College Professors are sell outs

One of my pet peeves is college professors who spend their time praising the
traditions and philosophies of the east, while they don't even take the time
to take a western culture appreciation class. There are just so many buddhist
wannabes, they claim the inner peace and tolerance of eastern religion but they
are still as angry, commercialistic, and pig-headed as the americans they denounce.
They sit there drinking their american fast-food starbucks coffee deluxe and preach
about the simple life...i dunno, what do you think?

Er.. I don't think this type of thought it by any means exclusive to professors, nor are professors exclusive to this thought.

Personally, I have an appreciation for both East and West... they both have qualities that are admirable.

To me, one of the most notable of Eastern achievements is their longevity... They have always had a similiar identity and even if they are defeated the idea of their civilization survives.

China has one of the longest continuious histories in all the world, their culture surviving the mongol invasion and even absorbing them into themselves.

The Persians, though now known as Iranians, have always seemed to exist even if their empire changes... whether it be the Persians whom lost to Alexander, the Saffids (spelling) or even modern Iran, its still Persia and has survived the trails of time.

Even the Vietnamese Civilization that survived Chinese, Mongol, French, Japanese, French (Again), American, and remained alive.

Western Nation during the Enlightenment took on a great mentality of liberty, and the ideas of secularism flourished (though, fueled by Easter nones) but Western Legacy seemed to have died out, and not really revived...

I mean, the eastern Civilization of the Ottomans should be thanked, their capture of Constantinople helped fuel the Renaissance and propel the West, now filled with Greek and Roman ideas! Though the empires of the West have fallen (Britian, French, Austria-Hungaria, Germany) the countries do remain, though Western ingenuity remains.

Want to meet my dad? He's a professor, he's also Catholic. What's more he's Belgian and does research in Computer Science.

Mind ****.

When I think of "Buddhist wannabe's" I think of my 15 year old hippie cello student reading a vegan cook book who is still having troubles with c major scales.

If this were a college professor I would seriously question their credentials.

Having said that, I honestly don't know much about easter philosophy aside from what my friend has told me about Tao, but I can respect what I've been told about. Many of my friends are Taiwanese, Chinese, Korean, or Japanese and they all seem as fascinated with the west as I am with the east.

Originally Posted by Devia Erasmus

Having said that, I honestly don't know much about easter philosophy aside from what my friend has told me about Tao, but I can respect what I've been told about. Many of my friends are Taiwanese, Chinese, Korean, or Japanese and they all seem as fascinated with the west as I am with the east.

I don't know a whole lot myself, though I've incorporated some of what I know (or believe I know) into my stories.

Most porminently, I've used the Yin-Yang symbol, using the idea of balance and mixing it with an ideal of enlightenment.

Just out of curiosity, what college do you go to? I go to UMBC, and there aren't any professors I've had that match your description. Granted, I'm majoring in Teaching (and minoring in History), and the professors of that field are decidedly western, but still....

Originally Posted by BEHIND THE MASK

I mean, the eastern Civilization of the Ottomans should be thanked, their capture of Constantinople helped fuel the Renaissance and propel the West, now filled with Greek and Roman ideas! Though the empires of the West have fallen (Britian, French, Austria-Hungaria, Germany) the countries do remain, though Western ingenuity remains.

While the Ottoman Turks did help kick of the Renaissance, Europe was already filled with Greek and Roman ideas long before the crusades. Europeans had been emulating the Romans since the collapse of the Roman Empire, and the Romans in turn had borrowed largely from the Greeks with their culture.

Originally Posted by Hell Hawk

While the Ottoman Turks did help kick of the Renaissance, Europe was already filled with Greek and Roman ideas long before the crusades. Europeans had been emulating the Romans since the collapse of the Roman Empire, and the Romans in turn had borrowed largely from the Greeks with their culture.

True that is, I meant it more along the lines of the people sent west, at the Ottomans advance, is one of the big things that helped.

Byzantine Artisians, Thinkers, all that stuff did help to fuel the growth of the West.

Though, I do feel alot of people disregard the Muslims... They already adherre d alot to Roman and Greek ideas and were not savages, the Ottoman Turks for a good bit of their history were one of the better empires of the day... In a way they allowed freedom of religion (though, a tax had to be payed), they had slaved true, but those slaves amongst the Janissaries weren't really that bad off as they held a revered and respected position, the Ottomans had the first year round army since the Roman Empire fell, and during the times of Suleyman the Empire was noted for its law, agriculture, art, arcitecture and all that...

Hell, the Turks even exepted Jews and Moors into the Empire when the Spanish Inquisition ran them off.

If you don't like those professors, don't take Eastern philosophy classes with them.

I'm a classicist, but I've taken an interest in Zen. A very cautious interest. I would never, ever, ever try to teach someone about it, or even pretend that I'm adopting any of its ideals as my own. I'd like to one day, though.

Erm....what 8Bit said. Also, I've read 2 books on Taoism, and from what I've heard from both, I sorta prefer the Eastern philosophies.

Anyhow, denounce? Since when do proper Taoists/Buddhists/whatever denounce other cultures? And I also don't understand what's wrong with eating fast food or drinking Starbucks coffee if you're a Taoist or Buddhist.

Originally Posted by Cukeman

One of my pet peeves is college professors who spend their time praising the
traditions and philosophies of the east, while they don't even take the time
to take a western culture appreciation class. There are just so many buddhist
wannabes, they claim the inner peace and tolerance of eastern religion but they
are still as angry, commercialistic, and pig-headed as the americans they denounce.
They sit there drinking their american fast-food starbucks coffee deluxe and preach
about the simple life...i dunno, what do you think?

I think this is an extraordinarily stereotypical view of college professors.

Like 8bit said, there are plenty of people like this who are not professors but from all walks of life. And there are plenty of professors who don't fit this bill at all. Heck, I too am an aspiring college professor, but I'm not particularly Eastern in my outlook. Like I said, you've done a great job describing a stereotype. The thing about stereotypes is that they simply don't work in real life. Professors come in just as many varieties as the students they teach. This is true at even the most uniform of college campuses.

I dunno, OP. You sound pretty "angry, commercialistic, and pig-headed" yourself.

I went to a college on the west coast, and I am describing primarily art and english teachers

I never said all professors are like this, thanks for lying. I was only complaining about teachers
who fit this description, not all teachers. this should have been obvious.

Originally Posted by Cukeman

I went to a college on the west coast,

That explains it, alot of California schools (especially Berkeley) have a reputation for new age hippie professors.

It was IMPLIED that you meant all by the fact that you didn't specify a number. If I said that NES games sucked, what would you assume I meant? All NES games? Some NES games?

Originally Posted by Cukeman

I went to a college on the west coast, and I am describing primarily art and english teachers

I never said all professors are like this, thanks for lying. I was only complaining about teachers
who fit this description, not all teachers. this should have been obvious.

Nobody lied. You were the one who didn't specify how many. On top of that, why is it particularly teachers that you're targeting? stfu&gtfo

Originally Posted by Wolfen

It was IMPLIED that you meant all by the fact that you didn't specify a number. If I said that NES games sucked, what would you assume I meant? All NES games? Some NES games?

nes games are a type of product, people vary wildly

Originally Posted by Cukeman

nes games are a type of product, people vary wildly

Ah but NES games too vary wildly, and humans too are products.

I like English professors because they write stuff that makes sense.