With some endeavors the credentials are more important than the talent or skills.
Sometimes not, and it can be sensible or not either way.
You have to work with the hand you are dealt.
A scholar who has earned an advanced degree can very easily be accepted into numerous situations and opportunities that are virtually prohibited to the same person with the same absolute abilities who does not have equivalent credentials.
A non-degree person may have even more immediate abilities on tap, but that's not what I mean.
The degree allows the exact same person to be "overrated" more than they would be otherwise.
A more faulty flaw develops after the credentials rise to greater importance than the underlying talent that was supposed to be there in the first place. I would say this occurs more often when a degree is acting as more of a gatekeeper than necessary.
If it's feasible to earn a degree by concentrating on the "paper-chase" alone while neglecting difficult subject matter as much as possible, there will be people who choose that most direct route in increasing numbers once the gatekeeping function has been recognized.
Isn't that the general idea to begin with?
With some endeavors the credentials are more important than the talent or skills.
Sometimes not, and it can be sensible or not either way.
You have to work with the hand you are dealt.
A scholar who has earned an advanced degree can very easily be accepted into numerous situations and opportunities that are virtually prohibited to the same person with the same absolute abilities who does not have equivalent credentials.
A non-degree person may have even more immediate abilities on tap, but that's not what I mean.
The degree allows the exact same person to be "overrated" more than they would be otherwise.
A more faulty flaw develops after the credentials rise to greater importance than the underlying talent that was supposed to be there in the first place. I would say this occurs more often when a degree is acting as more of a gatekeeper than necessary.
If it's feasible to earn a degree by concentrating on the "paper-chase" alone while neglecting difficult subject matter as much as possible, there will be people who choose that most direct route in increasing numbers once the gatekeeping function has been recognized.