Too much or too little culture?

[princealbertofb]

I was trying to play a word game with a class of 17-18 year-olds today...
A pleasant class, normally. When it came to the point of associating the adjective Chinese with the word "Chair", none of the students in the group had any knowledge of Chairman Mao (Zedong).

Now I wondered how many people on this site, of that age, or older, would know the connection? None of the kids in the group understood what or who I was talking about. It seemed crazy and preposterous to me.

Is that normal? I must admit it came to me as a bit of a shock (these kids know about Lincoln, Kennedy and Martin Luther King, and even Stalin and Lenin). Anything wrong with their education?

[LJay]

Try finding out if they know anything about Eisenhower.

[sillyboy86]

I do know who was Mao Tze Tung, but unluckily I think is very normal don't know him (or someone else).

This society is anti-cultural. Even Universities are preparing very-specialized people, but who doesn't know anything outside their own environment.
I do not believe in contemporary School-University system, I had problem to deal with that cause honestly I found very ignorant teachers. And with ignorant teachers which kind of students you could have???
I do have some friends who are "super - professional - master - degree- engineer" but who are also ignorant.

I don't have a strong memory, but I always been a curious person, I'm always learning new things, cause I think knowledge and culture are fundamental. For everything.
I'm into Art since I was a kid, I've studied Art etc, and in this period I'm reading for my personal interest some books about the wrong perception of the Art, the wrong use of the Art did by contemporary governments, and I think this is the same problem with culture in general.
Actually I think Art is one of the main important basis of the Culture-Knowledge in general cause one of It's main purposes is to open the mind of the people to stimulate curiosity at every level.

Sometimes I envy people like my grandma who did only the primary school, but I'm sure she's wiser than more or less all of my Uni teacher together. And about knowledge, mine is far vaster than hers. But she's really able to use everything she knows. Not like a renowed but vain engineer, sometimes not like me. :-(
Wisdom was the fruit of Culture and Knowledge, when the Uni, Sciences and Philosophy were created hundreds and thousands of years ago.

I read books to be able to answer a single question, so I'm not happy when someone replies to me with a random-television-completely ignorant answer.
I know I can do nothing, cause the system is wrong. About many things I talk less, with less people.

Sorry for the rant but Culture is something I really care about... And I always fighting, on my own, for that.

[Edward]

Chairman Mao - never heard this word too. And I don't consider myself stupid.

I think that it's just that every person has their own circle of interest, especially teens. I would probably be shocked if someone didn't know famous music legends like Kurt Cobain, the Beatles or Bob Marley.

[CentroNatalie]

Some things are becoming history too fast for us. With the current speed of development - no wonder. Is that bad? Not sure. I bet they know 100 things you never heard of.
Just so happens that WOW or GOT is a much more common topic for them than Chinese leaders.

[East]

Hmmmm

I know who Mao Tse Tung is and I am familiar with the history BUT...I might have a hard time associating Chinese and Chair because I might be taking it literal and trying to figure out what Chinese Chair you were talking about...the kind you sit on:biggrin:

[meninlove]

I failed this association. While I'm quite familiar with Chairman Mao and his antics, what came to mind first was




Chairs in the Ming Dynasty, when there was a change from sitting on the floor or on platforms. Remarkable workmanship.

[princealbertofb]

I failed this association. While I'm quite familiar with Chairman Mao and his antics, what came to mind first was




Chairs in the Ming Dynasty, when there was a change from sitting on the floor or on platforms. Remarkable workmanship.

Indeed, remarkable. Beautiful workmanship.

The fact that French students don't always understand that Chair can be used for a chairperson is not surprising... but it's the mere ignorance of the existence of someone who made modern China what it is that struck me as odd.

[princealbertofb]

Hmmmm

I know who Mao Tse Tung is and I am familiar with the history BUT...I might have a hard time associating Chinese and Chair because I might be taking it literal and trying to figure out what Chinese Chair you were talking about...the kind you sit on:biggrin:

Trust an antiques person to be thinking of (the) furniture, lol.

[princealbertofb]

Some things are becoming history too fast for us. With the current speed of development - no wonder. Is that bad? Not sure. I bet they know 100 things you never heard of.
Just so happens that WOW or GOT is a much more common topic for them than Chinese leaders.

And there you go. I have no idea what WOW or GOT are... Can you enlighten me?