ignorant. It is unlikely that it stops at basic geography either.

I mean, you can make whatever generalizations you want. But as mentioned above, geography is not taught anymore in school and, until you have seen an ocean, there's no real reason to keep it in the forefront of your memory. That has nothing to do with other forms of knowledge, experience, life skills, or wisdom. Or worth of a person.

What???? THere a million reasons to keep it in the forefront of your memory.

A million? Name ten. Hell, name one.

You can't be serious. The most basic knowledge of where you are in the world is paramount. How the products make it to your house is another reason. Weather and predicting natural disasters, global and personal security. I could go on and on. Are you really this dumb?

Yes, I suppose I am really this dumb, because nothing you said answers the extremely basic question of WHY it is IMPORTANT for someone from, say, Kansas, to keep the oceans of the world in the forefront of their memory.

I don’t think you actually understand what some of us are saying/asking/implying. Look at your bolded statement above and tell us WHY that is “paramount” (and explain what you even mean by that). I suspect that you can’t.

Nobody's saying they should have it "in the forefront of their memory." It should be in the background cause you learned it in second grade and imprinted it on your brain. Just like "where you are in the world."
How hard is this to have this basic knowledge?

DP. It's quite possible that someone from Baltimore, which in the Mid-Atlantic, would remember from 2nd grade that Rhode Island is on the Atlantic Ocean when they visit. Until then, why would they care? Who even remembers Rhode Island anyway?

[Anonymous]

It’s remarkable how unaware stupid people are of their own stupidity.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:There is no excuse for being this ignorant. It is unlikely that it stops at basic geography either.

I mean, you can make whatever generalizations you want. But as mentioned above, geography is not taught anymore in school and, until you have seen an ocean, there's no real reason to keep it in the forefront of your memory. That has nothing to do with other forms of knowledge, experience, life skills, or wisdom. Or worth of a person.

What???? THere a million reasons to keep it in the forefront of your memory.

A million? Name ten. Hell, name one.

You can't be serious. The most basic knowledge of where you are in the world is paramount. How the products make it to your house is another reason. Weather and predicting natural disasters, global and personal security. I could go on and on. Are you really this dumb?

Yes, I suppose I am really this dumb, because nothing you said answers the extremely basic question of WHY it is IMPORTANT for someone from, say, Kansas, to keep the oceans of the world in the forefront of their memory.

I don’t think you actually understand what some of us are saying/asking/implying. Look at your bolded statement above and tell us WHY that is “paramount” (and explain what you even mean by that). I suspect that you can’t.

Nobody's saying they should have it "in the forefront of their memory." It should be in the background cause you learned it in second grade and imprinted it on your brain. Just like "where you are in the world."
How hard is this to have this basic knowledge?

DP. It's quite possible that someone from Baltimore, which in the Mid-Atlantic, would remember from 2nd grade that Rhode Island is on the Atlantic Ocean when they visit. Until then, why would they care? Who even remembers Rhode Island anyway?

I suppose there are people such as yourself that have very limited brainpower.
Best to you in life. It must be difficult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was out in public yesterday and overheard the following conversation:

Woman 1: “I’ve made a New Year’s resolution to get out more. I am going to Boston and then to Rhode Island to see the ocean. Is it the Pacific that’s there?”

Woman 2: “I have no idea.”

There’s no hope!

Where did you hear that OP?

Just another anti-American troll.

[Anonymous]

https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2017/02/03/513003105/why-do-many-think-human-blood-is-sometimes-blue

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:No, sorry but I don't think it's excusable to be able to know the Atlantic is east coast/Pac west. That's not even US geography but knowing about 7 seas. Not even all 7 but the 2 closest to our country. I'm not talking state capitals, names of all states or even anything more sophisticated than tracking 2 large bodies of water. If you look at google maps you would likely notice the names of the ocean if you're looking at a coast of a state east and west. That's somewhat education but it's also observation. That Americans can't even track anything obvious is so sad. While most people in other countries are bi/trilingual, we can't even distinguish between 2 oceans. I think that's really amazingly devastatingly sad.

I also think that on some level basic elementary school geography should offer up this knowledge.

OP here. This was pretty much my thinking. I recall being taught about the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in very early elementary school, certainly by second grade. Granted these were women in their 30s, but it really made me wonder about the consistency of education in America and whether basic geography is taught in schools today. I have heard that things like penmanship and spelling are no longer emphasized in schools, and I certainly hope basic geography is not another casualty of the internet era where people can look anything up but apparently rarely do.

Basic geography is not really taught in schools. My DD did state history and studies state geography in 4th grade, and did state capitals and states in 5th grade, but were it not for me constantly shoving an atlas in her face when she asks questions and traveling with her, she would have zero sense of the basics of geography.

We're the opposite. My dCs take social studies every day though elementary and middle school. They are taught astounding facts globally and have to label maps, etc. etc. Did you know there are five seas now and not seven? I didn't either. So that is changing similar to blood being blue and all that. I love what they are learning. But they know next to nothing about our own state, state capitals, etc. So I try to reinforce that where I see gaps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lots of people are really poorly educated, yes.

That said, America is a big place and most of us haven't been to much of it. You see this come up all the time in threads about the western US (things are far apart!) or where somebody from a city expects that everyone is familiar with that city and its landmarks. Good for your overheard stranger for even wondering about it, she'll probably find out.

Basic geography is taught in ES. I have not traveled to all 50 states, but I can tell you where generally those states are because I learned in ES. And I went to a no name state u for college so it's not like I'm an educated elite.

Most Americans can't even pass the US citizenship test.

Really sad.

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Most people don’t even know their own state capital. Or the nations capital. Or who the first President was.

This shouldn’t be surprising.

At least they didn’t say Indian Ocean.

Honest question that I’ve been wondering about since I was a kid: why do so many people conflate the ability to memorize completely unimportant facts with intelligence? (e.g. who gives a shit if you know every state capital?)

Because they are not unimportant. Quite the contrary.

Why is it important for Joe Schmo to know the state capitals?

If that’s the case, why is it important for OP’s friends to know the ocean names?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Lots of people are really poorly educated, yes.

That said, America is a big place and most of us haven't been to much of it. You see this come up all the time in threads about the western US (things are far apart!) or where somebody from a city expects that everyone is familiar with that city and its landmarks. Good for your overheard stranger for even wondering about it, she'll probably find out.

There was a thread recently with a surprising number of people who legitimately thought that Alaska is an island.

Because of the way it's added onto continental US maps, like Hawaii?

I'm European and sometimes I feel my ignorance about US geography isn't that bad, all things considered...

Exactly. Because it is shown way down on the bottom left next to Hawaii. So people think Alaska is an island in the Pacific! 🤦🏻‍♀️

omg.. I had never heard that people thought AK was an island because of those kinds of maps. That is too funny. rotfl

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of people are really poorly educated, yes.

That said, America is a big place and most of us haven't been to much of it. You see this come up all the time in threads about the western US (things are far apart!) or where somebody from a city expects that everyone is familiar with that city and its landmarks. Good for your overheard stranger for even wondering about it, she'll probably find out.

Basic geography is taught in ES. I have not traveled to all 50 states, but I can tell you where generally those states are because I learned in ES. And I went to a no name state u for college so it's not like I'm an educated elite.

Most Americans can't even pass the US citizenship test.

Really sad.

In the beginning of the year in a high school social studies class, our teacher gave us a blank US map and asked us to fill in the names of the 50 states. I was one of only two students who could fill them all in. By the end of the year, we all could, including capitals and important cities. But for the rest of the high school class who had a different teacher, they didn't learn it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I once stood in line for a show in DC where someone was explaining DC geography to his out of town guest. This adult explained that DC was surrounded by a bigger state that was MD and that beyond that was VA in all directions. He had been to MD, but never to VA because it was “too far away”.

I don’t know how you grow up in MD or DC (he said he had never been in another state) without know that it borders VA. I also don’t know how the civil war division of north and south makes sense if you imagine a country that looks like an archery target.

I can’t tell you how many people think DC is the capital of Virginia.

[Anonymous]

OP, I know someone like this- my best friend growing up. Zero curiosity and then out would come zingers about things she never connected.

"Sarah" was very bright but had zero will (I don't think she was lazy) to ever look something up or read about something unless she had to.

During lunch in high school we would "study" in a group and basically feed her answers to our next test or whatever. We probably helped her with her papers. She memorized everything we said, got straight As and then I'm sure promptly forgot it all.

There was no spark to know more. Just "what do I need to know for this test". We are not friends as adults because I don't think I would ever have interesting conversations with her besides reminiscing! So I hope that helps. There is this personality type and it is not just American; it is worldwide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Most people don’t even know their own state capital. Or the nations capital. Or who the first President was.

This shouldn’t be surprising.

At least they didn’t say Indian Ocean.

Honest question that I’ve been wondering about since I was a kid: why do so many people conflate the ability to memorize completely unimportant facts with intelligence? (e.g. who gives a shit if you know every state capital?)

Because they are not unimportant. Quite the contrary.

Why is it important for Joe Schmo to know the state capitals?

If that’s the case, why is it important for OP’s friends to know the ocean names?

If the Secretary of Defense doesn't need to know, why should I?

[Anonymous]

I wonder how many Americans can fill in a blank map of the U.S. I found the thread about Alaska mind boggling. As a kid, I loved maps and geography and did well in middle school social studies. Having said that, I don't think I could fill in a complete map of Europe these days. When I was a kid Yugoslavia was one country as was the U.S.S.R. I don't think I could fill in a blank map of Africa either