MY COLUMN’S title sounds a lot like a 2013 animated comedy movie entitled The Croods which features a family of uncivilized and primitive humans who embark on a journey to find a new home after an earthquake destroyed their cave. The movie successfully showed how a primordial being could learn and adapt new things and ideas. The movie’s significance pretty much symbolizes the ability and capacity of ordinary human beings like us to be educated and be civilized. At an early age, our parents teach us how to communicate, and how to show respect to elderly people. Afterward, we go to school and acquire more skills, develop new potentials, and become highly trained and competent professionals.
However, although most of us can brag about being schooled in top universities and colleges and possessing at least a bachelor’s degree, it does not mean that we automatically become sophisticated and refined. A quotation I stumbled upon while Facebooking can put it more precisely: “Many are educated but not mannered.” This line makes me recall the many instances of being pissed and disappointed with supposedly highly educated people who do not act like one at all, maybe act worse than those who are unschooled.
How many times have I seen drivers of crazily expensive vehicles speeding off the road as they own it? Or drivers impudently breaking road rules here and there? Or some car owners parking their vehicles beside a “No Parking” sign? I can sense that they know how to operate and drive a car, so I guess they can read too.
How many times have I seen passengers and pedestrians hopping above concrete road barriers because they are damn lazy to use the footbridge? Or people crossing the street where the “No Jaywalking” sign is put up? Or unhygienic guys peeing wherever there’s a spot that has at least two boards for cover? Or those throwing garbage anywhere they want to?
How many times have I patiently fallen in line while waiting for my turn and suddenly a crappy squeezes himself/herself while saying, “I’m in a hurry”? Never mind being pissed off if the fellow is an oldie but goodie, but those wearing executive outfits and fancy business suits who think they’re the only ones who are so busy they cannot even afford to waste their time in falling in line!
How many times have I encountered or heard someone yell some bad words at a service crew or at a gasoline attendant for a simple mistake and demand courtesy and professionalism? Now talk about being unprofessional and discourteous.
Yes, we the educated ones should have to admit that in one time or another, we have acted crudely and uncouthly, that sometimes the line between the educated and the uneducated becomes blurred or worse, it even disappears. Let’s not forget that it’s more shameful if an educated one acts loutishly because uneducated ones can simply get away with it.