Thailand rates high in ignorance based on 40 nation survey

[chilli42]

16 hours ago, sean in udon said:

The questions asked to create this league table of ignorance are interesting...

https://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/3817/Perceptions-are-not-reality-what-the-world-gets-wrong.aspx

 

Indeed.  Looking at the question areas, it's not clear what hypothesis the survey sets out to understand.  However, certainly not "ignorance" as most would understand it.  Also, countries like India and China with over a billion citizens and massive regional differences are treated the same as the Netherlands.  The survey is rubbish.

[onthesoi]

14 minutes ago, chilli42 said:

 

Indeed.  Looking at the question areas, it's not clear what hypothesis the survey sets out to understand.  However, certainly not "ignorance" as most would understand it.  Also, countries like India and China with over a billion citizens and massive regional differences are treated the same as the Netherlands.  The survey is rubbish.

 

It's quite simple really,

 

The citizen of a country is asked a range of questions about their own country, for eg: "What is the population of your country ?".  The same question(s) is then put to the citizens of other countries. The overall accuracy of the answers is then compiled into a league table of countries with most ignorant in descending order.

 

The word ignorant is used because the citizen is ignorant about certain facts pertaining to their own country, for eg: the size of the population.  In this context the dictionary definition of 'ignorant' is met perfectly.

 

If you bother to read through the detail you might see the questions are of a more national flavour than regional, so the population size is irrelevant, the question '"What is the population of your country ?' being a case in point.

--------------

 

The interesting thing about this survey is how people's perception is skewed by the media and manipulative politicians, for eg in the UK:

 

Current Muslim population: we hugely overestimate the proportion of Muslims in the British population – we think that 1 in 6 Britons are Muslim, when actually fewer than 1 in 20 are. The findings show we think 15% of the population are Muslim, when actually only 4.8% are, less than a third of our guess.

 

Future Muslim population: we also think that the Muslim population is growing to a much greater extent than it actually is. We think that 22% of our population will be Muslim by 2020, when projections from the Pew Research Center suggest Muslims will only make up around 6% of the British population by then.

[onthesoi]

8 hours ago, CaptHaddock said:

Bizarre set of questions from which to determine "ignorance."  Really the questionnaire is a measure of the discrepancy between the self-image of a country and the reality.  Such a discrepancy may say a lot about a society, but calling it just general "ignorance" hardly seems appropriate.

 

 

Discrepancy suggests a mistake, typo, error, while ignorance suggests they do not know or are unaware of reality or the facts.

 

Ignorance is the right word to use in the context of the study ....even if some posters feel insulted by the lack of PC 555

[ncc1701d]

All this shows me is I need to go on holidays to Denmark. ?

[i claudius]

On 12/21/2016 at 8:04 AM, kowpot said:

Internet warriors. Got to love them. Why is it, they never say this stuff to an American to their face?  

 

I know many Americans , and they are all nice people , most are quite well educated , now ,not wishing to be a keyboard warrier . but as i cannot speak to you directly ,when i spent time in America ,i found most people i spoke to there very dumb ,most had no knowledge of the world outside at all, especially when a woman i spoke to who asked me where i was from and i said London , she replied "oh thats in Paris isnt it"

[kannot]

On 12/21/2016 at 2:38 AM, Jingthing said:

We're talking about the nation -- the USA. Duh. 

"sarcasmometer"  turned  off today  then  Jingy

[kowpot]

10 hours ago, i claudius said:

 

I know many Americans , and they are all nice people , most are quite well educated , now ,not wishing to be a keyboard warrier . but as i cannot speak to you directly ,when i spent time in America ,i found most people i spoke to there very dumb ,most had no knowledge of the world outside at all, especially when a woman i spoke to who asked me where i was from and i said London , she replied "oh thats in Paris isnt it"

Are you sure she wasn't being sarcastic?  I have had Brits tell me they're from England and I have responded,  "Never heard of It"  C'mon,  an American telling someone from London, that London must be in Paris is kind of funny.  You people thought America was a British colony until you were shown the door.

Edited December 22, 2016 by kowpot

[i claudius]

1 hour ago, kowpot said:

Are you sure she wasn't being sarcastic?  I have had Brits tell me they're from England and I have responded,  "Never heard of It"  C'mon,  an American telling someone from London, that London must be in Paris is kind of funny.  You people thought America was a British colony until you were shown the door.

No she wasnt joking i am afraid , and as for being shown the door , we were the ones who colonized America , so it was us that showed us the door , never mind , unless your a native American , your  ancestors were "one of us" 

[Tarteso]

 
 
We are USA, we do not need to know anything !
 
 

This is not arrogance... is just ignorance and you are not the voice of USA.


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[daveAustin]

Quote

The USA rated as more ignorant than Thailand, with India the most ignorant (just "ahead" of China). 
Netherlands least ignorant. Not surprising.
UK just under Netherlands. Hmm. 

 

Probably about right. I've spent a fair amount of time in the US and found the average Joe pretty mixed up. Regards UK, I wouldn't go making any connection between Pattaya mongerers and regular UK-based folk. They are more clued up than you think about both their own country and the rest of the world. It's always been that way.

[daveAustin]

On 12/21/2016 at 2:45 PM, amjamj said:

We are USA, we do not need to know anything !

 

That seems to be the general consensus, you don't know anything. 

[daveAustin]

On 12/21/2016 at 8:04 AM, kowpot said:

Internet warriors. Got to love them. Why is it, they never say this stuff to an American to their face?  

 

Who's the warrior now ? If you messed up I would have no qualms telling you or anyone to their face. Going by some of the replies, the op is spot on.

Edited December 23, 2016 by daveAustin

[naboo]

Thais are ignorant, ha ha ha. I'll tell you a story about this ignorant Thai girl, ha ha ha.

 

Americans are ignorant, you tell me that to my face, the survey is b_||$4it.

 

This thread is hilarious.

[humblejo]

Internet warriors. Got to love them. Why is it, they never say this stuff to an American to their face?  

Tried it once. Luckily he couldn't walk around armed in Bangkok... [emoji3]

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[Peterw42]

On 12/21/2016 at 0:14 PM, deathmule said:

Story time on Thai ignorance

 

My ex girlfriend comes from a rich family, her father owned 3 factories.

 

She had studied in New Zealand for 4 years, spoke good English and all.

 

Once, I started asking her geography questions for the laughs. I started like "Do you know where is Thailand in the map?" Showed her the map, she knew. 

 

Then I asked her where is England. She didn't know and she showed me the Caribbean Sea  .  Then I asked her where is the USA, this one she knew. After a few "more difficult countries" (Germany,France,Brazil) which she didn't know where they are located in the map she dropped the bomb.

 

When I asked her where was Australia (She has been to Sydney and Melbourne when she was studying in Auckland)... She didn't know and then I asked her in a semi serious semi jokingly way "Do you f know where is New Zealand?" .

 

She points at Madagascar. 

 

To be fair, the OP is about ignorance of peoples own country, not other countries.

[malt25]

2 hours ago, Mitkof Island said:

Is Canada part of America?

Yes, so is Mexico. There are 2 Americas. North & South. America is a continent, not a country.

It's amazing how many refer to the USA as America.

[Tarteso]

Most of you have no idea where you come from (including me). And which were our ancestors. Quite sure we would get a veri big surprise;

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[Jingthing]

6 hours ago, Mitkof Island said:

Is Canada part of America?

Seriously? 

[Broken Record]

11 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Seriously? 

 I thought Canada was the largest country in North America, followed by USA, Greenland then Mexico.

[Jingthing]

28 minutes ago, Broken Record said:

 I thought Canada was the largest country in North America, followed by USA, Greenland then Mexico.

Who doesn't know that? Why the focus on such basic stuff?

Though honestly, Greenland isn't on a lot of people's radar.

Edited December 23, 2016 by Jingthing