Philosophy Theories of Stupidity 26 May 2024 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian and philosopher, claimed that "stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice." These words were dedicated to the ten-year "anniversary" of Hitler's rise to power. Two years after this statement, following a period of imprisonment in a concentration camp, Bonhoeffer was executed. He believed that evil could be fought, exposed, and even defeated. Evil has a destructive impact on human society, yet it can be overcome through legal or forceful means. In contrast, against stupidity, we are utterly powerless: | Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; | reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one's | prejudgment simply need not be believed - in such moments the | stupid person even becomes critical - and when facts are | irrefutable, they are just pushed aside as inconsequential, as | incidental. In all this the stupid person, in contrast to the | malicious one, is utterly self-satisfied and, being easily | irritated, becomes dangerous by going on the attack. | | Dietrich Bonhoeffer Bonhoeffer asserted that stupidity is neither a psychological nor an intellectual issue - its nature is purely social. Stupidity is inseparable from human nature and is reproduced by the simple mechanics of social upbringing since prehistoric times. Unfortunately, each of us is, to some extent, susceptible to stupidity because, yes, we live in a society of stupid ones. However, according to Bonhoeffer, people who are more isolated from society (especially if by their own choice) are less prone to stupidity. Such individuals are more inclined to reflect and, logically, are less susceptible to propaganda. They manage to rid themselves of the social defect of stupidity, which is largely caused by dependence on public opinion. Echoing Bonhoeffer, Professor of Economic History at the University of California, Berkeley, Carlo Cipolla, published an essay in 1976 titled "The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity," in which he was even more radical than Bonhoeffer and viewed stupidity as an existential threat to humanity. According to Cipolla, stupid people have several distinctive traits: * They are abundant; * They are irrational; * They cause problems for others without apparent benefit to themselves, thereby lowering society's total well-being. Thus, it turns out Bonhoeffer was right: human stupidity itself is an evil that is very difficult to combat. Stupidity is indeed a more dangerous enemy than evil itself. Cipolla believes that people always underestimate the number of fools around them. No matter how many idiots we suspect in our surroundings, according to Cipolla, our inner optimist always underestimates their total number. Yes, living in a world where, everywhere you look, there's a fool, is not very comfortable. The percentage of stupid people in different groups of society remains constant. Every category one can imagine - gender, race, nationality, education level, income - possesses a fixed percentage of stupid people. Stupid people exist in every country on Earth. In every society. In every government. At every workplace. Everywhere. According to Cipolla, a stupid person is someone who causes losses to another person or a group of people while deriving no gain and possibly even incurring losses themselves. He calls this the "golden law of stupidity." This law implies the existence of three other types of people besides fools. First, there is the intelligent person, whose actions benefit both themselves and others. Then, there is the bandit, who benefits themselves at others' expense. And lastly, there is the helpless person, whose actions enrich others at their own expense. 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, dealing or associating with stupid people always turns out to be a costly mistake. We underestimate the stupid, and we do so at our own peril. | A stupid person is more dangerous than a bandit. | | Carlo Cipolla Unfortunately, we have no tool for combating stupid people. The difference between societies that crumble under the weight of their foolish citizens and those that prevail lies in the composition of non-stupid people. Those who progress despite the fools around them have a high percentage of people acting rationally, compensating for the losses caused by the stupid by bringing benefits to themselves and their peers. Societies in decline have the same percentage of stupid people as successful ones. However, they also have a high percentage of people who profit others while incurring losses themselves. And, as Cipolla writes, "an alarming proliferation of the bandits with overtones of stupidity." History confirms that countries typically progress when enough intelligent people are in power to restrain the active fools (hello, AfD) and prevent them from destroying what the intelligent have produced. In declining countries, the upper echelons are usually dominated by stupid bandits, while the populace consists largely of naive simpletons. And we know, unfortunately, where this usually leads. Copyright (c) 2024 contact@renecoignard.com Powered by Weblog v1.18.4