Manners and Liberal Arts

Several instances of the past couple of weeks have shown me how "unmannerly" we've become.  Manners are not just a matter of being polite.  They show respect toward others.  They help to maintain order.  I believe it was Madison in Federalist 51 (?) who wrote, "If men were angels, no government would be necessary."

At a local large art fair, one esp egregious example was some woman who was elbowing her way passed other fair-goers.  Oh, she wasn't going anywhere, just to see exhibits.  If others were in her way, well, it was her way--so out came the elbows.  My friend Carrie was a bit ahead of me and came back to tell me about the rudeness which I had experienced a few moments before.  We both said something about "Excuse me?" but the lady just sneered at us.  At a craft brewery in Healdsburg, CA a group of young kids, maybe in their mid-20s, was being loud and obnoxious--right next to our older table of six.  In fact, we were unable to hear each other.  That there was an open space (the hooligans were standing, not yet seated at a table) just the other side of the aisle way made no difference.  When asked if they could tone it down so we could hear each other at our own table, one of them said, "We have a right to have fun."  Ah, how typical.  First, there's the misunderstanding of "rights."  Then, there's the concern--or lack of concern--for others.  On the flight home from CA, two people tried to rush down the aisle to get off the plane, cutting off others.  Row-by-row exiting wasn't good enough for them.  Karen said something to the first one who whistled by, but it did nothing but get some smart-Aleck reply.  I said nothing, but did move out into the aisle to block the second one.  And, no, they weren't rushing to make another flight connection.  They were at the luggage turntable, waiting with others.  (They couldn't cut in front there.)  And the luggage turntable......  Both in SF and at Metro, K and I waited for the luggage to come around.  We stood back, not crowding, but still able to see when ours appeared.  Except, people just crowded in front, waiting for their own pieces, blocking our and those with us from seeing our luggage.

Maybe these people just don't know any better.  Where were their parents in raising them?  I don't know if this is stereotyping, but in each of these instances the perpetrators (I had to use that term!) were in their 20s or early 30s.  Maybe they weren't thinking.  But I suspect it's the sense of entitlement that has pervaded our culture.  It's all about me.  Others be damned.  I'm entitled to make as much noise as I want.  I'm entitled to have fun at others' expense.  I'm entitled to see art exhibits before other people.  I'm entitled to get off the plane before anyone else.  I'm entitled to get to my luggage regardless if it hinders others.

It reminds me of so many people who think they don't have to have jobs they don't like.  They are entitled to enjoy their jobs and, if those jobs don't pay enough or have perks that provide things like health insurance, etc., well then other people ("the greedy rich?") should pay for the perks.

Upon our return, catching up with the local newspapers (I usually just scan the front pages, but look more closely at the op-eds and, of course, do the puzzles.) was a large editorial about liberal arts degrees in college.  I may or may not have written of this before.  Several weeks ago, a letter writer in one of the Detroit newspapers was vehement in his opposition to colleges providing liberal arts degrees, "worthless" he called them.  Colleges should provide degrees that lead to jobs, that provide the wherewithal to pay off student loans, that produce marketable job skills, etc.

Coincidentally, I discussed this with one of my college buddies in CA last week.  We both have liberal arts from Amherst and both thank our lucky stars daily for the opportunity.

"Worthless" degrees?  I think those who think this are Neanderthals in their thinking, evidence that they themselves didn't get liberal arts educations or, if they did, not very good ones.  Who says colleges should make graduates "job-ready?"  Well, of course, corporations and other businesses say so.  They have foisted the expenses of training employees on to taxpayers and tuition-payers.  And the backward-thinking colleges seem to be going right along with this.  In many ways, I think people misunderstand liberal arts education--its purposes and its content.

Of course, graduates from college should be able to find and do jobs.  But a legitimate liberal arts degree will ensure they can--if others understand what a liberal arts degree (at least a good one) is all about.  I fear many corporate-types don't understand this at all.  Perhaps they are lazy.  Perhaps they know what they are doing, in foisted off the costs of training.  After all those CEOs and other upper level managers have to make their millions of dollars.

As my friend Carrie and I have often asked, at least each other, "Is love of learning no longer enough?"  The answer is becoming more and more manifest--No, it isn't.