How can it be that so few of us humans are genuinely stupid when human stupidity is nearly infinite?

[Alceste]

We have terribly stupid leaders in our society, and most of the rest of us are not inclined to challenge the status quo as long as we're kept well fed and entertained. Therefore, we behave stupidly en masse, in accordance with the ridiculous decisions of the idiots in charge, who uniformly fail to think of the implications of their choices beyond the next election or quarterly financial report.

 

[bobhikes]

The Great Philosopher Forest Gump summed this up neatly

Stupid is as Stupid does.

I guess most of us are really not doing anything!

Edited because I tried to do something and did it stupidly the first time

 

[4consideration]

I think it's like this MIB quote, from Agent K:

"Kay: A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow. "

Men in Black (1997) - Quotes - IMDb

edit: (I only sort of think that. )

 

[Kilgore Trout]

How can it be that so few of us humans are genuinely stupid when human stupidity is nearly infinite? It seems that only a minority of humans -- maybe as few as 15% of the total population -- are profoundly stupid. And yet, human stupidity seems infinite. How can this be so?

Groups of humans, as a collective, are dumber than the sum of their individual components.

 

[oldbadger]

I have an imaginary fighter pilot friend.

That's OK........ imagination is one pathway towards genius.

 

[oldbadger]

Now, the obvious way to improve their overall intelligence is to put them all through a high level educational programme.

Does education increase intelligence? Wow!

 

[idav]

We have terribly stupid leaders in our society, and most of the rest of us are not inclined to challenge the status quo as long as we're kept well fed and entertained. Therefore, we behave stupidly en masse, in accordance with the ridiculous decisions of the idiots in charge, who uniformly fail to think of the implications of their choices beyond the next election or quarterly financial report.

With that it seems like they are smart enough to know better and stupid enough to not care except for their pockets, but is that stupid or just greed.

 

[Alceste]

With that it seems like they are smart enough to know better and stupid enough to not care except for their pockets, but is that stupid or just greed.

Greed is stupidity, IMO.

 

[idav]

Greed is stupidity, IMO.

There is that, but smart enough to figure it out. A prioritization of short vs long term goals. The wise look to the long term I think.

 

[Dingbat]

Do you regard them as the patron god of airpersons and stuff?

No he is a womanizing ***. I have horrible imaginary friends.

 

[Alceste]

There is that, but smart enough to figure it out. A prioritization of short vs long term goals. The wise look to the long term I think.

I think so too. Grasping complexity, multiple threads and layers of cause and effect, long term thinking and the use of these skills to make accurate predictions and choose a wise course of action is intelligent. Unfortunately, any hierarchical system of social organization will inevitably behave in accordance with the stupidest person at the highest level of authority. Just the other day I found myself doing something incredibly stupid at work because the head of the department I was working for wanted it done that way and was not at all receptive to my suggestion of a more intelligent solution - he was too stupid to imagine both methods and see that his was not as efficient and effective as mine. Also, like most stupid people in positions of authority, he substituted stubbornness and bossiness for explanation and persuasion.

 

[idav]

I think so too. Grasping complexity, multiple threads and layers of cause and effect, long term thinking and the use of these skills to make accurate predictions and choose a wise course of action is intelligent. Unfortunately, any hierarchical system of social organization will inevitably behave in accordance with the stupidest person at the highest level of authority. Just the other day I found myself doing something incredibly stupid at work because the head of the department I was working for wanted it done that way and was not at all receptive to my suggestion of a more intelligent solution - he was too stupid to imagine both methods and see that his was not as efficient and effective as mine. Also, like most stupid people in positions of authority, he substituted stubbornness and bossiness for explanation and persuasion.

That happens to me all the time at work and am usually right. The best I can do is do my job by advising the wisest course of action. Still I avoid any "I told you so", wouldn't help when the managers have to feel the ramifications of being wrong.

 

[Alceste]

That happens to me all the time at work and am usually right. The best I can do is do my job by advising the wisest course of action. Still I avoid any "I told you so", wouldn't help when the managers have to feel the ramifications of being wrong.

This problem, incidentally, is why I am an anarchist. One stupid person in a position of authority can cancel out the collective intellect of hundreds of underlings. Even if his own superiors are intelligent and task him with a wise course of action, he will inevitably implement methods that doom the project to failure.

 

[Secret Chief]

Hey Alceste, we work for the same organisation!

 

[Alceste]

Hey Alceste, we work for the same organisation!

Lol... That's every organization, ever, right?

 

[Iti oj]

A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it.

Agent K

 

[Sunstone]

One stupid person in a position of authority can cancel out the collective intellect of hundreds of underlings.

Yeah, look what that Ayn Rand fanboy Edward Lampert did to Sears. Took the collective efforts of tens of thousands of people working over decades to build up that company to what it was. Took one stupid CEO to plunge it into troubled waters.

 

[YmirGF]

How can it be that so few of us humans are genuinely stupid when human stupidity is nearly infinite? It seems that only a minority of humans -- maybe as few as 15% of the total population -- are profoundly stupid. And yet, human stupidity seems infinite. How can this be so?

Because another 50% are not especially bright?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Because another 50% are not especially bright?

Everytime you think about the fact that half of people have an IQ under 100, and that an IQ of 100 is actually pretty dull, the stupidity of humanity becomes quite clear.

 

[Musty]

How can it be that so few of us humans are genuinely stupid when human stupidity is nearly infinite? It seems that only a minority of humans -- maybe as few as 15% of the total population -- are profoundly stupid. And yet, human stupidity seems infinite. How can this be so?

Emergent characteristics of complex systems aren't always what you'd expect.