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Originally Posted by MetaMan
im not whining i am discussing, i could care less if people agree with me or not. i am firm with my opinions but i have no problem listening to someone elses take on things.
if you are ok with being average then that is fine with me.
i dont like how society in general compares such averages when this kind of stuff you cannot compare as it boils down to an individual.
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The statistics indicate the likelihood that specific circumstances correlate to (and possibly cause) relative advantages or disadvantages.
Being away of such correlations allows you to analyze the mechanisms behind them, which you can subsequently utilize for your own personal gain.
I'd venture to say that refusing to acknowledge and exploit those mechanisms means you're actually less likely to be successful regardless of education, since a firm grasp of reality is one of the fundamental requirements of success.
In a way, it's ironic. Apparently, some education is needed to understand the value of education. I suppose that could be one of the reasons that social mobility is lagging - educated, well-off, educated parents acknowledge and teach their kids the importance of education, while uneducated parents do not.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MetaMan
if someone wants to find an data to back up just about anything it can be done.
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No. Or rather: hell no.
While statistics can obviously be manipulated, assuming that that makes them worthless altogether is entirely asinine.
Compare it to A/B-testing in online sales. Sure, if you wanted to you could screw up relative ratios by sending only pre-qualified leads to page A and only blind clicks to page B, but any astute observer would quickly realize that something was fishy on closer analysis of the data.
Despite the potential for inadequate test designs, A/B-tests have an obvious value in maximizing your conversions. Unless you can point out flaws in the method of data acquisition, errors in the statistical analysis, or conclusions unrelated to the study, the result of an A/B-test is far more likely to yield relevant information than your own gut feeling.
Likewise, statistical analyses of the relation between education and earnings carry far more weight than your own personal beliefs, unless you are able to point out flaws in the specific studies themselves. The overwhelming amount of available studies with the same conclusion on this particular matter, however, would seem to indicate that either these conclusions have some truth to them, or that there is a vast global conspiracy at work.
Personally, I would consider the former to be the more likely conclusion. But maybe that's just me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MetaMan
i will go ask 100 people in the ghetto with a degree how much they make then go ask 100 people without one in a rich neighborhood.
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Here's a hint for improving the value of your proposed study: ask 100 people in the ghetto and 100 people in a rich neighborhood whether they have degrees.