Do other people ever astonish you with their lack of general knowledge?

[Ohnotanothernamechange]

Just recently I've spoken to a few people who expressed amazement when they disocovered that Chernobyl is a real place. I know that we all have gaps in our knowledge but how the hell you can not know about the Chernobyl disaster? It's a bit like the simpleton on a twitter some years ago who was amazed to discover that the Titanic was a real ship and not figment of James Cameron's imagination....

I remember one time a work colleague was going to Rome and when I told them I'd been they asked me if there was lots of stuff to see and do there. I was like well of course, it's Rome. And they asked me what they were. I then had to list the coliseum, the Trevi Fountain, The Spanish Steps, The Vatican, the countless Roman Ruins etc not to mention the countless designer shops and fabulous restaurants. They genuinely had no idea what was in Rome. I was gobsmacked. This was someone I'd assumed was pretty intelligent as well.

I can't work out if I just know too much, or these people are just really ignorant?

I agree with you OP but then I've been around for a long time and have therefore seen, heard and read a lot as I'm a quizzer. Maybe today youngsters are encouraged to focus on fewer things, maybe not. It's an advantage to know a little about a lot rather than a lot about a little IMHO.

consider this (which is far more worrying!) Holocaust deniers, global warming ditto, vax (!!!!! pity they cant read a bit of history of epidemics & check old children's graves in the cemeteries)

I was amazed when a work colleague didn't know the difference between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Yes the rise in holocaust denial and anti-vaxxing is in large part down to uninformed people swallowing a lot of misinformation on wacko youtube channels. Ripe for the radicalisation.

@GertrudeCB Budget day?

I think we all have gaps in our general knowledge though. I mean I was surprised recently that ds(17) didn’t know what PAYE was. But then he asked me this week about my opinion on the Hong Kong riots, and I had to confess I hadn’t a clue!
I do think there can be a reverse snobbery at play though, where people sneer at anyone who says they are interested in history / politics / current affairs.

I'm sure I astonish others. On the surface people would assume I have a reasonable level of general knowledge, but I moved so often as a child that I practically never went to school. Thankfully my friends are kind!

I don't think you can judge someone's intelligence based on random facts.

I agree OP.
I’m a geography teacher and several kids in my year 9 class couldn’t find America on the unlabelled map I handed out.
Several kids in my year 8 class couldn’t find the city we live in on the map either...

What exactly is considered general knowledge? Who decides which things are important to know? Why should you be the one who decides?

Millions of people watch Love Island and The Only Way is Essex. I've never watched these, and wouldn't recognise anyone's names or faces. Yet media articles write about the participants as if they're A-list. People at work have conversations about them as if they're common knowledge, and I've been sneered at for not being interested. I've been talked about for being out of touch and "what does she do all evening?"

Someone at work recently recommended venison sausages and a colleague asked if venison was some sort of a bird. I was a bit 🤔

@DefinatelyAWeeGobshite , as in the day the Budget is announced.

I’m in my 20s and I know what Chernobyl is as does everyone I know... in fact it’s on my bucket list to do one of the tours they’re now doing there.

I agree OP. I’ve met people who’ve never heard of the Beatles, who thought Leicester was further north than Manchester and even someone who’d never heard of a trombone (?!)

I do wonder how people manage not to just absorb knowledge of these things as they go through life

I feel ignorant on WW Ii. I didn’t study it in school as didn’t do o’level history. Now they study it in junior schools.

I am woefully ignorant on the major events of WWII (and WWI) and my teens put me to shame.

I’m with you, OP, and there is nothing snobbish about making that sort of observation, particularly when you’re talking about some younger teachers who don’t seem to have a good vocabulary. It’s quite worrying really.

I’m rubbish at remembering loads of different examples but I do recall one conversation in a staffroom and someone mentioned an operation and a titanium plate. One of the teachers asked what titanium was. Us older ones (not teachers) couldn’t believe it. What made it more surprising was it was around the time that song, “Titanium” was out. There must be some people who sang those lyrics “I am titanium” not having a clue what it meant, and not even THINKING to look it up if they don’t know.

That’s what astounds me, it’s the not WANTING to find these things out for themselves. There are plenty of words I don’t know but if I don’t know, i’ll Look it up, and learn something new. There doesn’t seem much desire to learn something new in some (not all) younger people. Yet they are happy to fill their head with loads of useless facts about Love Island (and remember them a few years later!)

Several kids in my year 8 class couldn’t find the city we live in on the map either...

I remember watching Celebrity Big Brother and they asked the contestants to point out countries on a globe. Countries like the USA and Australia, not Chad or Uzbekistan, and they didn't have a clue! Who the feck can't pick out the USA on a map?!

There is obviously loads of stuff I don't know but.... none of my colleagues could identify the planet Jupiter when it appeared as the screensaver on our computers at work. Despite the massive red spot being prominent. In the scheme of things its of no importance but I was surprised!

You remind me of my MIL she loves quizzing me on random facts and takes great pleasure of educating me. It really doesn't bother me but I do wonder why she takes such delight from it.

General knowledge does not equal intelligence. I did judge the adult (English) woman who wondered if you needed a passport to go to Wales though.

I’m great with general knowledge. But remembering where I put something, or someone’s name and I’m no use 😂

I'm with you, OP. But often when I dare to mention my worry at the lack of historical knowledge and or conscience in RL, I'm told to stop acting superior. So I just keep it to myself now.

Agreed Breath, I have a high IQ.

If you don't have a strong grasp of general knowledge how will your team ever win a pub quiz? The pinnacle of success in anyone's life surely!

I have never been to Rome or anywhere much. But i do love reading and so people often assume I have been to places as I know a bit about them.
I didn't have a great education but I read loads and that I think, gives you good background knowledge. I think the more you know, the less you realise you know. I love learning new things.
Just now I am fantasising about visiting Vietnam! I love their art .
I sometimes think if we all knew a bit more about current affairs and history we would not keep repeating the same mistakes.
I am often sorry for my Mum who lives in a care home and has no one to talk to about her life interests but me.
I think I know what you mean OP. I didn't think you sounded snobby. I have had many friends who know so little about history that I am astonished. Before everyone tries to kill me, I study a lot because I am disabled.

OP YANBU. I used to be shocked at some of the things other people didn't know, that I thought were common knowledge. I did not go to a private school, I just read a lot as a kid and watched TV programmes of all types. Of course there's stuff I don't know, especially science-based, but I'm talking - as are you - about what many of us consider basic general knowledge.

However it seems to be a modern thing for some people to sneer at others who have a wider general knowledge than they. I suspect it's insecurity.