Why has society made being smart and well behaved "uncool"?

Question

The evidence is everywhere from the behavior of today's generation to the movie Grease. This one kid at my school who is in trouble all the time talks to everyone like he's the coolest thing since Skyrim. Movies often portray well behaved Geeks and nerds as loosers not worthy of any attention from the opposite sex. Obviously these movies have influenced our generation to the point where smart and morally good people are seen as pathetic and weak. My question is where did all this foolishness start. When did getting good grades and following the rules become signs of worthlessness.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Do you not watch The Big Bang Theory? It's one of the most popular shows on TV? Being smart and well behaved is never a bad thing. Have you watched Parks and Recreation? Cause everyone i know that's a fan of the show adores Leslie and she is nothing if not smart and well behaved. In terms of the actual characters, these nerds so to speak are adored.
And that one kid at your school, well he's confident. Like you said he "... talks to everyone like he's the coolest thing since Skyrim." Being able to entertain, draws people to you.

That's all just blah blah debate stuff though... That isn't the actual point, and it doesn't address the issue.

Here's the actual thing: High school isn't just about getting good grades. It's also a social education.
It's learning to communicate with other people, often very different people (different interests, home lives, humors etc) and getting stuff done. Good communication skills are a key part of a successful life. Because you need to be able to communicate to your boss, your co-workers, your employees, friends, girlfriends, the post man etc. And good communication comes from confidence. Confidence not just in what you know and your ability to do something, but in yourself and knowing you're worth being treated with respect. It's standing up for yourself, and treating others with the same respect.

Cool/uncool is just a name, it's a label that doesn't have literal meaning in a subjective world, despite what advertisers want you to believe. That Skyrim-cool kid has nailed communication, he's got the confidence thing down, he may not be as great in terms of maths or literacy.. but there are many different types of intelligence in this world. So don't be so quick to judge, cause the social aspect is just as important. And hey, if that kid was also really smart do you think he would suddenly be disliked? Of course not, cause if he can talk to others with confidence and entertain them, why would they not like him?

beautifulangel76 · Accepted Answer

I don't know maybe because society is stupid. At my school it isn't like that though. There's the people that are in AP classes and do good in them which I am one of those people, then you have people in regular classes with good grades, and then there are people that don't try. I'm not trying to be racist and I'm black too but I don't do this but at my school most of the black guys try to act cool and some of the white guys do too.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

It's always been this way, the nerd or jock... Later in life when they both get old the jock won't be as physically strong but the nerd will be mentally stronger than ever before

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

1) Grease was definitely not in our generation, kiddo lol

2) You put too much stock into how movie characters act... ACT, in a DRAMA for ENTERTAINMENT or HUMOR or various other things like that.

3) I used to be real big into analyzing and observing people, wondering why humanity is de-evolving into a cess pit of idiocy... until I realized that being that metacognitive (ooo, big word) IS being pretty boring, unnatural, etc. Plus I started becoming exhausted with constantly finding things to get frustrated over anyway. Trust me, it will do you some good to realize: it's ok to let loose and not get your brain so wrapped up in things like this. You're under 18, you don't need to make yourself into a grumpy, frustrated old man just yet. It's ok to be human, brosephine.

4) I could say something like "Having a superiority complex isn't healthy, nor is it helping your cause out any". To which you might respond with something such as "I don't have a superiority complex, I just... blah blah blah *something about how OTHER people don't act intelligent but implying that you do*". To which I would counter-respond with "a person usually doesn't harp on the group of people that they also belong to, nor do they complain about a trait that they also have. They usually gripe about other people who do things that they themselves don't approve of and unconsciously imply that the person who is complaining has the right traits to follow by in the end". This leads me to #5, see below

5) Don't have such a superiority complex about this. It's easy to go around complaining that people are mere sheep, incapable of using their brains. But they are thinking something similar of you at the very same time, simply because you don't think like them and they don't think like you. If you realize this and get over it while you're young, life gets better sooner and you can start actually enjoying things rather than getting irritated at the world.

The End :)

Terminal_Access · Accepted Answer

Simple answer for a complicated question (not going to go in to a detailed explanation as i dont want to start a flaming war)

Simply put the reason "smart, intelegent, well behaved" is uncool is because the powers that be know that those poeple (the ones willing to learn) are the same kinds of people that

look and listen, pay attention so whats going on around them (The bigger picture), and fundamentally will ask questions, and know the right questions to ask, when they go in to a situation they dont feel is right.

simly put they know better than to be one of the herd.

Execu · Answer

"coolest thing since skyrim" ahahahah
Alright, people are both drawn to uniqueness and hate people who are different (they did studies with infants even).

Lets say everyone at my school grew up outdoors/playing hockey, they started throwing parties early, they go out and get a bit rowdy and have a good time.

They all like that and personally so do I to a point, now lets say you've got some nerd, sometimes obnoxious and condescending to people, who just reads books, or does things like "spending 5 hours after school working on a math problem that isn't worth any marks" that guy doesn't seem like a lot of fun. Some people can have great grades and have the personality that matches with other groups, but generally people want to hang out with outgoing people that do ridiculous things at times and make people laugh.

kheserthorpe · Answer

Let me preface my answer by noting that I was smart fairly well behaved and not considered all that cool in high school. For a variety of reasons that was changing in university.

I'd say the most respected traits in men are courage and loyalty. Intelligence IS respected but without courage isn't admired. Being a decent person is also generally viewed favourably.

Being well behaved as a student is looked down on because it is correlated with fear and anxiety.

So the brave, stupid and not all that nice are relative cool though if they're not nice you will see people grow sick of them over time. Where someone who gets in a bit of trouble while still maintaining success in life and actually has the back of those around him and sort of looks out for those weaker than him? Popular and stays so.

lordAlex818 · Answer

As a fellow person in your generation, I have to say I disagree. It's not intelligence that's portrayed as bad... it's portraying intelligence that's bad. In my school, there is a group of cool kids (like in every school). We maintain good grades (mostly As). However, we don't come across as academic-oriented (we don't talk about academic stuff often, we aren't super smart etc.) It's the kids who show off their intelligence that are the 'losers and nerds', even though those are the kids who are probably going to have it good after they graduate lol.

anon4122 · Answer

Because people who were smart and able to think for themselves would realize we are being screwed by our elected officials. If we were smart we would see that a dept of over $35 billion a continuous encroachment on our privacy and people whether federally or subsidized getting paid to do less. Constant wars and supporting Israeli slaughtering of people in palestine who most are not part of Hamas but innocent civilians is all bullshit and we would stop voting in these people and they would lose all their power and paychecks.

LightUp · Answer

Most people can't think for themselves. They can't find a differentiate between right and wrong. So they just follow the generalization that society teaches us.

But Don't apply high-school to real life or at least the life that starts after we stop being teenagers. Real life is different than that. The Guy who's got brains and money will ultimately come on top.

sean1234 · Answer

T. V. has helped a lot in that, then much later, the internet. As for society... I am society so far as I'm concerned and the smart and well behaved ones are the cool ones. The ones who you call "society" are the Liberal progressive people who like Obama or are his friends.

lillylonghair · Answer

I think that a person can be both a jock is attractive if he also cares about his grades and not just to stay on the team but because he knows he needs the a nerd can be just as attractive if he still cares a bit about his appearance.. I personally find a slightly nerdy guy way more attractive that way i know we can have a relationship based on more than just looks and it can actually last.

Nuns_in_Heat · Answer

I think it might just be where you're from. Where I'm from it's the opposite. Smart people are looked up to, unless they're insufferable know-it-alls. Then again I live near a very big nationally ranked University...

TadCurious · Answer

It's because much of society is dumb and ill-behaved. We shouldn't aspire to the lowest common denominator.

matrix124 · Answer

I don't know, but if you're smart & well behaved, you're cool in my book!

Anonymous · Answer

Society did so in order that dumb and dumber could compete.

ZeusofOlympia · Answer

They are both jealous and threatened by us Ha!!

Why has society made being smart and well behaved "uncool"?

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