Why Do Some Americans Speak So Confidently When They Have No Clue What They're Talking About?

[Democrats_win]

55. Famous story: cow versus bull in college (and life)

The essay Examanship and the Liberal arts by William Perry,
link: http://www.longwood.edu/staff/isaacsw/Examship.pdf ,
humorously tells the famous story of how a student ended up taking the final exam without actually taking the course. The first part of the exam asked the student to write about the meaning of some idea in the reading the students were assigned--which this student, our "hero," didn't do!

Yet the student used his own intuition to write an essay better than the students who did take the course. The second part of the test involved factual aspects of the reading and of course, our "hero" failed. After all, he hadn't even taken the course!

There are two types of people in college (politics)

cow (pure): data, however relevant, without relevancies.
bull (pure): relevancies, however relevant, without data

The student was given a high grade for his essay.

Perhaps this value accounts for the final anomaly: as instructors, we are inclined to reward bull
highly, where we do not detect its intent, to the consternation of the bullster's acquaintances. And
often we do not examine the matter too closely. After a long evening of reading blue books full
of cow, the sudden meeting with a student who at least understands the problems of one's field
provides a lift like a drought of refreshing wine, and a strong disposition toward trust.

Is anyone surprised that the media and the public does the same?