education level differences: can it work?

Hey Rules...

This has to be one of the top ten topics on this board. Yes, I think we all agree, education is no guarantee of success, intelligence and so on. Based on what you said and HOW you said it, and you say so little in your profile about yourself, I'm going to take a couple of guesses.

Your area sounds very much like one I lived in about ten or so years ago. Let's agree, there is no right or wrong, and no disrespect to anyone of any type/level of education. Here goes: I'm going to guess that your PhD is in the arts, culture, history or that type of genera. Not in law, chemical engineering or finance. No sweat, I'm a baccalaureate boy myself, BA, yes in the arts. I, like you, enjoy stimulating conversation on multiple topics (Liberal Arts). But, I also know, outside of cocktail parties, or a simple cup of coffee with someone special, on it's face, it's a worthless degree. That is, unless I do something special with it. Contrast this with someone whose has a PhD in law, chemistry, finance and nuanced in a manner targeted to where the action is, believe me, spies are sent out to learn their cell phone numbers. In that town I referenced before, where I attended plenty of cocktail parties (and great conversation) with folks who had PhD's...mostly in communications and education, it was a great joy to be with them, but they were not particularly successful. No crime in that. Yes, money would be a big divider, but it's more than that. It is also a division of idealism/pragmatism.

Let's just try one topic, languages. Now, little Johnny here can be proficient in any language as he starts his journey, say in Junior High. He'll always live in the US, but wants to be able to communicate with more people, understand another culture buuuuut also be successful. I would advice Johnny learn Chinese, Russian or a Middle Eastern languages. Why not Spanish ? Because so many Americans know it or can struggle through it and generally, for World commerce, it will be a language of the masses. In the US and in the arts, Spanish will have some advantages, particularly in opening up the tent to more consumers to whom that is their native language. But, in global business, the languages I mentioned, and to be proficient, fluent and conversational in, are an asset for business or government.

Back to your issue, and I backtracked to make a point. The divide is not really intelligence, but more often I find, with idealism and pragmatism. Although, in my observation, my father would be a classic exception to this. With advanced degrees in the sciences, he chose academia over more lucrative jobs, has a love for the arts and history, very critical of government doing what the private sector should do. In his case, he does blend the two quite nicely, and we need both types of personalities.

You say you are not intellectually stimulated by many of these guys who happened to not have completed college. That is a problem and you will always be hungry for that in any relationship with them. Have you tried to understand their more, 'practical world' ? And, I want to separate those who are industrious, successful, over the more ignorant and lazy. The latter I would find more difficult to deal with.

Given all this, I find this a more critical issue with women than men. It is far more difficult for a woman to 'marry down' in education than a man. And, the statistics to come, are against you. At age 45 and younger, more women than men (of equal ages) are in college or are college educated, the numbers are just as bad if not more lopsided in the highly skilled professions such as law and medicine.