Theory of Stupidity

[Count Chocula]

1 hour ago, porkybork said:

People react with their emotions first, then rationalize their actions after the fact to make themselves feel justified in their irrational behavior. That’s what I think, at least.

I agree. The fundamental question of "Why do people do that?" remains. Maybe there's no better answer than "That's just how people are."

[Darkpig]

Recently a politician didn’t read a bill until after they voted for it. I thought it was a politician’s job to read bills before voting our rights away. I originally thought this news was too dumb to be true until I realized there has been a spike of stupidity as of late. More people have been trying to open the wrong doors, opening them incorrectly and failing to follow basic rules and regulations all because of either their inability or refusal to read important information. I think I found the people who voted for this politician.

 

Just to clarify this isn’t people getting stupider. This is people being stupid again.

 

[Count Chocula]

4 hours ago, Darkpig said:

Recently a politician didn’t read a bill until after they voted for it. I thought it was a politician’s job to read bills before voting our rights away. I originally thought this news was too dumb to be true until I realized there has been a spike of stupidity as of late.

I know which politician you refer to (at least I think I do) and I'm pretty sure this kind of thing is nothing new.

[Darkpig]

6 hours ago, Count Chocula said:

I know which politician you refer to (at least I think I do) and I'm pretty sure this kind of thing is nothing new.

I wouldn't be surprised if somebody did that before the politician I was talking about. As for the politician I was referring to I figure it might have been too easy to find out. I'd happily tell you the answer in a private message but I have a feeling you already know.

[porkybork]

I recently discovered an essay from the 70s that I found pretty interesting. It’s called “The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity” by Carlo M. Cipolla, an Italian economic historian. Basically, Cipolla’s essay states that average people vastly underestimate the amount of stupid people in society, and that stupid people are the most dangerous group of people in the world because they’re only capable of making things worse for everyone, including themselves. An evil person can at least benefit themselves by hurting others, but a stupid person will hurt someone else and still find a way to make their own lives worse in the process.

 

There are 5 laws of stupidity that Cipolla talks about:

1. Always and inevitably, everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation.
2. The probability that a person is stupid is independent of any other characteristic of that person.
3. A stupid person is a person who causes losses to another person or group of people when he or she does not benefit and may even suffer losses.
4. Non-stupid people always underestimate the damaging power of stupid individuals. In particular, non-stupid people constantly forget that at all times and places, and under any circumstances, to deal and/or associate with stupid people always turns out to be a costly mistake.
5. A stupid person is the most dangerous type of person.

He also made a four-quadrant chart to help illustrate his point:

 

Granted, this whole thing was primarily meant to be thought of in relation to economic contributions, but it’s easy to apply these laws to other facets of life.

[Count Chocula]

The problem with any estimation related to stupid people or stupidity is defining "stupid." 

[DarkBlade13]

People who fail to evaluate themselfves are by deffinition stupid. Ps: I a suprised this thread survivde this long.

Edited August 16, 2025 by DarkBlade13

[Darkpig]

On 7/16/2025 at 11:03 PM, Count Chocula said:

The problem with any estimation related to stupid people or stupidity is defining "stupid." 

Have you tried using a dictionary?

https://www.oed.com/dictionary/stupid_adj?tl=true

[DocClox]

Let me put the contrarian viewpoint.

 

I don't think people are stupid. I think most people are really smart - just always in a generally useful direction. In general, we all get the same hardware with the same number of neurons - all that processing power is doing something, and most people have something they're surprisingly good at if you get to know them,

 

I do think that large numbers of people can be stupid. Organize people into mobs and it can take a long time for new information to be absorbed and accepted. Which is getting more noticeable, both  as the speed of change in the world around accelerates, and as the Internet allows larger group identities to form. Even then though, I think "stupid" is probably an oversimplification; mobs learn slow, but they learn deep

[Count Chocula]

On 8/17/2025 at 10:21 PM, Darkpig said:

Have you tried using a dictionary?

https://www.oed.com/dictionary/stupid_adj?tl=true

Try using one and look up "subjective."

[Darkpig]

4 hours ago, Count Chocula said:

Try using one and look up "subjective."

Have you looked up the word subjective?

[KoolHndLuke]

Hmm.... what to say here for fuck's sake! What an interesting subject to contimplate! My working theory at the ripe old age of 55 is that ppl generally are not that stupid. Our emotions play a huge role in what we ultimately decide to die on a hill for. It's just that simple. The brain has little say in the matter. One day you love the Queen. Next day you hear a rumor (that has a 99% of being grossly inaccurate or a flat out lie) and hate her guts. And whomever gets that "message" to you first is usually the winner.

 

My advice is to tune the fuck out and think things through for yourself and be suspicious of everyone.

Edited August 30, 2025 by KoolHndLuke

[Darkpig]

47 minutes ago, KoolHndLuke said:

Hmm.... what to say here for fuck's sake! What an interesting subject to contimplate! My working theory at the ripe old age of 55 is that ppl generally are not that stupid. Our emotions play a huge role in what we ultimately decide to die on a cross for. It's just that simple. The brain has little say in the matter. One day you love the Queen. Next day you hear a rumor (that has a 99% of being grossly inaccurate or a flat out lie) and hate her guts. And whomever gets that "message" to you first is usually the winner.

 

My advice is to tune the fuck out and think things through for yourself and be suspicious of everyone.

Is Ol King Charles still bitter at dear mama? How are the Corgis doing?

 

As for tuning things out good luck with that. Maybe the best option is to live in a soundproof port-a-potty in the middle of the woods with a lock on it.

[KoolHndLuke]

15 hours ago, Darkpig said:

ive in a soundproof port-a-potty in the middle of the woods with a lock on it.

Wait...how'd you know??? 

[Darkpig]

11 hours ago, KoolHndLuke said:

Wait...how'd you know??? 

Because I haunt it👻

[porkybork]

I'm really starting to think that all those ornery old people were right about that "damn phone".