common sense

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The Best Real-Life Examples Of 'You Can Have A PhD And Still Be An Idiot'

Reddit user mariababexoxo asked: '"Never confuse education with intelligence; you can have a PhD and still be an idiot," stated Richard Feynman. What are some real-life examples of this?'

test tubes
Talha Hassan on Unsplash

The saying "it's not brain surgery" hasn't meant the same thing to me ever since Ben Carson took his place on the national stage.

The saying "it's not rocket science" doesn't hit the same with me ever since one of my life-long friends became a rocket scientist.

I don't know Ben Carson—just his many public blunders—but in the case of my friend, he's an absolutely brilliant guy.

However I often wonder how my friend managed to survive this long and apparently this isn't an unusual phenomenon.

But more about my friend later at the end of this article.

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The Best Examples Of Someone Going From 'Genius' To 'Idiot'

Reddit user saigalaxy asked: 'What’s the biggest example of from “genius” to “idiot” there has ever been?'

confused man in blue t-shirt

Sander Sammy on Unsplash

My Father was considered a genius.

At 16 he graduated high school as Valedictorian, joined the United States Navy as soon as he turned 17 then was promptly recruited by Admiral Hyman Rickover's team converting the Navy from diesel to nuclear power.

He served as a nuclear and electrical engineer on naval vessels after the conversion project ended, then as a reactor inspector for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission after retiring from the Navy.

He also needed a full time babysitter in order to survive. Things like paying bills, buying groceries, feeding himself all escaped him. He lacked any semblance of common sense.

Really smart people doing very unsmart things isn't uncommon.

And sometimes a person is labeled a genius who's really an idiot with good brand marketing.

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Doctor with arms crossed
Usman Yousaf/Unsplash

We get it adulting is hard.

But there are some things in life that don't require much beyond a high school education, yet so many people are clueless–particularly when it comes to matters of health and safety practices.

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a graduation cap and a green tassel on a piece of wood
Photo by Dragos Blaga on Unsplash

Earning a college degree, especially a doctorate, takes a heck of a lot of work and definitely requires intelligence. Expertise in your usually narrow field of study definitely doesn't guarantee expertise in other areas — especially common sense, it seems.

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People Break Down What They Think Should Be Common Knowledge But Isn't
Gabriella Clare Marino on Unsplash

Everyone grows up a bit (or a lot) differently, and we're all exposed to different experiences and taught different things. Some things that may seem like they should be common knowledge to you might be a big revelation to someone who was raised in a different environment.

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