Useless knowledge
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I just came across a book titled Seven Languages in Seven Weeks and it made me wonder - have I wasted my life in University College on subjects that will never play a role in my life? And just how many languages is too many?
To Myself I Remain True
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I just came across a book titled Seven Languages in Seven Weeks and it made me wonder - have I wasted my life in University College on subjects that will never play a role in my life? And just how many languages is too many?
To Myself I Remain True
The problem is that you never know what knowledge is going to be useful and when that's going to happen, if at all. The idea of such books is probably not to make you an universal expert. It's more about getting a wider understanding of the underlying principles without getting entangled in the details of one specific example.
I'm invincible, I can't be vinced
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I just came across a book titled Seven Languages in Seven Weeks and it made me wonder - have I wasted my life in University College on subjects that will never play a role in my life? And just how many languages is too many?
To Myself I Remain True
One, if it is COBOL.
Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water
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One, if it is COBOL.
Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water
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I just came across a book titled Seven Languages in Seven Weeks and it made me wonder - have I wasted my life in University College on subjects that will never play a role in my life? And just how many languages is too many?
To Myself I Remain True
TestWare wrote:
have I wasted my life in University College on subjects that will never play a role in my life?
I learnt about drinking, sex, drugs, and lying to those in authority when at University. Well, I say learnt, perhaps refined my skills would be more accurate. It was very useful for the rest of my life so far.
Every man can tell how many goats or sheep he possesses, but not how many friends.
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I just came across a book titled Seven Languages in Seven Weeks and it made me wonder - have I wasted my life in University College on subjects that will never play a role in my life? And just how many languages is too many?
To Myself I Remain True
You must understand what lies beneath before you can truly master that which lies above.
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett
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You must understand what lies beneath before you can truly master that which lies above.
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett
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Hmm. You go right on thinking that, and I'll keep right on making a crapload of money from my 'useless' knowledge.
Software Zen:
delete this; -
TestWare wrote:
have I wasted my life in University College on subjects that will never play a role in my life?
I learnt about drinking, sex, drugs, and lying to those in authority when at University. Well, I say learnt, perhaps refined my skills would be more accurate. It was very useful for the rest of my life so far.
Every man can tell how many goats or sheep he possesses, but not how many friends.
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The problem is that you never know what knowledge is going to be useful and when that's going to happen, if at all. The idea of such books is probably not to make you an universal expert. It's more about getting a wider understanding of the underlying principles without getting entangled in the details of one specific example.
I'm invincible, I can't be vinced
I didn't mean to question the book's usefulness, I was just wondering how many languages is too many languages. Isn't life better spent in a Master of Trade sort of way, rather than Jack of all Trades? Or maybe I need to take a remedial idioms classes while I'm at it. Oh well, might as well and get it done with.
To Myself I Remain True
