Why some of the smartest people can be so very stupid | Psyche Ideas
I came across this article and it looked somewhat interesting.
What exactly is stupidity?
How does it relate to morality: can you be morally good and stupid, for example?
How does it relate to vice: is stupidity a kind of prejudice, perhaps?
And why is it so domain-specific: why are people often stupid in one area and insightful in another?
That last question is rather interesting, because some people can be brilliant in some areas but incredibly stupid in others.
The writer then goes on to describe the thinking of generals during WW1 and how they perceived trench warfare:
"Conceptual obsolescence" appears to relate to old fashioned or outmoded ways of thinking, or as the writer put it, "a failure to update their cognitive tools to fit the task in hand."
The writer makes a distinction between mere error and stupidity. They also indicate a difference between stupidity and what might be more accurately characterized as a lack of willpower. Stupidity indicates a lack of the necessary intellectual equipment, in which combatting it will typically require not brute willpower but the construction of a new way of seeing our self and our world.
I found this part interesting in light of several recent related discussions, particularly in the political realm where people may speak of their opponents as "stupid" or "uneducated" or "lacking in critical thinking skills." But I've always considered those explanations and characterizations as somewhat wanting and insufficient. This article suggests that stupidity relates to a lack of mental flexibility, an inability to think outside the box and look at the world in different terms.
The writer also notes that stupidity is a property of groups or traditions, not individuals, which is also an important distinction to make:
I found this also interesting, as stupidity is described as taking hold of groups or societies. This would also challenge the notion that it's due to an individual's lack of education or critical thinking skills, since those individualistic characterizations. The article is addressing examples of collective stupidity, perhaps due to fears of non-conformity or active peer pressure to conform to a specific set of ideas.
I'm reminded of the Asch Conformity Experiments (Asch conformity experiments - Wikipedia), which demonstrated that peer pressure can very much influence otherwise intelligent, educated people to make stupid choices.
It's an interesting example to use, of someone not realizing they were being cheated on: They literally didn't think of it, due to emotional and other pressures. They possess the intellectual tools, but unwittingly lock them away.
This is an interesting point. Are people who are considered smart today going to be considered stupid hundreds of years from now?
In a way, this article seems to touch upon some of the core problems in politics today. I hear a lot of people talk about stupidity and ignorance of the masses, suggesting that the only real solution is to send people back to school. But then, the educational system is often criticized as having a role in making people stupid. Then there's also peer pressure and a push to conform - often peppered with ridicule, hostility, and other emotionally-laden tactics.
Do you agree with the points raised in the article? What is stupidity, anyway? How does it manifest itself? What is the cure?
They say "you can't fix stupid," but that would suggest an irreparably flawed individual who can't be cured.
On the subject of military stupidity, some might also point to the U.S. unpreparedness regarding Pearl Harbor, bolstered by the unfounded belief that Pearl Harbor could not be attacked by air. Or the belief that the Japanese would not attack us. On the other hand, the Japanese might have been stupid to believe that a bloody nose at Pearl Harbor would cause the Americans to fold up and give in to Japanese demands. The Vietnam War, the War on Drugs, and the War on Terror might be similar examples of collective stupidity.
Just curious what others might think of this topic.
I came across this article and it looked somewhat interesting.
What exactly is stupidity?
How does it relate to morality: can you be morally good and stupid, for example?
How does it relate to vice: is stupidity a kind of prejudice, perhaps?
And why is it so domain-specific: why are people often stupid in one area and insightful in another?
That last question is rather interesting, because some people can be brilliant in some areas but incredibly stupid in others.
The writer then goes on to describe the thinking of generals during WW1 and how they perceived trench warfare:
"Conceptual obsolescence" appears to relate to old fashioned or outmoded ways of thinking, or as the writer put it, "a failure to update their cognitive tools to fit the task in hand."
The writer makes a distinction between mere error and stupidity. They also indicate a difference between stupidity and what might be more accurately characterized as a lack of willpower. Stupidity indicates a lack of the necessary intellectual equipment, in which combatting it will typically require not brute willpower but the construction of a new way of seeing our self and our world.
I found this part interesting in light of several recent related discussions, particularly in the political realm where people may speak of their opponents as "stupid" or "uneducated" or "lacking in critical thinking skills." But I've always considered those explanations and characterizations as somewhat wanting and insufficient. This article suggests that stupidity relates to a lack of mental flexibility, an inability to think outside the box and look at the world in different terms.
The writer also notes that stupidity is a property of groups or traditions, not individuals, which is also an important distinction to make:
I found this also interesting, as stupidity is described as taking hold of groups or societies. This would also challenge the notion that it's due to an individual's lack of education or critical thinking skills, since those individualistic characterizations. The article is addressing examples of collective stupidity, perhaps due to fears of non-conformity or active peer pressure to conform to a specific set of ideas.
I'm reminded of the Asch Conformity Experiments (Asch conformity experiments - Wikipedia), which demonstrated that peer pressure can very much influence otherwise intelligent, educated people to make stupid choices.
It's an interesting example to use, of someone not realizing they were being cheated on: They literally didn't think of it, due to emotional and other pressures. They possess the intellectual tools, but unwittingly lock them away.
This is an interesting point. Are people who are considered smart today going to be considered stupid hundreds of years from now?
In a way, this article seems to touch upon some of the core problems in politics today. I hear a lot of people talk about stupidity and ignorance of the masses, suggesting that the only real solution is to send people back to school. But then, the educational system is often criticized as having a role in making people stupid. Then there's also peer pressure and a push to conform - often peppered with ridicule, hostility, and other emotionally-laden tactics.
Do you agree with the points raised in the article? What is stupidity, anyway? How does it manifest itself? What is the cure?
They say "you can't fix stupid," but that would suggest an irreparably flawed individual who can't be cured.
On the subject of military stupidity, some might also point to the U.S. unpreparedness regarding Pearl Harbor, bolstered by the unfounded belief that Pearl Harbor could not be attacked by air. Or the belief that the Japanese would not attack us. On the other hand, the Japanese might have been stupid to believe that a bloody nose at Pearl Harbor would cause the Americans to fold up and give in to Japanese demands. The Vietnam War, the War on Drugs, and the War on Terror might be similar examples of collective stupidity.
Just curious what others might think of this topic.
