Heinlein on (Gasp) Manners

[Dienekes]

I collect this 'stuff' like some people collect beer cans. I sort of get a kick out of it, plus it takes up less room than the beer cans...

"A dying culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners. Lack of consideration for others in minor matters. A loss of politeness, of gentle manners, is more significant than is a riot."---Robert A. Heinlein ,"Friday"

[SeriousStudent]

This is true.

I love his speech about specialization being for insects.

[ramairthree]

One thing I found particularly prescient was reading a transcript of a speech he gave in the late 60s or early 70s.

It was a set of instructions on how to get a college degree without the need to pass even average intelligence or do any hard work.

And how it would lead to made up useless majors and everyone having a degree that meant nothing.

It basically said if you don’t knock out a year of calc, physics with calc, the same first year old chem, Bio that the majors take, you have not demonstrated any innate intelligence.

With recent (at the time) changes in college education,
You could be both stupid and lazy, and get a degree.

Pick a major with studies or science in the name,
Meet any science requirements with courses specifically designed for people in soft majors,
Do no math except “college” algebra or some other thing that is really a high school freshman class,
Etc.

It would lead to made up majors, etc.

It was done in a very humorous way, but dead serious.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

I thought this was about a new McMillian action I hadn’t heard of in a Manners stock.