From: malak@grebyn.com (Michael Malak)
Subject: Re: Education and the Single World
Organization: Grebyn Timesharing
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 05:12:06 GMT

In article <1992Nov10.212218.3329@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> allisson@turing.toronto.edu (H. Allisson Roome) writes:
>I have a question for you all -- how important is formal education
>versus native intelligence and self-education in those that you are
>romantically interested in?
>
>Here are a couple of scenarios:
>
>1.
>  You meet someone who is articulate, well-informed, and
>  knowledgeable on several diverse subjects.  After spending some
>  time with them and getting to enjoy their company how do
>  you feel about pursuing them as a romantic partner given that:
>
>  A) They have a significant amount more formal schooling (ie,
>     degrees) than you.  

I have an M.S.  I've never in my life met an unattached woman with a
PhD, so I can't even imagine the scenario.

>
>  B) have approximately the same amount of education as you

Optimum.  Just another thing for the "plus" column.

>
>  C) they have never finished college (or for the younger readers
>     high school).

Starting college and never finishing is very bad, unless it turned out
to be a good career move.  No college is OK only if she was formerly in
the military.

>
>Do any of those scenarios affect your willingness to date that
>person -- especially given that you already like them.

Generally, yes.  In order for her to be interesting to me, she must be
smarter than me in some way.  It's unlikely someone with just a high
school education will know more than me in some area, or have had
experiences that make her interesting.  Someone with a college degree or
military experience will be more involved with whatever it is that she
does, and thus more interesting. 


>
>2.
>  You meet someone who has a difficult time expressing themselves,
>  isn't aware of the world beyond their immediate sphere of
>  influence, and appears not to know an awful lot about
>  much of anything (except perhaps a narrow area). After spending
>  some time with them and getting to enjoy their company how do you
>  feel about pursuing them as a romantic partner given that:
>
>  A) They have a significant amount more formal schooling (ie,
>     degrees) than you.  

See 1.A)

>
>  B) have approximately the same amount of education as you

If that narrow area is interesting, then probably yes.  I have an easy
time getting along with people and developing an understanding.  But
this person would also have to be willing to try new things.

>
>  C) they have never finished college (or for the younger readers
>     high school).

See 1.C).

>
>Do any of the above affect how you relate to the person as a
>potential romantic interest?

Yes, see summary for 1.


>
>3
>    Now, what if the person in the first scenario never finished
>    college and the person in the second has a PhD.  Which one
>    would you date?  Why?

Choose between a boring PhD and an articulate high school graduate?  The
former is too old for me; the latter would be a nag.  I'm looking for
someone that is at about the same place in life as me: finished (or
finishing) college, plus a few years experience.

Xref: sparky soc.singles:30310 ba.singles:2107