Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Five Universal Laws of Human Stupidity
getpocket.com ^ | Corinne Purtill

Posted on 04/01/2021 11:45:52 AM PDT by ATOMIC_PUNK

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-73 last
To: READINABLUESTATE

Einstein said “there are only two things that are infinite, the universe and stupidity, and I’m not so sure about the universe”.


61 posted on 04/01/2021 6:23:04 PM PDT by VTenigma (The Democrat party is the party of the mathematically challenged )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: ATOMIC_PUNK

Against stupidity, the gods themselves contend in vain.

I have observed, however, that there is a contingent of people who appear to be stupid but are just naive. These are the ones the read the NYT and believe every word.


62 posted on 04/01/2021 7:42:49 PM PDT by Some Fat Guy in L.A. (Still bitterly clinging to rational thought despite its unfashionability)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Some Fat Guy in L.A.

A great Schiller quote...And a great tagline.


63 posted on 04/01/2021 8:07:08 PM PDT by PerConPat (A politician is an animal which can sit on a fence and yet keep both ears to the ground - Mencken)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 62 | View Replies]

To: gspurlock

“It’s just that the truly stupid, biased people are so noisy that there seem to be more of them than there actually are.”

Law 1: Always and inevitably everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation.


64 posted on 04/02/2021 12:50:15 AM PDT by dsc (Tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: PerConPat

A friend of the family was hand picked by Rickover for Nautilus and later command of Sargo. He had some interresting stories about him.


65 posted on 04/02/2021 7:22:26 AM PDT by CrazyIvan (The Democrat party. A collaboration of Cloward-Piven and Dunning-Kruger.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: Starboard

But they typically double down on actions.


66 posted on 04/02/2021 7:28:03 AM PDT by redgolum (If this culture today is civilization, I will be the barbarian)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: CrazyIvan

Yep...I’m sure you have heard some interesting stuff. The KOG (Kindly Old Gentleman) was, like him or dislike him, one of a kind.


67 posted on 04/02/2021 7:31:51 AM PDT by PerConPat (A politician is an animal which can sit on a fence and yet keep both ears to the ground - Mencken)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: Starboard
We should all be thankful that Obama was neither hardworking, or clever. Conversely, its good that he was lazy.

Imagine the damage he could have done had he been really focused, determined and hell bent to get results.

Fortunately he wasn’t. He was only interested in criticizing and belittling the country and the accomplishments of others.

Soros has found his perfect tools in the Biden/Harris administration

68 posted on 04/02/2021 7:45:38 AM PDT by COBOL2Java (Fauci is a despicable little creep)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: dsc

LOL - not me ;) I’m actually an expert on being stupid. One of the things I realized long ago is that the more a person becomes expert in one or 2 areas, the more they forget how to “not know”. They get frustrated dealing with areas where they have little or no knowledge and jump to conclusions without considering what they don’t know. This makes them appear stupid and even do stupid things.

I am acutely aware of what I don’t know in most areas and tend to do very thorough research when that area of knowledge or expertise encroaches on my otherwise placid life. Because of that I have a great deal of knowledge in many areas; not to the extent of “expert”, but enough to discuss them intelligently and ask good questions of experts when I encounter them. Then, people think I’m a ‘know-it-all’ but it’s actually the reverse. I’m just really good at “finding out”, i.e., an expert in knowing how to “not know”.

Average people are much more comfortable with not knowing and have no egotistical interest in projecting greater knowledge than they possess.

I strongly suspect that these universal laws were written by an expert in one or two areas who thinks that everyone who doesn’t know what he does must therefore be stupid. The person who sees stupidity everywhere is projecting.


69 posted on 04/02/2021 7:48:45 AM PDT by gspurlock (http://www.backyardfence.wordpress.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: redgolum

LOL. You’re right about that.

Stupid squared. ;)


70 posted on 04/02/2021 8:33:35 AM PDT by Starboard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]

To: ATOMIC_PUNK

Good post, bump and mark.


71 posted on 04/02/2021 9:13:51 AM PDT by BikerTrash
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gspurlock

I strongly suspect that these universal laws were written by an expert in one or two areas who thinks that everyone who doesn’t know what he does must therefore be stupid.


Note that the definition used has nothing to do with levels of knowledge at all.

Here, the term is defined by actions and their results.

Where this concept and yours intersect is fairly well summed up in several chapters of “Vision of the Annointed,” by Thomas Sowell.


72 posted on 04/02/2021 1:01:40 PM PDT by lepton ("It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into"--Jonathan Swift)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 69 | View Replies]

To: lepton

Thank you! I don’t have that book by T. Sowell yet. It’s now on my list.


73 posted on 04/02/2021 1:45:38 PM PDT by gspurlock (http://www.backyardfence.wordpress.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 72 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-73 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson