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A well educated person

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Original post by Rascacielos

Social etiquette is important as well. I don't mean acting like a snob, but general table/conversational manners etc. The amount of people I've met who can't even handle a knife and fork correctly is disturbing.
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You're the type of person that holds their knife like a pen aren't you?
Original post by Rascacielos
If you're going to be traditional, a certain grasp of philosophy and the sciences, as well a decent well-rounded knowledge of important historical events, although I suppose they could fit into general knowledge.

Social etiquette is important as well. I don't mean acting like a snob, but general table/conversational manners etc. The amount of people I've met who can't even handle a knife and fork correctly is disturbing.

Also, I think it's important to not be too traditional and set in one's ways. A well-educated person should know about contemporary issues and not just ignore them because they don't agree with them.


Properly? As long as the knife cuts and the fork picks up...thay are being used as designed to be used. :wink:

Any 'rules' beyond that is just pretentious people trying to make themselves feel superior over things that matter nada in the scheme of things.
Original post by HSG1992
This is why I always carry a Swiss army knife. Just in case my friends invite me to go watch a film and I need to eat popcorn. :biggrin:


Yeah.... that's taking it a little too far!

Original post by Dirac Delta Function
You're the type of person that holds their knife like a pen aren't you?


No, that's ridiculous. How did you deduce that?


This is how I hold my cutlery, which I believe is correct.

Original post by morecambebay
Properly? As long as the knife cuts and the fork picks up...thay are being used as designed to be used. :wink:

Any 'rules' beyond that is just pretentious people trying to make themselves feel superior over things that matter nada in the scheme of things.


It's not a case of superiority, it's a case of using things in the way they were designed to be used. Call me old-fashioned, but I don't think basic table manners, like learning how to hold a knife correctly, is too much to ask.

It's such a shame that traditional manners have been lost.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by HSG1992
Whenever I see a person eat with their fork in their right hand and their knive in their left, I die a little inside.


Don't ever eat dinner opposite me then; I don't want a death on my conscience :frown:.

I'm right handed in everything but that. It just feels more comfortable to hold my knife in my left hand so that's what I do. I'd imagine eating with your fingers at the table is worse :p:.
Reply 24
Surely 'well-educated' is different to 'well-informed'? 'Well-educated', for me, conjures up visions of a prep school and then a public school and then Oxford - something dependent on the education other people have provided for you. 'Well-informed', on the other hand, is possibly closer to what we're getting at here.

I'd say it varies very much for the individual. I'd expect a decent grasp of current affairs - or at least a good reason for why the individual is disinterested, if they know nothing about them. Anything else should surely come from their own personal interests - no point in learning about stuff that sounds intellectual just because it sounds good.
Reply 25
Original post by Rascacielos
Yeah.... that's taking it a little too far!



No, that's ridiculous. How did you deduce that?


This is how I hold my cutlery, which I believe is correct.


Who decided there was a "correct" way to hold a knife and fork? We have the right to hold them however we want!

Edit: I like how the OP's ridiculous post has been forgotten and we are now discussing table etiquette - ignoring trolls is the way to deal with them!
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 26
Original post by Emmie3303
Don't ever eat dinner opposite me then; I don't want a death on my conscience :frown:.

I'm right handed in everything but that. It just feels more comfortable to hold my knife in my left hand so that's what I do. I'd imagine eating with your fingers at the table is worse :p:.


Same. I am surprised this is an issue for some people.
Reply 27
But what about a very well educated person who knows nothing of real life - ie a public school boy/girl in the same sex school up until the age 18/19.

What do they know of life in the big world - stick one of those boys or girls on the streets of a big city - how long would they last ?
Original post by Rascacielos



It's not a case of superiority, it's a case of using things in the way they were designed to be used. Call me old-fashioned, but I don't think basic table manners, like learning how to hold a knife correctly, is too much to ask.

It's such a shame that traditional manners have been lost.


The knife was designed to cut things, the fork was designed to pick things up. That's where it ends.

Other than pretentious people like yourself, who says it is correct? Go ahead, show me the patent for the knife and fork which includes instructions on usage. :rolleyes:


And manners? What about the manners of not judging people based on pointless crap such as how they hold cutlerly? I guess your parents missed that lesson.

I ****ing hate snobs.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Emmie3303
Don't ever eat dinner opposite me then; I don't want a death on my conscience :frown:.

I'm right handed in everything but that. It just feels more comfortable to hold my knife in my left hand so that's what I do. I'd imagine eating with your fingers at the table is worse :p:.


If you weren't all the way in Scotland and if I weren't so lazy, I'd drag you outside, grab you by the shoulders and...have a stern word with you regarding your inappropriate meal etiquette. :colone:
Original post by sswf224
But what about a very well educated person who knows nothing of real life - ie a public school boy/girl in the same sex school up until the age 18/19.

What do they know of life in the big world - stick one of those boys or girls on the streets of a big city - how long would they last ?


What's this huge generalisation about public shool students not knowing about real life? Sure, I'm sure there are plenty who lead very sheltered lifestyles, but so do many from other schools.

As I said, it's important to know about contemporary issues, but I'm not sure you can judge someone's degree of education in such issues on the type of school they attend.

Original post by Zacho
Who decided there was a "correct" way to hold a knife and fork? We have the right to hold them however we want!

Edit: I like how the OP's ridiculous post has been forgotten and we are now discussing table etiquette - ignoring trolls is the way to deal with them!


I'm not saying you don't. I just happen to like the traditional way of using it and according to the norms of social etiquette, that's how most people would see as the correct way, which I don't think is going to change. Eat your food how you like, it doesn't bother me, but that's not a reason to attack my views. I accept that only a minority of people care about tradition anymore.

Original post by morecambebay
The knife was designed to cut things, the fork was designed to pick things up. That's where it ends.

Other than pretentious people like yourself, who says it is correct? Go ahead, show me the patent for the knife and fork which includes instructions on usage. :rolleyes:


And manners? What about the manners of not judging people based on pointless crap such as how they hold cutlerly?


:rofl:

That's rich. Have you not just judged me as a "pretentious" person based on the fact that I eat in a traditional manner? I haven't judged you at all - it's entirely your own decision how you go about your life, including how you handle cutlery, but don't have a go at me just because I like tradition, thanks.
(edited 12 years ago)
I think rather than educated , you're trying to say cultured ?
Reply 32
I think knowledge and education in general are important, but I think for most people either do not need to learn about those things or do not have the time to learn about those things.

I mean yeah I think they're interesting, but I do not have enough time to learn about them in any kind of detail because I'm spending most of my time learning about other things. That said, I hardly consider myself an uneducated person just because I don't have extensive knowledge of those things. As I know quite a bit about other things.

That said. If I ever had the time to learn about them in more detail I'm sure I would.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Zacho
Same. I am surprised this is an issue for some people.


I know; it's not exactly a serious problem :smile:.
Original post by wcp100
I think rather than educated , you're trying to say cultured ?


This. Obviously being well-cultured fits in with being well-educated but it's not the be-all-and-end-all.
Original post by sswf224
But what about a very well educated person who knows nothing of real life - ie a public school boy/girl in the same sex school up until the age 18/19.

What do they know of life in the big world - stick one of those boys or girls on the streets of a big city - how long would they last ?


Tbh that's as much a prejudice against public school educated people, as they thinking state educated people go around in football shirts is.
Reply 36
Original post by HSG1992
Whenever I see a person eat with their fork in their right hand and their knive in their left, I die a little inside.


I'm probably going to sound totally..err.. uncultured here, but what's the problem with that? Isn't it the way left handed people eat? :confused:
Original post by HSG1992
If you weren't all the way in Scotland and if I weren't so lazy, I'd drag you outside, grab you by the shoulders and...have a stern word with you regarding your inappropriate meal etiquette. :colone:


I'm actually in Cumbria? Is that any better :p:? I know about knife and fork etiquette I just choose to ignore it.
Reply 38
I think one should eat in the manner that is most comfortable to you. Here in SA some cultures eat with their hands - it is not for me or anyone to tell them that is wrong.

I'm ambidextrous, but find holding the fork in my right hand is more comfortable and would imagine that is more important than "tradition".

Being educated in my opinion would mean knowing about the events and history of the country you live in and your country of origin if you reside somewhere other than your nation of birth.

That means reading the papers and having some degree of knowledge of the state of the economy. I think that is more important than knowing about Greek mythology, classical music etc.

Personally I also like people who are knowledgeable in maths and science, but I understand that is not everyone's cup of tea.
Original post by Rascacielos


:rofl:

That's rich. Have you not just judged me as a "pretentious" person based on the fact that I eat in a traditional manner? I haven't judged you at all - it's entirely your own decision how you go about your life, including how you handle cutlery, but don't have a go at me just because I like tradition, thanks.


No, it had nothing to do with how you eat, it was to do with how you spoke about how you eat.

Judging people on their attitudes to things is actually quite an accurate way to get a measure of them and their beliefs, where as judging people on how they hold a knife and fork is entirely pointless.
(edited 12 years ago)

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