We Are Dangerous People

Thanks for the comments everyone!

Something Alex wrote gave me a quick idea that I wanted to express before going on with the morning's research. He mentioned people being afraid of art in the early modern world (iconoclasm) and of books in general. Today we'd say anyone who was 'scared' of art or books was being pretty silly.

Or would we?

I think one of the biggest problems this country faces is anti-intellectualism. The vast majority of people in this nation don't trust 'smart people.' I joke in class about saying the wicked 'i' word, but every time I make that joke I can tell people think it isn't funny at all.

Back in 1990, when I first arrived at Wofford, I was really eager to fit into the Spartanburg community and find new friends. I heard about a 'singles' Bible study at a local church and decided to check it out. (Yes, despite the topic I work on, I do consider myself Christian, though these days I really can't figure out what denomination I am, if any!) There were about 6-7 people at the meeting, and we went around the circle introducing ourselves, everyone saying what he or she did for a living. I told them I was a history professor at Wofford.

Conversation stopped. People physically drew back in their chairs, away from me. I have rarely felt more uncomfortable than I was in that hour. Later, when I told people about this experience, they said 'you should have just said you were a teacher, not a professor. They were intimidated because they thought you were an intellectual."

Then I got furious! I worked HARD to be called professor! There's nothing wrong with being a 'teacher', but that is not my title. (And for the record, a teacher is an intellectual as well, but my title means something to me because it was what I wanted to obtain in life!) I certainly didn't correct anyone's English or dates; I hadn't done anything other than said where I worked. Why should I have to hide the fact of what I did, or take criticism for the way other people reacted to me?

Ever since that incident, I've been more aware of how people respond to 'intellectuals.' And I think we need to reclaim this word. Being an 'intellectual' doesn't mean you are an asshole. It doesn't mean you look down on others, or despise people who don't have college or even high school educations. It doesn't mean you are a rocket scientist (unless you are!) or a social critic. It simply means you love to learn, that you value your education, and that (hopefully) you have the tools of critical analysis at your fingertips. An intellectual doesn't accept the world in 30 second sound bites; the intellectual wants the whole picture, with both sides of the story. And guess what, an intellectual does RESEARCH.

So all of you are intellectuals, whether you knew it or not! (We should get t-shirts....)

OWN the word, lovely people. Take it back! Be proud of what you're doing this interim and tell other people about it. (And try to stress something other than 'I can sleep as late as I want to,' OK?)