I've been around some "well educated" people in my time, and it's interesting how many look down on your "average American". There are exceptions, I tended to like those folks better. I figure if a person feels some need to look down on another without good reason, maybe they aren't really where they think they are.
Nobody around here of course.
The masses, the collective - are quite limited. That's why things progress so slowly. And when I say limited, it's not even about intelligence - it's often about egocentrism and taking pride in their worst, most arbitrary aspects.
I took a peek at a FB group this morning, of my dad's home town. One of hundreds of tiny, insignificant GA towns with no future, where the average age is probably 60. The newest post is a simple photo of the big, ornate courthouse and the 2 comments under it are:
1 - old glory should be bigger
2 - we have the most beautiful courthouse
Now, of course, this is not something to make a big deal about, but look at it. One is a complaint that the flag should be bigger. Okay...why? Arbitrary. Fine, who cares, right?
Then we have hyperbole - the courthouse looks exactly like hundreds of others sprinkled throughout the rural south. It's no more or less beautiful than any other.
But these people took the time to post those thoughts. I tend to forget that the world is full of people who do that. And yes, it's absolutely harmless when it's a silly FB post...but those same people carry such arbitrary and egocentric ideas into more important things like raising children and the voting booth. And that's where it's fair to be critical OR at least point out that it's not great for the good of the collective.