Oxbridge small minded?

"a genuine exploration of thoughts"? You posted a list of insults followed by "discuss". This isn't an exploration of thoughts, this is an exam question set by arseholes.

naivesincerity, did your father perhaps express disappointment in you not going to Cambridge at some point in your life? Just out of curiosity.

But so do other unis and walks of life, that's precisely my point. Oxbridge arrogance. These are people who have an academic discipline that they are exceptional at, I give them that credit, but when it gives them the conceit to think the rest of the world is stupid and untalented, and not to be able to recognise the rest of the world, other unis, or other walks of life, thats when it gets annoying.

Do excuse my naivety if my belief that the two oldest and most respected academic institutions of the country actually contain large numbers of clever people is unfounded;

Elitist? Yes.

That isn't a bad thing, though.

Ask Plato. Well, he's dead, but read "The Republic."

45% Public, circa 30% Grammar, pre-dominantly white and middle-class - hardly one's definition of variety

you need to get out more

Ever since leaving school and coming to Oxford I have:

Started wearing scarves and jackets(including a couple of tweed ones), even worse I now tend to wear brown shoes instead of trainers, taken up the tosser sports of rowing and rugby, have even joined the officer training corps, held an (albeit minor) position in the union, run for a committee election in one of the major uni societies and therefore gone through all the vote fishing thats involved in it, served on said society's committee, used words like "chat", "standard" and "lash", wasted almost the entirity of a term drinking pimms and playing croquet, spent more money than i care to think of on a black tie outfit, been to black tie events, dressed up in tweeds and hunted women dressed as foxes and tried to defend said chauvinism in a feminist forum, been to watch a holocaust denyer speak and not think he was that bad,drunk non-cava champagne, taken up pipe smoking, considered which city firm i want to work for, and many more things which basically mean I have now become everything I ever hated.

Still, its all "top banter"

Ever since leaving school and coming to Oxford I have:

Started wearing scarves and jackets(including a couple of tweed ones), even worse I now tend to wear brown shoes instead of trainers, taken up the tosser sports of rowing and rugby

taken up pipe smoking

Ever since leaving school and coming to Oxford I have:

Started wearing scarves and jackets(including a couple of tweed ones), even worse I now tend to wear brown shoes instead of trainers, taken up the tosser sports of rowing and rugby, have even joined the officer training corps, held an (albeit minor) position in the union, run for a committee election in one of the major uni societies and therefore gone through all the vote fishing thats involved in it, served on said society's committee, used words like "chat", "standard" and "lash", wasted almost the entirity of a term drinking pimms and playing croquet, spent more money than i care to think of on a black tie outfit, been to black tie events, dressed up in tweeds and hunted women dressed as foxes and tried to defend said chauvinism in a feminist forum, been to watch a holocaust denyer speak and not think he was that bad,drunk non-cava champagne, taken up pipe smoking, considered which city firm i want to work for, and many more things which basically mean I have now become everything I ever hated.

Still, its all "top banter"

Ever since leaving school and coming to Oxford I have:

Started wearing scarves and jackets(including a couple of tweed ones), even worse I now tend to wear brown shoes instead of trainers, taken up the tosser sports of rowing and rugby, have even joined the officer training corps, held an (albeit minor) position in the union, run for a committee election in one of the major uni societies and therefore gone through all the vote fishing thats involved in it, served on said society's committee, used words like "chat", "standard" and "lash", wasted almost the entirity of a term drinking pimms and playing croquet, spent more money than i care to think of on a black tie outfit, been to black tie events, dressed up in tweeds and hunted women dressed as foxes and tried to defend said chauvinism in a feminist forum, been to watch a holocaust denyer speak and not think he was that bad,drunk non-cava champagne, taken up pipe smoking, considered which city firm i want to work for, and many more things which basically mean I have now become everything I ever hated.

Still, its all "top banter"

Yeah, and if you agree with that, why not move on to Mein Kampf?

Ever since leaving school and coming to Oxford I have:

Started wearing scarves and jackets(including a couple of tweed ones), even worse I now tend to wear brown shoes instead of trainers, taken up the tosser sports of rowing and rugby, have even joined the officer training corps, held an (albeit minor) position in the union, run for a committee election in one of the major uni societies and therefore gone through all the vote fishing thats involved in it, served on said society's committee, used words like "chat", "standard" and "lash", wasted almost the entirity of a term drinking pimms and playing croquet, spent more money than i care to think of on a black tie outfit, been to black tie events, dressed up in tweeds and hunted women dressed as foxes and tried to defend said chauvinism in a feminist forum, been to watch a holocaust denyer speak and not think he was that bad,drunk non-cava champagne, taken up pipe smoking, considered which city firm i want to work for, and many more things which basically mean I have now become everything I ever hated.

Still, its all "top banter"

Once again, it's not too hard to figure out that -
a)That wasn't at all what I said.

b)The critcisms are general and not aimed at you personally.

What is precisely your point?

I've made it pretty clear throughout the thread. That Oxbridge has more self promoting, up themselves and arrogant people, or at least people who act that way, than other places with talented people.

As for the point that Oxbridge academics are more up-themselves, arrogant, self-assured, whatever. Hmmm. Firstly, what IS an "Oxbridge academic"? Are these people who were educated at Oxbridge from undergrad through postgrad, getting a fellowship straight after PhD and still there now? Or all the other people, who have been educated in all kinds of places, and perhaps gain a job at Oxbridge after 20 years? Do they count, or aren't they "Oxbridge" enough?

As far as I can tell, many of the academics (NOT just at Oxbridge) are actually quite insecure, anxious, incredibly hard working and very often worried about the standards of their work. Nothing is good enough for perfectionists, and lots of them are perfectionists. Furthermore, the career track for academics is terrifying -- rejection after rejection is sent to even the best candidates for the jobs, and you have to cultivate a thick skin fast. Given the pressures of the job (having to publish at quite a rate), and the difficulties even getting that job in the first place, I can certainly fogive those who seem a bit arrogant. More often than not it's simply a necessary protection. And, also, well-earned. These guys are often doing awesome things, and are quite right to have some self-assurance if they can get it. I'm right behind them.

Though you missed a point. A fair bit of the non-famous academics cling to the Oxford prestige in an unnecessary manner. Certain lecturers have the big fat ugly university logo as their wallpaper and screens-saver. I think that's being up your ass.