Blue-Collar Brilliance Essay

Blue collar workers are the backbone of America. In the article, “Blue-Collar Brilliance”, author Mike Rose emphasizes his belief that blue collar jobs should not be viewed as mindless tasks, but rather should be acknowledged for the amount of skills and intelligence these tasks truly require. What the author essentially means is that blue collar workers acquire knowledge, intuition, and skills from the social dynamics of their workplace itself. Rose argues that we often make mistakes by judging people based on their level of education and thereby not giving them the recognition they deserve. Through observation, trial and error, and often physical and verbal assistance from others, blue collar workers develop their skills. “Blue-Collar Brilliance” is an article that makes us realize that formal education does not always measure the level of intelligence of a person.Blue Collar jobs require just as much intelligence as jobs that require formal academic credentials (e.g. a College Diploma) and hence should be recognized for their work.