Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site uwmacc.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!godot!harvard!seismo!uwvax!uwmacc!rick From: rick@uwmacc.UUCP (the absurdist) Newsgroups: net.singles Subject: Inferiority Complex Message-ID: <574@uwmacc.UUCP> Date: Mon, 17-Dec-84 01:00:09 EST Article-I.D.: uwmacc.574 Posted: Mon Dec 17 01:00:09 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 18-Dec-84 02:41:05 EST Distribution: net Organization: UWisconsin-Madison Academic Comp Center Lines: 36 [ "When they kick at your front line, how you gonna go? Mangled in the software, or waiting in death row?"] There's been a free-floating discussion on "net.mensa" buzzing its way through general, misc, news.groups, etc. I don't want to start it up here. However, a comment made about mensa, that at least you could meet people who weren't ashamed of their intelligence, rang very true. In the last 3 days, three different friends have made comments that are a variant on "But I'm not all that bright anyway." One of them speaks Dutch, Italian, Spanish, and German. One is a completing a Civil Engineering degree here (not a wimp degree) while working part-time. One is majoring in CS in what is generally considered to be a very tough program. Have you guessed yet? All three of these people are female. None is naive about chauvinistic attitudes. Still, they put themselves down in a way that I can't imagine a man doing if he could claim similar accomplishments. It bugs me, both because its generally unpleasant to have your friends believe untrue things about themselves, and because it implies that somehow, they believe I won't like them as much if they don't play dumb. Never mind the people who like big breasts in a SO. I'd settle for a ego big enough to match the person's accomplishments. -- "And we'll have some kids, they won't be a bother as long as they're just as dumb as their father." -- The Stupid Song by Peter and Lou Berryman Rick Keir -- MicroComputer Information Center, MACC 1210 West Dayton St/U Wisconsin Madison/Mad WI 53706 {allegra, ihnp4, seismo}!uwvax!uwmacc!rick