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The Terrifying Theory of Stupidity You Were Never Meant to Hear – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
youtube ^ | 27 May 2025 | Philosophy Coded

Posted on 05/28/2025 4:34:35 AM PDT by ShadowAce

What if stupidity isn’t about intelligence at all, but about surrendering the will to think? In this chilling and timely video essay, we explore Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s theory of stupidity — a terrifying insight into how smart, well-meaning people can become blind instruments of destruction. Drawing on Bonhoeffer’s life, the psychology of conformity, Milgram’s obedience experiments, social media echo chambers, and the rise of AI-driven misinformation, we reveal why stupidity isn't a lack of intellect — it's a surrender of critical thought.

👉 Why do intelligent people support dangerous ideas? 👉 How does groupthink override personal judgment? 👉 What does it take to remain intellectually independent in a world that rewards conformity?

From Past Germany to modern-day misinformation, this deep psychological breakdown blends philosophy, history, neuroscience, and media theory, with urgent insights for today.

🔍 Learn why Bonhoeffer warned that "Against stupidity, we are defenseless" — and what you can do to resist it


TOPICS: Conspiracy; Education; Miscellaneous; Society
KEYWORDS: anthonydaniels; bonhoeffer; conformity; dietrichbonhoeffer; drtheodoredalrymple; groupthink; herdmentality; intelligence; politicalcorrectness; stupidity; stupiditytruth; theodoredalrymple; thinking; thinkingtruth
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To: ShadowAce

p


21 posted on 05/28/2025 7:03:47 AM PDT by wintertime ( )
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To: ShadowAce

📌👀


22 posted on 05/28/2025 7:04:08 AM PDT by Varsity Flight ( "War by 🙏 thoe prophesies set before you." I Timothy 1:18. Nazarite warriors. 10.5.6.5 These Days)
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To: ShadowAce

What happened to all the baby booming hippies who celebrated nonconformity?

“Protest against the rising tide of conformity.” That was a gin ad IIRC they seized. A pouting Joan Baez and Bob Dylan posed beside the poster.


23 posted on 05/28/2025 7:15:39 AM PDT by mom.mom (...and our flag was still there.)
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To: mom.mom
"nonconformity" is, in itself, a form of conformity.

It was not encouraging people to think for themselves, but to have an emotional rejection of what was conformity/truth/tradition.

It was advertising to become stupid--to act without thinking "just because."

24 posted on 05/28/2025 7:18:43 AM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux - The Ultimate Windows Service Pack )
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To: silent majority rising

“”””The Nazis felt extremely justified in their treatment of Jews because of their religious belief that they were the ‘Master’ Race, given to them by God, and mandated to destroy the ‘evil’ they deemed Jews to be. The Arabs have no less fervor and justification for their barbarity against Jews, but have replaced the Christian concept of God with their own concept (Allah), and are justified in their minds.””””

Christianity’s version of God, master race, Christian concept of God, Allah, what kind of twisted view of God and Christianity do you have?


25 posted on 05/28/2025 7:57:56 AM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; BraveMan; cardinal4; ...
The rest of the Dietrich Bonhoeffer keywords, sorted:
Dr. Theodore Dalrymple, aka Anthony Daniels, selections:

26 posted on 05/28/2025 7:59:56 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (The moron troll Ted Holden believes that humans originated on Ganymede.)
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To: ShadowAce

Red pill 🚨

* Men vs State Sovereignty Certificate


27 posted on 05/28/2025 8:01:25 AM PDT by Varsity Flight ( "War by 🙏 thoe prophesies set before you." I Timothy 1:18. Nazarite warriors. 10.5.6.5 These Days)
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To: mom.mom

“”””What happened to all the baby booming hippies who celebrated nonconformity?
“Protest against the rising tide of conformity.” That was a gin ad IIRC they seized. A pouting Joan Baez and Bob Dylan posed beside the poster.””””

Boomers weren’t old enough to drink yet and the the ad was probably directed at the 60s generation that Joan Baez and Bob Dylan belonged to and that gave us the 60s (it wasn’t boomers).


28 posted on 05/28/2025 8:10:34 AM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: cgbg

I’d be curious to know those numbers/demographics in my state (GA).

Did you get that from a state source, or Federal that might have all states?


29 posted on 05/28/2025 8:15:08 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: glennaro
...otherwise intelligent, well-meaning people were taken in by the myriad fictions...

They showed they weren't intelligent nor well-meaning.

They didn't want to listen to anything other than the television and their echo chamber.

30 posted on 05/28/2025 8:15:52 AM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: RoosterRedux

It’s easier to share a meme that sounds good to you or signals your virtue than verify whether it is true.


31 posted on 05/28/2025 8:17:16 AM PDT by AppyPappy (If Hitler were alive today and criticized Trump, would he still be Hitler?)
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To: cgbg
In my state (CT) 97% of folks over age 65 took the jab.

The corrupt government told you that 97% of folks over age 65 took the jab.

I wouldn't believe anything they told you.

Just like television, mass media, movies, and government propaganda, they're in the business of convincing the population that 10% who agree with an agenda represent 90% of the population.

32 posted on 05/28/2025 8:20:04 AM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: mom.mom

The ad was from 1964.


33 posted on 05/28/2025 8:30:23 AM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: FreedomPoster

https://usafacts.org/visualizations/covid-vaccine-tracker-states/


34 posted on 05/28/2025 8:33:59 AM PDT by cgbg (It was not us. It was them--all along.)
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To: T.B. Yoits

Fair enough—but in our mostly conservative local area the numbers were probably over 90% for that group (based on word of mouth only) so the number is probably in the ballpark for the state.


35 posted on 05/28/2025 8:35:40 AM PDT by cgbg (It was not us. It was them--all along.)
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To: cgbg

Thanks. Wow, big difference between our states. More Republicans and more blacks distrustful of government, know about Tuskegee esperiments.


36 posted on 05/28/2025 8:55:37 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: cgbg

Not to undermine your observation but many of the elderly who took the shot were probably in nursing, convalescent or assisted living situations where they had no say in the matter. You have no rights there.


37 posted on 05/28/2025 9:17:32 AM PDT by Persevero (You cannot comply your way out of tyranny. )
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To: ShadowAce
What if stupidity isn’t about intelligence at all, but about surrendering the will to think? Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Indeed...

38 posted on 05/28/2025 9:25:50 AM PDT by GOPJ (What if stupidity isn’t about intelligence at all, but about surrendering the will to think?Bonhoeff)
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To: ansel12

My concept of God is none of your business. Not germane to the conversation.


39 posted on 05/28/2025 9:32:57 AM PDT by silent majority rising (When it is dark enough, men see the stars. Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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To: silent majority rising

Your twisted view of God and his Christian faith was the whole point of my post.


40 posted on 05/28/2025 9:35:36 AM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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