The Audacity of the “Educated” to Dismiss Others in Democracy

Feb 21, 2025

It has been about a year since Indonesia’s last presidential election, yet the political atmosphere still lingers in my memory. But beyond the usual hype, there’s something else that sticks with me, something more unsettling. I am enraged by the divide between “us” and “them” by various narrative, but specifically a division fueled by those who claim to be educated looking down on those they label as uneducated.

I won’t be discussing the candidates or which side these so-called educated people supported. That’s not the point. What infuriates me is how college graduates had the audacity to insist that their political choice was inherently superior. Simply because they viewed themselves as better informed.

The Dangerous Narrative of the “Educated”

During the election, independent youth-led platforms emerged, aiming to raise awareness about voting. Many of them highlighted statistics about Indonesia’s low percentage of college graduates. Instead of using this information to promote inclusivity, some twisted it into a dangerous narrative:

The country’s future depends on the small percentage of highly educated individuals.
If the election goes “wrong,” the blame falls on the lower-educated or uneducated voters.

This rhetoric spread rapidly, seeping into individual mindsets and conversations. It became an excuse for division. A way for some to justify their distrust and even hostility toward those they deemed intellectually inferior. The message was clear: we know better; they are the problem.

The Flawed Assumption of Political Wisdom

If these self-proclaimed educated individuals truly understood democracy, they’d recognize a fundamental finding by political scientist, Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels that the most knowledgeable voters—the ones who pay the most attention to politics—are often the most biased. Research has shown that higher political engagement doesn’t necessarily lead to more objective thinking. In fact, the more educated and politically active someone is, the more likely they are to distort opposing viewpoints.

It’s ironic. The same people flaunting their diplomas as proof of political wisdom fail to acknowledge how deeply partisanship influences their judgment. Many political decisions aren’t based on an honest examination of reality but on social identity and party loyalty. More knowledge doesn’t automatically mean better political decisions. It often just means stronger biases.

What Does Being “Educated” Even Mean Today?

Education should be more than just a ticket to the job market. Yet, if you ask most people why they pursued a degree, money and career prospects likely come to mind first. Education has become an investment, something tied to economic success rather than civic responsibility. Schools are now measured by how well they serve individual consumers, not by how they prepare students to participate in a democracy.

And what about those who never had the chance to attend university? They aren’t “uneducated” in the way these narratives suggest. Many are victims of systemic barriers that limit access to higher education. Barriers rooted in inequality, not ability. Yet, instead of acknowledging this, some college graduates use their privilege as a weapon, belittling those who didn’t have the same opportunities.

Meanwhile, as the world grows more complex and interconnected, political action is increasingly handed over to lawyers, lobbyists, and technocrats. Ordinary citizens, those with actual skin in the game, are being sidelined. And yet, we’re supposed to believe that formal education alone guarantees political wisdom?

The (Ugly) Truth: Many “Educated” People Don’t Understand Democracy

Democracy isn’t just about voting. It requires access to information, open debate, and a culture of communication. Yet, the way political discussions unfold today, especially online, suggests many people don’t grasp this. Instead of engaging in meaningful dialogue, they turn democracy into a battle of “us vs. them.” They forget (or never grasp) that democracy isn’t about winning and losing. It’s about how we communicate and coexist.

But that’s exactly where we’re failing. In an age of advanced technology, communication has become more vulnerable than ever.

The Illusion of Media Literacy

A university degree doesn’t make someone immune to misinformation. Formal education doesn’t guarantee an understanding of how media and digital platforms shape perception. And yet, democracy relies on citizens being able to recognize manipulation and bias.

We live in a time of unprecedented freedom. Social media makes it feel like democracy is thriving. But at the same time, we’ve never been more monitored, more manipulated, more overwhelmed with information. The sheer volume of contradictory messages online leaves people confused, cynical, and often unwilling to engage critically. Instead, many retreat into echo chambers, reinforcing their own beliefs while dismissing opposing views as ignorance.

This isn’t just a problem among so-called uneducated voters. It affects the educated, too. Many of them, despite their credentials, are just as susceptible to misinformation and partisanship.

The Real Problem: How We Communicate

The way we exchange information determines the strength of our collective intelligence. Instead of fueling division, we should be focusing on improving how we communicate. Democracy isn’t just about who wins an election; it’s about the ongoing process of dialogue and understanding.

If educated people want to claim superiority in political discussions, then their first responsibility should be to learn, truly learn, what democracy is about. Because right now, many of them are failing at the very thing they claim to uphold.

Closing Thoughts: Where Do We Go from Here?

In the end, we’re not just dealing with an election cycle. We’re living in an era of overwhelming information that fractures public discourse, deepens polarization, and erodes our sense of political community. More information, from more sources, hasn’t led to greater understanding. Instead, it has widened the gap between the filtered realities people believe in and the actual world in which decisions unfold.

The real danger isn’t just misinformation. It’s the way we’ve come to frame democracy itself, as a battle of us versus them, rather than a shared responsibility. If we continue down this path, we risk turning democracy into little more than a performance, where citizens fight each other while those in power quietly tighten their grip.

At some point, we have to step back and recognize that the problem isn’t just who is voting, but how we engage with one another. If we truly care about democracy, we must move beyond intellectual arrogance and political tribalism. Because in the end, an election is not the only thing at stake. It’s the kind of society we’re willing to build together.

The Books Behind My Thinking

Posted by:

Sekar Writes

I’m a nonfiction reader with a medical science background who loves turning tricky reads into simple, easy-to-understand insights. I break down big ideas into friendly bits, making every book feel fun and easy.