Snobbish... Me?
Oct. 26th, 2005 02:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
novin_haI discovered that I'm much more snobbish than I'd think. That is, in my naivety, I believe that there is such a thing as basic humanistic knowledge a person that wants to call themselves a philology student should have.
For example, I used to think that:
- anyone intelligent knows the basics of arthurian canon. I don't mean, has read or something. No. Just... has heard of it. Recognises the name of 'Sir Gawain' or 'Lancelot'. Or 'Nimue'. I was disillusioned during last Literature Class, when half my group had to check how to spell 'Gawain'.
- most people have read, or at least seen, 'Three Muskeeters'. Ditto.
And several others. I'm also alone in my belief that introducing forms that used to be considered incorrect to the language (as proper) is not necessarily a good thing. (It's like it was suddenly decided it's OK to use 'it ain't no good' in formal English).
People are specialised. Nothing bad with that. But why does it mean that they no longer care for the culture that created them?!
I'm not a true 'erudite', but in comparison to most nineteen-year-olds I could preted to be one and no one would be any wiser. That makes me sad.
And snobbish, in the meaning of holding on to old-fashioned standards.
For example, I used to think that:
- anyone intelligent knows the basics of arthurian canon. I don't mean, has read or something. No. Just... has heard of it. Recognises the name of 'Sir Gawain' or 'Lancelot'. Or 'Nimue'. I was disillusioned during last Literature Class, when half my group had to check how to spell 'Gawain'.
- most people have read, or at least seen, 'Three Muskeeters'. Ditto.
And several others. I'm also alone in my belief that introducing forms that used to be considered incorrect to the language (as proper) is not necessarily a good thing. (It's like it was suddenly decided it's OK to use 'it ain't no good' in formal English).
People are specialised. Nothing bad with that. But why does it mean that they no longer care for the culture that created them?!
I'm not a true 'erudite', but in comparison to most nineteen-year-olds I could preted to be one and no one would be any wiser. That makes me sad.
And snobbish, in the meaning of holding on to old-fashioned standards.