"Stupidity is far more dangerous than evil"

Romola

Can I just poke in my linguistic contribution on the word "stupidity".
The German word "Dummheit" in the context of the essay would seem to denote obstinacy rather than intellectual incompetence.
I suppose it comes to the same thing in that people get hooked into ideas, including evil ones, which reach their
emotions and override reason.

Thanks for adding an extra perspective Romola. The previous definition (*M0nica's*?) was:

A stupid person is someone who who has the intelligence and knowledge to do better but still acts supidly. It has nothing to do with level of education or IQ.

I think that could be on the way to a definition of obstinacy. The sort of views we are discussing are certainly often those held "obstinately" against evidence and outcome.

So we would now have something along the lines of "obstinate people are more dangerous than evil ones". I think I prefer that to "stupid" as it feels like a chosen act. I think we have to assume that with so many people ignoring facts and evidence, it is a deliberate choice for those people. Many, once a movement driven by this "obstinate" view, will just get swept up by fear and chaos though.

Romola that makes sense

Can I just poke in my linguistic contribution on the word "stupidity".
The German word "Dummheit" in the context of the essay would seem to denote obstinacy rather than intellectual incompetence.
I suppose it comes to the same thing in that people get hooked into ideas, including evil ones, which reach their
emotions and override reason.

it it's

ExaltedWombat

Didn’t take long for us to get from innumeracy to Nazi, did it!

I just recounted this to my partner. They completely missed the mathematical point. Yes, The Orange One is a liar. But this is a poor example.

No, that isn’t how percentages work. But we know exactly what he meant. And (assuming prices WILL be drastically reduced) there’s not really any attempt at deception. And reducing medicine prices is not an evil aim, even if we feel a proper health system would be a better one.

He is saying it happened ExaltedWombat but it hasn't abd slowly Americans are waking up to who he really is.

Farage worships Trump and wants to work with him. People in this country are listening to Farage who is following Trumps political style. Farage wants to be our PM.
Are the UK voters of Reform stupid, evil or Stupid Evil?

Didn’t take long for us to get from innumeracy to Nazi, did it!

I just recounted this to my partner. They completely missed the mathematical point. Yes, The Orange One is a liar. But this is a poor example.

No, that isn’t how percentages work. But we know exactly what he meant. And (assuming prices WILL be drastically reduced) there’s not really any attempt at deception. And reducing medicine prices is not an evil aim, even if we feel a proper health system would be a better one.

Obfuscation is what Queen Elizabeth 1st used to keep control of her Court and the plotters, spaghetti talk to confuse. It's part of narcissists and Trumps DNA

David

70 to 85 million deaths estimated for WW2.
.

Caleo Some people can be taught how to make wise decisions and judgements, but not all.

I think all of us know people who are so convinced that they know it all, they will ignore all attempts to change them.

i worked for a big company that helped countries and cities in non-gas using countries to install gas distribution systems. This meant every level of engineer was sent out to these countries from gas fitters to Technical managers. All were throughly briefed about the country, its customs, how it worked etc - and there was never a problem with trades staff, but one technical manager, fully briefed, heard nothing that was said to him and nearly caused an international incident. I can remember one of the UK managers, ageeing we should never have appointed him, bu they needed his specific skills and then saying that we could have briefed him 24/7 for a month and he would not have heard a word we said because he was convinced he knew it all, without having to listen to anyone else telling him what to do.

Stupidity is far more dangerous than evil.

And unfortunately much more common place!

The criteria for evil used to be taught through the medium of religion; not very effectively as religions often teach nothing but dogma, even today. Unfortunately the message of Jesus and has been weakened by dogmatic religious instruction.

People CAN be educated to make wise decisions and judgements.

Social-Emotional Learning is often (and internationally ) seen as part of core education — not “soft extras”: Recent European policy discussions view social‑emotional competencies as essential as academic ones, arguing that schools should aim to foster empathy, resilience and social skills alongside maths and science. ( credit ChatGPT)

Stupidity about social and emotional matters can be remedied by education at school, and empathy often is being effectively taught . Teacher -education lags behind somewhat but there are robust hopes it will catch up to match educational need.

Granny gravy, I actually think Rachel Reeves believed she was right in tackling child poverty and overall I agreed with most of the budget, given they refused to stick a penny or two on tax - I'm not stupid 🤔
Stupid imho was believing the liars who said Brexit would be good for the country.

Andrew MB-W's personality is tangential to the question of how stupidity relates to evil. A MB -W is one person whose stupidity caused evil. For evidence we need far more than one person.

Caleo I agree (you expressed it clearly, were I failed)

M0nica

Whitewavemark2

M0nica

GrannyGravy13

I do not like the collective term stupid people

The most well educated, high IQ people can and do say and do stupid things in their lifetimes.

(I also strongly disagree with parents or educators calling children/teenagers stupid! Their actions/words on occasions can be called stupid but not them)

A stupid person is someone who who has the intelligence and knowledge to do better but still acts supidly. It has nothing to do with level of education or IQ.

The classic example is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who is an exceptionally stupid man.

He isn’t very bright either

I did say exceptionally stupid

And he did have teams of advisors and family members, who had far more intelligence and wisdom than him who tried to advise and guide him, but whom he always chose to ignore.

We often call things “stupid,” but it can mean two very different things:

1. A stupid action – “That was a stupid mistake.”

Here we’re talking about the thing someone did, not the person.

Everyone makes these mistakes now and then.

2. A stupid person – “You’re stupid.”

This attacks the person, not the action.

Usually unfair and not helpful.

Most “stupidity” is just a momentary slip, not a fixed trait.
Focusing on the action, not the person, keeps things kinder and clearer.

First----define 'stupidity'

Next- define 'evil'.

What are the criteria for evil? Not everybody judges according to the same criteria.

Whitewavemark2

M0nica

GrannyGravy13

I do not like the collective term stupid people

The most well educated, high IQ people can and do say and do stupid things in their lifetimes.

(I also strongly disagree with parents or educators calling children/teenagers stupid! Their actions/words on occasions can be called stupid but not them)

A stupid person is someone who who has the intelligence and knowledge to do better but still acts supidly. It has nothing to do with level of education or IQ.

The classic example is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who is an exceptionally stupid man.

He isn’t very bright either

I did say exceptionally stupid

And he did have teams of advisors and family members, who had far more intelligence and wisdom than him who tried to advise and guide him, but whom he always chose to ignore.

GrannyGravy13

Whitewavemark2 sorry I left something out.

If my memory serves me right, he had family members in the camp and if he had not done as instructed they would have all been killed.

Yes coercion is often the key to this, but without the “permission” of a large part of the population these atrocities couldn't happen.

Mind you if my family was threatened …………….

M0nica

GrannyGravy13

I do not like the collective term stupid people

The most well educated, high IQ people can and do say and do stupid things in their lifetimes.

(I also strongly disagree with parents or educators calling children/teenagers stupid! Their actions/words on occasions can be called stupid but not them)

A stupid person is someone who who has the intelligence and knowledge to do better but still acts supidly. It has nothing to do with level of education or IQ.

The classic example is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who is an exceptionally stupid man.

He isn’t very bright either

Whitewavemark2 sorry I left something out.

If my memory serves me right, he had family members in the camp and if he had not done as instructed they would have all been killed.

GrannyGravy13

I do not like the collective term stupid people

The most well educated, high IQ people can and do say and do stupid things in their lifetimes.

(I also strongly disagree with parents or educators calling children/teenagers stupid! Their actions/words on occasions can be called stupid but not them)

A stupid person is someone who who has the intelligence and knowledge to do better but still acts supidly. It has nothing to do with level of education or IQ.

The classic example is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who is an exceptionally stupid man.

It is the word Bonhoeffer used however, Whitewave and "GrannyGravy13". I'm putting it in quotes to show it's a quote not a word we would chose now. We can't and shouldn't rewrite history and. Bonhoeff's words are part of history but quotes are a way to show we would say it that way now.

I agree Whitewavemark2 I have read a book and seen an interview with the child/ren of a man who worked as an electrician in Auschwitz.

He was integral to keeping the gas chambers operational. He abhorred what he had to do, he never got over it. What got him through was that he could be a witness to the horrors when the perpetrators were hopefully brought to justice.

He spread the words ^ ever again^