...intelligence nowadays is all about application: it is the ability 'to take in a complex system and learn its rules on the fly'. For young people, this ability is second nature. Any fool knows that, if you need a new and unfamiliar VCR programmed in a hurry, you commandeer any small passing child to do it. Lynne Truss
About This Quote

The things kids do in school seem to be almost ridiculous. They can't even do basic math, and when they get in trouble they don't know what the 'rules' are. The problem is that we expect them to be like grown-ups, and we expect grown-ups to understand deep concepts like math. Yet when they're in the real world they're still sitting around small children; they don't know that when you go into a store and try to buy something, when they ask you what you want, when they say something is broken, or even if you want to order a pizza, you have to know how to respond. They don't know how to interact with people who have more experience than them.

Source: Talk To The Hand: The Utter Bloody Rudeness Of The World Today, Or Six Good Reasons To Stay Home And Bolt The Door

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