Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity

YouTube ^ | October 15, 2021 | Sprouts

[SunkenCiv]

Dietrich Bonhoeffer argued that stupid people are more dangerous than evil ones. This is because while we can protest against or fight evil people, against stupid ones we are defenseless — reasons fall on dead ears. Bonhoeffer's famous text, which we slightly edited for this video, serves any free society as a warning of what can happen when certain people gain too much power.

CHAPTERS
0:00 The Darkest Chapter
0:55 Letters from prison
4:29 About Bonhoeffer
5:19 Our Patrons
5:28 Subscribe and support

Script based on the work of Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Editor: Jonas Koblin
Artist: Pascal Gaggelli
Voice: Matt Abbott
Coloring: Nalin
Editing: Peera Lertsukittipongsa
Production: Selina Bador
Production Assistant: Bianka
Proofreading: Susan

Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity
Sprouts | 1.32M subscribers
2,666,989 views | October 15, 2021

[SunkenCiv]

The rest of the bonhoeffer keyword, sorted:

• How Eric Metaxas went from Trump despiser to true believer [01/03/2021]
• A Sermon on The Song of MARY: "My Spirit Rejoices" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer [12/08/2017]
• bonhoeffer on what a christian under the cross can offer that a secular therapist cannot [09/11/2014]
• Was Dietrich Bonhoeffer gay? A new biography raises questions [07/07/2014]
• Video - "Dietrich Bonhoeffer on Truth & Lying," [10/27/2013]
• Bonhoeffer, the little-heralded hero [04/09/2013]
• Bonhoeffer's Birthday -- The Relevance of Costly Grace [02/06/2013]
• Benghazi Investigator Slams America and 'Islamophobes' [11/02/2012]
• Author: Obama's Contraception Mandate Like Pre-Holocaust Germany (vid) [02/07/2012]
• No pious baloney [Eric Metaxas' attack on 'phony religiosity' at the National Prayer Breakfast] [02/04/2012]
• Bonhoeffer on America [12/11/2011]
• BEING HUMAN IN AN AGE OF UNBELIEF (Must-Read Speech by Abp Chaput!) [11/08/2011]
• Metaxas Presents Bonhoeffer Uncensored [09/06/2011]
• If we lose the battle [Dietrich Bonhoeffer on living in totalitarian times] [07/09/2010]
• New Bio of Executed WWII Pastor/Spy Reveals U.S. Influence (Bonhoeffer) [04/10/2010]
• A Marriage in Full [marital advice from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and from the Book of Ruth] [11/03/2009]
• Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer [06/22/2009]
• Hitler and Christianity [01/17/2009]
• Why German Christians Elected and Supported Hitler [11/13/2008]
• Denver archbishop slams Pelosi on Church teachings and abortion [08/25/2008]
• Hillary, Bonhoeffer, and the Meaning of Truth [12/20/2007]
• A Hitler dilemma (Dietrich Bonhoeffer - Is it right for Christians to kill?) [04/18/2006]
• Bonhoeffer (Documentary on PBS MONDAY Feb6) [02/05/2006]
• Bonhoeffer's Message: No Compromise With Evil (100th Anniversay of His Birth) [02/04/2006]
• A question on Bonhoeffer's religion [09/18/2003]

[SunkenCiv]

...

[SunkenCiv]

I think I’ve got both keywords identical.

https://freerepublic.com/tag/dietrichbonhoeffer/index

[Secret Agent Man]

He is correct.

Also stupid people can at the same time, be evil.

Think of a crazy Karen, being filmed while screaming at you for something, then just falling down and screaming that you are beating her. She knows shes being filmed by you 5 feet away, yet... stupid AND evil.

Stupid is dangerous because they are unpredictable. Not always know when or how the stupid is going to negatively affect others.

[Zhang Fei]

Thanks for the ping. The unfortunate truth is that many of the bad things that occur are the result of stupidity rather than outright malice.

[Big Red Badger]

Interesting,
I stumbled on this earlier today.

[SaveFerris]

You could have just put:

“Faithful viewers of MSNBC and CNN”

or:

“Reads The New York Times - Loves Huffington Post”

[Robert DeLong]

An outstanding video. 🙂

[alternatives?]

I think Moltke said you could separate generals into two characteristics: lazy/hardworking and smart/stupid. He said it was easy to manage three of the types, the only one being a problem was the stupid, hardworking ones.

[drSteve78]

Stupidity and Ignorance are contagious.

[spel_grammer_an_punct_polise]

I have always said that there are people who are more dangerous than people who do not know what they are doing. Those are people who THINK that they know what they are doing, but do not.

[alexander_busek]

In 1933, while overseeing the writing of Truppenführung, the manual for leading combined arms formations, Hammerstein-Equord made one of the most historically prescient observations on leadership. He classified them in a way only he could:

“I divide my officers into four groups. There are clever, diligent, stupid, and lazy officers. Usually two characteristics are combined. Some are clever and diligent — their place is the General Staff. The next lot are stupid and lazy — they make up 90% of every army and are suited to routine duties. Anyone who is both clever and lazy is qualified for the highest leadership duties, because he possesses the intellectual clarity and the composure necessary for difficult decisions. One must beware of anyone who is stupid and diligent — he must not be entrusted with any responsibility because he will always cause only mischief.”

Regards,

[alexander_busek]

The unfortunate truth is that many of the bad things that occur are the result of stupidity rather than outright malice.

Hanlon's razor is a principle or rule of thumb that states "never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."

Regards,

[Openurmind]

Thank you, I greatly appreciate Bonhoeffer.

[sauropod]

I agree with him.

[Ponyexpress9790]

I would add to that “ when it comes to Democrats, never attribute to stupidity that which is adequately explained by malice. “ Regards,

[mewzilla]

Deep State hires the stupid.

But the people calling the shots are evil.

Deep State is paranoid, not stupid.

[Openurmind]

I guess this could also be simply worded as “You can’t fix stupid”...

[alternatives?]

Thanks.

I had read or heard a general summary by somebody down the line. It can be difficult to figure out who made the observation the first.

I remember something Merkel attributed to her dad “Be more than you appear to be.” I had remembered reading it being attributed to someone much older.

[curious7]

Those displaying the Dunning-Kruger effect.