The other day, I politely asked a girl on the bus to open the window above her. The girl was one of those types who excelled in any academic subject you throw her in, I know because we attend the same school. It should also be noted that the bus window was a simple mechanism which just had to be pulled by the handle to open.
The girl replied simply and honestly, 'Sorry, I don't know how.'
I then proceeded to walk the whole 1m to the window to expertly pull the window towards me to allow fresh, cool air into the humid bus.
Another instance was with a similar person, a friend in fact.
I was cooking dinner, and I asked my friend to peel a few potatoes. As most know, peeling potatoes is not one of the most challenging cuisine tasks.
This person replied, 'I've never peeled a potato before, wouldn't know where to start.' The person then went on to tell me a riveting story of how Food Tech was never her favourite subject, and this somehow applied to her not being able to peel a potato?
Is it that these academics spend so much time in the libraries broadening their knowledge they've never experienced real life situations and problems? I've heard stories of Oxbridge students asking where the toast is in Tesco.
I feel for these people who lack the skills needed to get through life, while them being 10x more intelligent than me academically makes me wonder...
Good people of TSR, please share your views on this matter.
Share your stories of similar people, or if you are one yourself, please share your thoughts.