Pet Peeve rants.
- Thread starter Mathias
- Start date
Tangentially related to complaints about graduate students with an unjustified sense of superiority: I cannot stand how many people -many of whom I know personally and consider friends- seem to think that possessing a degree means their understanding of the world is above-average and beyond dispute. And this compounds with the number and level of degrees. Somehow, it has not occurred to many people that having a Masters or PhD in a given field does not mean you know all about everything. Why can you not admit that your Engineering degree doesn't mean you have an intricate understanding of the payroll practices of a company for which you do not work?! Why would you think invoking that degree while talking about the price of tea in China, "I have a degree, I'm not stupid," makes you look anything but stupid, to say nothing of egomaniacal?
Once I was told that PhD's learned only how little they knew about their chosen field; but evidently that humbling process was not a part of the advancing education of my friends.
Once I was told that PhD's learned only how little they knew about their chosen field; but evidently that humbling process was not a part of the advancing education of my friends.
Wiser at any rate. "All I know is that I know nothing," and all that.
I have the reverse problem. You see, I have a BA in history. Random people seem to think that means I know EVERYTHING about history.
"Oh, you have a history degree? Do you know the name of the 16th dynasty from Ancient Egypt/the name of the main Russian battle tank from WWII/who was Woodrow Wilson's Secretary of State? No?
I thought you studied history!"
It drives me nuts.
"Oh, you have a history degree? Do you know the name of the 16th dynasty from Ancient Egypt/the name of the main Russian battle tank from WWII/who was Woodrow Wilson's Secretary of State? No?
I thought you studied history!"
It drives me nuts.
Cajungal
Staff member
Man I hear that. I majored in elementary ed. I had to learn about everything taught from 1-5 and how to get resources to teach it. But every day people come to me with science questions they could easy Google or ask...you know...a specialist. "You're a scientist; what's this plant I found in my yard? You're a scientist, I have an advanced physics question..."
PPR - people that do not react to the signal light turning from red to green in a timely (<5 sec) manner. I do and will honk until movement is achieved.
Also, anyone who doubts my superior intellect and breadth of knowledge is just jealous of my credentials.
Also, anyone who doubts my superior intellect and breadth of knowledge is just jealous of my credentials.
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One time this driver ahead of me in the left turn lane wanted to go straight through the light. But nobody ever pulled into the lane that was allowed to go straight. So the switch was never flipped, and the normal green light never came on. She just sat through 3 green arrow cycles and did not move. The last two times I just laid on the horn for the full interval. I guess when the 4th light came up she realized she could take a left then the next right and still get to where she was going.
The majority of my pet peeves deal with driving. Yesterday I saw a jerk in a 1 ton truck go the wrong way in a parking lot at high speed 30+mph. All I could think was that the muther focker would end up killing somebody soon.
A few weeks ago, I was sitting at a left turn only lane, at the pole position. The lane next to me was a go straight or turn right lane. The guy in that lane turned left in front of me when the lights turned green! There were thankfully two lanes to go to and he took the outer one, but I was so amazed and flabbergasted that I didn't even think to honk.
A road we take home is a 45 mph zone with stoplights every 3 miles or so. Last week we're cruising along heading to an intersection, and the car in front of us darts to the right around a car that has stopped completely with their left blinker on trying to get into the left turn only lane! Thankfully there were no collisions, but again I was so taken-aback that I didn't have time to honk. Crazy people.
This was repeated over and over on the local news this morning. No one seriously hurt. Crash is at ~2:30...
I work as a DBA for a geriatric pharmacy distribution company. This does not mean:
- I fix computers for a living
- I can get you cheap drugs
- I know anything about drug prescriptions and/or interactions
- I can get you a deal for your significant old person at X nursing home.
And yes, I got all of those questions in about an hour period at a social event last week.
- I fix computers for a living
- I can get you cheap drugs
- I know anything about drug prescriptions and/or interactions
- I can get you a deal for your significant old person at X nursing home.
And yes, I got all of those questions in about an hour period at a social event last week.
Good grief. That's frightening. Lucky people.
That is another driving pet peeve of mine, the black truck on a dark road should be running his headlights.
But that is blaming the victim.
But that is blaming the victim.
I don't even have my degree yet, but when I tell people that I'm majoring in psychology suddenly I have the answers to life's mysteries. Saying I'm still taking classes and not qualified in counseling does nothing to dissuade them. With the person who used to live next door to me it meant that I started to avoid her since I didn't want to talk only about her child's discipline problems or her screwed up marriage every time we were around one another. I thought we were friends. It was more like she wanted free counseling that wouldn't get reported back to the Navy (in her husband's case at least).
This is not to say I don't like helping friends, IRL or online, or even strangers. I don't like it when my major is suddenly my identity. There is more to me if we are friends.
@WasabiPoptart can we talk about my mother?
Only if you want to hear about mine. 
Yeah, I have witnessed this, too. The world is large, a lot of time has passed, how could anyone even begin to know about all history? But, nope, clearly four years of undergrad would equip you for that.
Turns out the driver of the erratic car had just come off the midnight shift, and was asleep at the wheel.
I've seen drivers doing something similar way too many times, though I have no idea if it was sleep deprivation or just careless driving. Last week on the Parkway, two cars in front of me were trying to merge into the same lane in the same spot and neither of them noticed the other, so I blared my horn, which seemed to jar them just before collision. Much like the video-taker, I didn't want their stupid causing an accident I'd be stuck in.
I get so annoyed with the general population being critical of experts on a subject, but willing to listen to any crank or soccer mom with a blog that goes against the status quo.
Yes. This is about anti-vax people on my facebook.
Best part. "What makes you such an expert?"
I uploaded a picture of my diploma.
Yes. This is about anti-vax people on my facebook.
Best part. "What makes you such an expert?"
I uploaded a picture of my diploma.
fade
Staff member
Which is exactly an argument I've heard before, sadly.
They're all part of the system, man, designed to keep people sick so they can make more money!
Back when I worked for the federal government, I had a co-worker/friend who was constantly harping on people "in the government" were always secretly doing this and that. Real conspiracy nut. One day I grew frustrated and pointed out that *he* was the government. We worked in a highly classified department, dealing with secret service and top secret clearance interviews and stuff. I told him "If anyone's in a position to be in on a conspiracy, it's us. Look around. This place is staffed like the DMV or post office. Do you think there's any real conspiracy going on here?"
Sadly didn't shake his faith in conspiracies, though.
Well, facts are very inconvenient when you're insane.
Damn, I didn't know you were my sister
Obi-wan never told you what happened to your father...
Darth Pharma killed him, right?
fade
Staff member
That's why your dad didn't vote Obama. We already saw what happened when Bespin had a black president, jeez.