Being Smart Is Not Obsolete!

I've been reading about Britain's University Challenge winner Gail Trimble and how she is being criticised for being too smart.

People have even questioned the usefulness of her studying Latin. "How is that going to help in the real world?" "Latin can't get you a job!" etc etc

The purpose of education is, surprise surprise, to educate. Education is not just the means to an end - finding a job.

I studied English Literature for my Bachelors. Why? Because I love it. There was honestly no other reason. There was no practical purpose to me studying Paradise Lost or Macbeth but I loved it and would do it again. So she doesn't know the name of the lead actor in Slumdog Millionaire. I bet a million others don't. But she does know about Aristophanes' Cloud Cuckoo Land. Neither trivia has any useful purpose but knowing the latter definitely makes her smarter, no matter how you choose to look at it.

Gail Trimble is not obsolete in modern society, in fact we need more of her kind. We need to stop the dumbing down and marvel at how smart she is. Because she is.