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If you lack basic skills are you thick?

i think everyone is this world isn't as good as they would like to be at something...you might be brilliant as an academic, but crap at other things, perhaps social or practical skills of some sort. and remember AT, you're on a forum where a high percentage of the other members are deemed academically 'excellent', i for one feel out of my depth when reading some of these posts,and just think *wtf?!* however its important to remember that this is only a small proportion of the whole population, think about it, you're good with computers, you've managed to get yourself into university which a lot of people can't do (even if they have the opportunity to do so). so you are by no means thick. and anyway, it's all relative.

Reply 21

Rich

2

amazingtrade

What defines a thick person? Is it bad english or maths, is it lack of knowledge of the world, or is there more to it than that?

I lack (compared to this forum) both english and maths skills, however ding to the Daily Mail my maths skills are still above average, I can at least work out percentages etc and use the yellow pages which 1/3 adults apparantly cannot (Daily Mail).

You must distuinguish between knowledge and intelligence. Intelligence is an ability to efficiently acquire and apply knowledge, whereas knowledge is what is currently 'stored' in your brain. Although quite rare, you can have incredibly knowledgeable idiots, and you can have incredibly intelligent people who don't have a vast repository of information stored in their minds.

Reply 22

Mysticmin

10

amazingtrade

What defines a thick person? Is it bad english or maths, is it lack of knowledge of the world, or is there more to it than that?

I lack (compared to this forum) both english and maths skills, however ding to the Daily Mail my maths skills are still above average, I can at least work out percentages etc and use the yellow pages which 1/3 adults apparantly cannot (Daily Mail).

If you lack skills or knowledge, it could be due to ignorance or bad teaching, so it's your environments fault as opposed to you fault.

Stupidity is having resources and the support to learn, yet not being 'able' enough to absorb knowledge and apply it to new situations. Put simply, a thick person is someone that can't learn much even when given a good learning environment.

Reply 23

Amb1

1

amexblack

I don't thick it is about lack of common sense; there are plenty of brilliant academics who don't have a great deal of common sense, but are by no means thick. I think being thick is more about not being able to learn -- not being able to become knowledgable.

IMH you can be educated and knowledgeable but still be thick. Depends on the definition I s'pose.

Reply 24

Mysticmin

10

Amb1

IMH you can be educated and knowledgeable but still be thick. Depends on the definition I s'pose.

Now here's an oxymoron, a person is stupid if they can't pick up things taught to them quickly. But a person can be absolutely brilliant at picking up music but abysmal at picking up languages. Would you deem that person thick?

Reply 25

kikzen

14

Mysticmin

Now here's an oxymoron, a person is stupid if they can't pick up things taught to them quickly. But a person can be absolutely brilliant at picking up music but abysmal at picking up languages. Would you deem that person thick?

yes you are thick
:tongue:

(that was a random guess)

Reply 26

AT82

OP

Mysticmin

Now here's an oxymoron, a person is stupid if they can't pick up things taught to them quickly. But a person can be absolutely brilliant at picking up music but abysmal at picking up languages. Would you deem that person thick?

I am not sure, for example Peter Hook in New Order/Joy Division he is a genius at playing the bass guitar, but when you here him speek he sounds quite thick and is always getting his facts wrong. Although he did go to a grammar school so its probably just the years of drug abuse thats made him like that.

Reply 27

Amb1

1

Mysticmin

Now here's an oxymoron, a person is stupid if they can't pick up things taught to them quickly. But a person can be absolutely brilliant at picking up music but abysmal at picking up languages. Would you deem that person thick?

it depends if they have any common sense :smile:

Reply 28

Amb1

1

kikzen

yes you are thick
:tongue:

(that was a random guess)

lol

Reply 29

Mysticmin

10

amazingtrade

I am not sure, for example Peter Hook in New Order/Joy Division he is a genius at playing the bass guitar, but when you here him speek he sounds quite thick and is always getting his facts wrong. Although he did go to a grammar school so its probably just the years of drug abuse thats made him like that.

Yup. I'd call these people geniuses because they're so gifted at a narrow field, who cares if they're crap at other subjects :biggrin:

Reply 30

PQ

Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

Is being thick such a bad thing?

I'd rather be thick and happy than supersmart and miserable :smile:

Reply 31

Mysticmin

10

Pencil Queen

Is being thick such a bad thing?

I'd rather be thick and happy than supersmart and miserable :smile:

Ooh dunno, I put quite a lot of emphasis on intelligence. But if I was stupid and unaware of it, I'd be happy. I wouldn't know any different would I?

Reply 32

amexblack

Mysticmin

Ooh dunno, I put quite a lot of emphasis on intelligence. But if I was stupid and unaware of it, I'd be happy. I wouldn't know any different would I?

I suppose you could be so thick that you don't realise it. I wouldn't like to be thick to such an extent that I was ignorant of it - no matter how happy I were.

Reply 33

Mysticmin

10

amexblack

I suppose you could be so thick that you don't realise it. I wouldn't like to be thick to such an extent that I was ignorant of it - no matter how happy I were.

Only because you are reasonably intelligent now. If you never were, you'd never miss it. Especially if the people around you didn't put any emphasis on intelligence.

Reply 34

naelse

15

surely everyone just has different strengths and weaknesses? just because you may not be good at something that others are doesn't make you thick.

but I would define thick as lacking in common sense rather than any specific skill like literacy or maths. illiterate people are not necessarily thick; they just might not have had the opportunity to learn.

Reply 35

shiny

12

I have been known to have my dopey moments :rolleyes:

Reply 36

lou p lou

2

i would like to choose this moment to confess i'm really rubbish at percentages- i get there eventually cos i estimate what the answer will be and then kind of mess about with the calculator...

lou xxx

Reply 37

Unregistered

Pencil Queen