Think of how stupid the average person is, and realise that half of them are stupider than that.
~ George Carlin
There’s something about the word “stupid” that makes people uneasy. It’s a label that no one wants to wear. And yet, stupidity is a real thing. We fret about our stupidity and curse the stupidity of others.
What are your thoughts on it? Do you believe in its existence? If so, how do you define stupidity?
How does it feel to be stupid? Few of us are likely to recall when we make genuinely moronic errors.
Do we conveniently forget our mistakes? Or don’t we have the capacity to recall our foibles? Our supposed poor memory is because our own mistakes are not so clear to most of us. Yet ask someone about their driving skills or work performance? What statement are you likely to get?
“I’m above average.”
David Dunning, Justin Kruger and others have shown that we tend to overestimate our abilities. We tend to believe that we’re smarter than the average person and more competent at doing things.
Yet do we also overestimate others’ stupidity? I can hear you object! But you’ve seen this stupidity first-hand!
Most important, though: It is easy for us mere mortals to spot mistakes in other people’s behaviour or decision-making processes. But few realise how often their thought processes lead them astray.
Most of us will have done something idiotic at some stage.
Most of us will have done something stupid. It may be a minor thing, like accidentally deleting a file when we meant to save it. Or it could be more significant, for instance: my entire twenties. Or in other people’s cases, investing their life savings in a pyramid scheme.
Stupidity is part of being human. It’s an example of what psychologists and researchers call “normal” behaviour. You are not dumb or defective (although the occasional stupidity can make you feel like both).
It’s not that everyone does things they regret — some people seem to do so more often than others!
Is stupidity a neglected psychological and neural phenomenon?
Jean-Francois Marmion is one person who knows about stupidity. The Psychology of Stupidity: Explained by Some of the World’s Smartest People is his book. I’m not going to steal his thunder on a fascinating subject. Yet books like his make you think. They are confronting compared to texts on genius and achievement.
“Never wrestle with pigs. You both get dirty and the pig likes it.” ― George Bernard Shaw
Looking at our worldwide pandemic: why did people fight over toilet paper in a supermarket in suburban Sydney Australia? I could have been one of the combatants — if you’d caught me on a bad day, who knows what could have happened? Why have we such a polarised view on vaccines?
Or at mistakes we keep repeating: Gun ownership is vital to some people. Yet, at what price for those who should not have a gun? When do we reach a complete and utter low and learn from it?
Stupidity is both everyday and consequential.
Is our naïve dogmatism endearing?
There is a type of meditation called loving-kindness meditation. This guided meditation asks you to think about three kinds of people in your life. First, someone you care deeply for. Second, someone you don’t know or feel distinctly neutral about. Third, someone you intensely dislike. Our meditation has us wishing each of these three people well.
Let’s step out of this meditation for a moment. Instead, let’s consider acts of stupidity in each of our three types of people. Which kind of person might you find stupidity endearing or only mildly annoying? Yep. There’s a buffer for this person’s foibles if there’s love there.
Maybe we are flawed in attributing the reason for people’s behaviours? When it’s people we love (hopefully including us), are we more tolerant? Or do we have a seemingly logical reason for this person’s (or our) behaviour? Yet when it’s someone outside of our inner circle, how scathing is our criticism of this person’s ridiculous decisions?
It’s not always the case that you’ll be aware of your incompetence. In some cases, you might lack self-awareness altogether. Therein lies a vicious cycle:
- If you don’t realise that something is wrong with how you’re performing tasks?
- Thus you do nothing to change your approach.
- The chances are good that others won’t notice either.
- This can lead to an escalating pattern of poor performance.
- One bad decision leads to another over time.
- Important things fall apart completely (as we’ve seen in countless business failures).
So stupidity is not everyday; it’s also consequential. Folly can be costly and dangerous, and even downright destructive. It’s frustrating, embarrassing, and often painful. If you’re reading this article right now, you might feel foolish, and that’s OK! But remember: it’s not just you who feels this way.
Stupidity isn’t something we should be ashamed of; it is something to celebrate! It’s a human quality that shows our capacity for curiosity and creativity. Part of this capacity is our willingness to make mistakes along the way toward success (or fun).
This is worthwhile even if those experiences are uncomfortable or embarrassing. Embrace this discomfort. We will always progress toward a greater understanding of ourselves and others around us.
In conclusion, it’s easy to forget that everybody is a little bit stupid from time to time — yourself included! The best you can do for yourself is be aware that we are all fallible creatures at times. All we can do is try our best not to make the same mistakes. Being able to recognise and admit our stupidity and the stupidity of others can be an essential first step in trying not to make the same mistakes again.