On Stupidity
I found something interesting this morning which relates to discussions that we have had here regarding Donald Trump. There has been disagreement on the question of whether or not Trump is “stupid”. I have personally used numerous disparaging terms for Trump’s intelligence, while conceding that he has a basic intelligence in the way that society typically judges intelligence. My view has always been that Trump managing to clear this bar only says something about the way that we think about intelligence, rather than his level of intelligence.
This 12 minute video uses an analysis of the concept of intelligence that comports with my view. That view is that there is a social aspect to intelligence, such that, otherwise intelligent and successful people can be stupid, depending on the way that they function. In essence, it is more a measure of conduct within groups than merely problem solving and information possession. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O9FFrLpinQ
Ron Powell
07/12/2022 @ 10:31 am
The fact that there are more stupid people in the world than there are non- stupid people in the world is no joke…
I’ve always held that there are many more stupid people than we might be able to imagine and that this ‘metric’ represents the existential threat to civilization as we know and understand it to be…
Ron Powell
07/12/2022 @ 10:37 am
Bitey, I believe you can delete the mistake and this ‘reply comment’
leaving the fully completedl comment as my contribution to your post…
Bitey
07/12/2022 @ 11:36 am
I am afraid that that is accurate. It had always been an assumption that intelligence would, and does overcome “stupidity.” The last couple of decades or so has led me to think otherwise. I’ve hit my head against a lot of walls, and tried talking to a lot of posts trying to reach understandings. My wife has always told me that I tend to give them too much credit. Trump’s arrival on the world scene in 2015 has been a real eye opener.
Koshersalaami
07/13/2022 @ 10:56 pm
I agree with this
ArtWStone
07/12/2022 @ 12:05 pm
We went to a city council workshop last evening.
Citizens were allowed to speak at the end.
One of the councilors is a homeless advocate in a compassion suit. Totally full of herself while advocating for tolerance and lawlessness and chiding others for their lack of understanding and compassion. I said so in a polite way. Well, polite until she shook her head and laughed while I was speaking. Another councilor who may become mayor called me up after the meeting to assure the nutjob councilor won’t prevail.
Another man rose and spoke about the USA having been founded by Christians and that the USA has one religion. I made a loud chortling noise and got an elbow in the ribs.
“Art ! …we’re in public!”
“I know. I agree, It makes it much worse to listen to this jerk.”
While not wishing to add to any racial divide, I will say with complete confidence that white people have nearly cornered the market on stupidity as described in this video.
It’s downright embarrassing.
Bitey
07/12/2022 @ 12:30 pm
Forrest Gump’s mother had an interesting observation that is quoted numerous times in the film. And while I know she is a fictional person, the idea goes along with this view of stupidity. Stupidity is not merely one’s lack of ability to think, “stupid is as stupid does.”
jpHart
07/12/2022 @ 2:42 pm
I am watching the kids in Godspell: Day by Day — while big screen casts 6 January 2021 Hearings — the eyes in my head, indeed. Last all hours that Hunter Moon had deep-breath glimmer and motion as though competing with the {…} James Webb telescope revelation of infinity {…} please know that God did not play ping-pong with the man in the moon. Need I mention: I Have a Dream {…}
Koshersalaami
07/13/2022 @ 10:57 pm
Interesting definition of stupidity and not a bad one. For one thing, it involves a lack of paying attention to consequences.
Ron Powell
07/23/2022 @ 5:11 pm
Kosh,
Not the lack of paying attention to consequences but the inability to pay attention to consequences, or anything else for that matter…