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  • Subject: So what exactly is wrong with majoring in liberal arts?
Subject: So what exactly is wrong with majoring in liberal arts?

Posted by: AJF1177

Posted by: Garem
Art is the most important subject
Good one.
I wasn't joking. How is it not?

  • 11.27.2012 1:46 PM PDT

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Posted by: Adamal123

Posted by: MadMax888
As a taxpayer, I'd like to take this opportunity to say "you're welcome."
If you're implying that you will be paying for most of my college because I chose a "worthless" degree then HA! If anything, you should be thanking me, I plan on risking my own life for people like you.
I'm implying that the military, and the fancy military job you want, exists because of taxpayers.

Also, you're not risking your life for me or anyone else. The US Military hasn't done any defending of its nation in decades.

[Edited on 11.27.2012 1:47 PM PST]

  • 11.27.2012 1:46 PM PDT
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Dancing 'round the room to accordion keys

Posted by: DeclinedA1

Posted by: Jagdflieger

Posted by: MadMax888
That's pretty much it. There's no marketable skills taught to you in a liberal arts degree.
You act as if critical thinking isn't a marketable skill


Anybody can think critically. You don't need a degree to think.
A degree can prove you think better than others.

  • 11.27.2012 1:47 PM PDT

1 P17Y 7H3 F00L

KOTOR

I highly recommend getting a more practical second major to go with your liberal arts major. That's why I got Business Administration/Accounting to go along with my first major of political science (which is what I truly like studying)

  • 11.27.2012 1:47 PM PDT
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Posted by: Garem
Posted by: AJF1177

Posted by: Garem
Art is the most important subject
Good one.
I wasn't joking. How is it not?

Because its trivial and doesn't progress anything.

  • 11.27.2012 1:49 PM PDT
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Maybe this is why we keep repeating the same mistakes of history over and over again . . . because you dumb kids seem to think the only things worthwhile are those that get you money.

  • 11.27.2012 1:50 PM PDT

Please do not send me group invites.


Posted by: Jagdflieger
Maybe this is why we keep repeating the same mistakes of history over and over again . . . because you dumb kids seem to think the only things worthwhile are those that get you money.
Because majoring in Medieval Art History and working at Starbucks for the rest of your life is something to desire...

  • 11.27.2012 1:51 PM PDT

Posted by: Heart of Stone

Posted by: Garem
Posted by: AJF1177

Posted by: Garem
Art is the most important subject
Good one.
I wasn't joking. How is it not?

Because its trivial and doesn't progress anything.
It progresses our minds and our culture. Science gives us more information than we need. Art gives us a meaning, a way of peaceful living.

  • 11.27.2012 1:51 PM PDT

The cake is a pie


Posted by: teh Chaz
Posted by: Ultermarto
Posted by: UK Dark Wolf360
Because it's arty-farty nonsense and comprised of noddy-subjects. I'm a scientist (physicist, to be sort of precise) if you couldn't tell already...

You're arrogant to say the least. Understanding the universe is fine, but understanding people is just out of the question? What is one form of knowledge more valuable than the other? You hardly deserve to call yourself a scientist of any kind if that's what you think.
Agreed

Physics is my main game too but that doesn't stop me from maintaining an interest in the humanities. Literature, music and philosophy are just three of the fulfilling things to explore.

That said, my interaction with philosophy has been passing at best. I need a good place to start really. Could you be a help with that Ultermarto? You're into philosophy that stuff aren't you?

I find that the best places to look are the overview books. Trying to read philosophy classic-by-classic is boring and confusing. I recommend the novel Sophie's World as a great introduction to the history of philosophy, and just a great novel. I also have a book simply called 'the philosophy book', which explains a few hundred philosopher's ideas in a few pages per individual. A trip to the library never hurts. When you're ready for the actual classics, most people start with Plato. But other than that, generally just follow your interests.

It's probably also good to pick up the difference between Idealism, Realism, Empiricism and Rationalism, as these are the primary subjects of most philosophical questions. They seem pretty boring at first, but you'll find out how all topics tend to link with them.

  • 11.27.2012 1:51 PM PDT
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Posted by: Garem
Posted by: AJF1177

Posted by: Garem
Art is the most important subject
Good one.
I wasn't joking. How is it not?
Because without scientists we wouldn't have computers, the internet, electricity, or cars. Without engineers we wouldn't have indoor plumbing or sky scrapers. Artists just paint pictures or make sculptures. Math, and science are infinitely more important than art.

[Edited on 11.27.2012 1:52 PM PST]

  • 11.27.2012 1:52 PM PDT

+1 for you good sir.


Posted by: MadMax888
I don't see why you think people are going to live a terrible life because they choose to study liberal arts.

There are MANY ways to make money. You don't have to be smart either.

  • 11.27.2012 1:52 PM PDT

Posted by: Alex Mac Kee
If pen­ises were planes Jimmy's mouth would be an airport


Posted by: DarkBen64
Don't punch a British kid, the queen'll come after you.

Posted by: MadMax888
Posted by: teh Chaz
Posted by: MadMax888
That's pretty much it. There's no marketable skills taught to you in a liberal arts degree.
what
It's true. You wont get anywhere with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology. In order to do any real work with a Psychology degree, you need at LEAST a Master's degree, if not a Doctorate.
I think the reason for the whole "humanities are useless" thing is that people look at them objectively like they would a science degree. I mean you certainly can get a job in engineering from a physics degree because it is directly applying the knowledge that you gained from the course, however you can also get jobs in business, finance and all manner of things that aren't directly related to the course so why can't this be the case for humanities degrees?

The selling point of a humanities degree is not necessarily the material you learn but the skills and strengths developed indirectly from learning and applying such things.

I mean a philosophy degree does not directly teach practical skills but by taking the course you develop skills like constructing arguments, writing coherently and intelligently, logical thinking, "problem solving" etc.

That last one is a skill gained from most academic courses since they require you to think for yourself and devise your own solutions. This is a pretty broad skill and it's something that employers would probably want. Degrees in any academic subject train you to think in certain ways and certain employers will be looking for traits such as those.

  • 11.27.2012 1:52 PM PDT

Because it is useless to the country.

And a waste of -blam!- money.

  • 11.27.2012 1:53 PM PDT

@spawn031

"So much of what we do is ephemeral and quickly forgotten, even by ourselves, so it's gratifying to have something you have done linger in people's memories." John Williams

The real question to ask yourself is, do you measure success in dollars? There are good reasons for both sides.

  • 11.27.2012 1:53 PM PDT

Posted by: AJF1177

Posted by: Garem
Posted by: AJF1177

Posted by: Garem
Art is the most important subject
Good one.
I wasn't joking. How is it not?
Because without scientists we wouldn't have computers, the internet, electricity, or cars. Without engineers we wouldn't have indoor plumbing or sky scrapers. Artists just paint pictures or make sculptures. Math, and science are infinitely more important than art.
Who says we need all those things? The most we advance scientifically, the less happy we become as a whole.

And happiness is the ultimate point of life.

  • 11.27.2012 1:53 PM PDT


Posted by: Jeff Mangnum
Posted by: UK Dark Wolf360

Posted by: Ultermarto

Posted by: UK Dark Wolf360
Because it's arty-farty nonsense and comprised of noddy-subjects. I'm a scientist (physicist, to be sort of precise) if you couldn't tell already...

You're arrogant to say the least. Understanding the universe is fine, but understanding people is just out of the question? What is one form of knowledge more valuable than the other? You hardly deserve to call yourself a scientist of any kind if that's what you think.


Haha, "understanding people" - yeah, okay, it's nothing that those who take a proper subject like biological sciences (neuroscience in the "understanding people" case) can't do. "Liberal arts" and the like are subjects which one can take as a part time hobby - the contact hours of a degree course in such a subject would allows this.

As for the last sentence of your comment - I do not see the relevance nor why you deem yourself fit to decide whether I'm a scientist or not. I am a scientist, I know I am a scientists, my colleagues in academia know I'm a scientist, the scientific community knows I'm a scientist - thus, your opinion is irrelevant.
For someone who's as educated as you say you are, you're rather dense.


A rather pointless response, maybe you are a sour "liberal arts" student?

  • 11.27.2012 1:53 PM PDT

Posted by: Alex Mac Kee
If pen­ises were planes Jimmy's mouth would be an airport


Posted by: DarkBen64
Don't punch a British kid, the queen'll come after you.

Posted by: AJF1177
Posted by: Garem
Posted by: AJF1177
Posted by: Garem
Art is the most important subject
Good one.
I wasn't joking. How is it not?
Because without scientists we wouldn't have computers, the internet, electricity, or cars. Without engineers we wouldn't have indoor plumbing or sky scrapers. Artists just paint pictures or make sculptures. Math, and science are infinitely more important than art.
I always go by this phrase

"Science makes the modern world possible. Art makes the modern world worth living in."

  • 11.27.2012 1:54 PM PDT
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Posted by: Garem
Posted by: Heart of Stone

Posted by: Garem
Posted by: AJF1177

Posted by: Garem
Art is the most important subject
Good one.
I wasn't joking. How is it not?

Because its trivial and doesn't progress anything.
It progresses our minds and our culture. Science gives us more information than we need. Art gives us a meaning, a way of peaceful living.
You're a funny guy.

  • 11.27.2012 1:54 PM PDT

Please do not send me group invites.


Posted by: Adamal123

Posted by: MadMax888
I don't see why you think people are going to live a terrible life because they choose to study liberal arts.

There are MANY ways to make money. You don't have to be smart either.
I never said people who have a liberal arts degree will live a terrible life; I simply said that you can live a significantly better life if you have a degree in something that could push you down a prosperous career path. Who wouldn't want that?

  • 11.27.2012 1:54 PM PDT


Posted by: Garem
Posted by: AJF1177

Posted by: Garem
Posted by: AJF1177

Posted by: Garem
Art is the most important subject
Good one.
I wasn't joking. How is it not?
Because without scientists we wouldn't have computers, the internet, electricity, or cars. Without engineers we wouldn't have indoor plumbing or sky scrapers. Artists just paint pictures or make sculptures. Math, and science are infinitely more important than art.
Who says we need all those things? The most we advance scientifically, the less happy we become as a whole.

And happiness is the ultimate point of life.


Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear...

Please, please tell me you are joking.

  • 11.27.2012 1:55 PM PDT
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You can do whatever you want. This is the last place to look for advice on your life choices.

  • 11.27.2012 1:55 PM PDT


Posted by: Gaara444
It's not a real major, it doesn't specialize in any field that can net you an ACTUAL job.
This

  • 11.27.2012 1:55 PM PDT

Please do not send me group invites.


Posted by: Garem
The most we advance scientifically, the less happy we become as a whole.
How do you figure?

  • 11.27.2012 1:56 PM PDT

Recon Number 54 -
If they are still looking, then while holding the snarl, I let drool start to drip from my mouth, I stand, curl my fingers into claws and with a hunched over crouch, I then make slow and deliberate steps towards them. When I get close enough, I let them hear my agonized and gasping growls and then, if they continue to stare, when I get within arm's reach? I kiss them on the nose, and run away giggling.

I wouldn't class Psychology as a Liberal Arts. It is a Science no matter what the general opinion is, those who study it seriously will know how much it revolves around data and studies.

Besides, you can actually get a job with a psychology degree - Psychologist, Researcher, Psychiatrist (Medicine first) and Counsellor.

  • 11.27.2012 1:57 PM PDT

+1 for you good sir.


Posted by: brandorobot
You can do whatever you want. This is the last place to look for advice on your life choices.
I am not looking for an opinion. Most of the people here are narrow minded, self-centered idiots to ask for an honest opinion from them.

  • 11.27.2012 1:57 PM PDT