What is stupidity?

[Radrook]

What really are the factors that constitute this phenomenon?
I find the following a distinctive characteristic of stupidity.
Any others?


1. Disinterest in anything but gossip and personalities.

[Doctor X]

You, boy, are STUPID! I cannot abide stupid! If you were merely IGNORANT, you could be taught!!

--Annonymous Teacher

Though some willfully avoid knowledge that would cure their ignorance--a stupid act indeed.

--J.D.

[Iacchus]

What is wisdom, if it can't stand alone?

[Dancing David]

A value judgement.

[Iacchus]

Is that your final answer?

[Z]

Stupidity is a poor ability to profit from experience.

I interpret this to mean that a stupid person is one who rejects evidence in favor of beliefs. It means a person who doesn't learn from a given situation; one who repeats mistakes, denies the wisdom of those more wise than themselves. A person unable to change his or her view point based on logic, reason, evidence, and fact.

Sadly, this means I tend to lump a LOT of the Faithful under the label 'stupid'... of course, it means I tend to lump MOST PEOPLE under this label.

Oh, yes, and someone who cannot think for themselves, i.e. consumers influenced by television, or idiots who sue fast-food restaurants because their children are pudgy bastards, or anyone taking homeopathy.

[Iacchus]

Originally posted by zaayrdragon

Oh, yes, and someone who cannot think for themselves, i.e. consumers influenced by television, or idiots who sue fast-food restaurants because their children are pudgy bastards, or anyone taking homeopathy. Sounds a bit judgmental here. You should be so lucky that it doesn't happen to you.

[Z]

Nah, it's pot and kettle time - I'm a pudgy bas....

Oh, wait... Ya know, that's a naughty word choice.

How about pudgy brat? Yep, that'd work just fine.

At any rate, stupid people here are those who swear, "But I didn't know that eating McDonalds five times a day would make dear little Wilbur a porker!!"

Apologies - the Bastard reference was completely uncalled for and out of place.

[Iacchus]

Actually I could care less.

[Max560]

Originally posted by Iacchus
Actually I could care less.

This implies that you care a little bit.

Now if you couldn't care less, that would imply that it is not possible for you to care less than you do.

Nitpick........er....

Nevermind

[Gestahl]

Originally posted by Radrook
What really are the factors that constitute this phenomenon?
I find the following a distinctive characteristic of stupidity.
Any others?

Kinda along the lines of zaaydragon, although this is a bit more succinct...

Stupidity is that quality of being incapable or grossly inept at change/growth.

I couldn't decide on the last word there. This covers most of zaay's criteria, I think. Unwavering belief, close-mindedness, and poor ability to consider helpful advice and repeat mistakes are all symptoms...

However, to give the most succinct answer that everyone would agree with:

"Someone is stupid when he/she cannot understand or agree with your point of view." I know I have never called someone stupid unless the above condition was true ;-).

[Iacchus]

Originally posted by Max560

This implies that you care a little bit.

Now if you couldn't care less, that would imply that it is not possible for you to care less than you do.

Nitpick........er....

Nevermind Hey you're right. :D Except that it seems like you would care more by adding the contraction which, doesn't sound right? But then again if I say, I care enough not to want to care, isn't that the same as I could care less? Hmm ... confusing. :D

[Iacchus]

Stupidity is relative by the way. Would you consider an earthworm stupid, relative to another earthworm let's say?

[Radrook]

Originally posted by Doctor X


Though some willfully avoid knowledge that would cure their ignorance--a stupid act indeed.

--J.D.


Anyone wilfully avoiding knowledge is stupid.
Joe wilfully avoided knowledge
Joe is stupid.

To be ignorant is to be stupid.
Joe is ignorant of how to torture.
Joe is stupid.

All acquisition of knowledge is a cure.
Joe acquired knowledge.
That was a cure.

A sinle stupid act proves a person is stupid.
Joe committed a single stupid act.
Joe is stupid.

All who disagree with me are stupid.
Joe disagreed with me.
Joe is stupid.



Needless to say all of the above are faulty within the context of the question that is asked.

Addtional one:
All who do not debate are afraid to debate.
Joe does not debate.
Joe is afraid to debate.

[Z]

Anyone wilfully avoiding knowledge is stupid.
Joe wilfully avoided knowledge
Joe is stupid.

Only this one is not faulty.

If you willfully avoid knowledge, you are stupid. I will assert that as a fact.

Those who are ignorant when it is not their fault cannot be faulted for their stupidity, but I would still claim them to be stupid. But perhaps a better qualifier would be that someone who is ignorant about a given subject, yet attempts to discuss said subject as if he/she were not ignorant, is stupid. Thus, if Joe is ignorant about torture, yet discusses torture as if he were not ignorant, then Joe is stupid.

No one said all acquisition of knowledge is a cure. There's no disease present to relate a cure to. If, however, you're referring to a cure from ignorance, or from stupidity, then yes, acquisition of knowledge is a cure for stupidity. Every piece of knowledge you gathers removes another blinder from your eyes. Let's qualify this further to change 'knowledge' to 'facts', since knowledge is too ambiguous a term, leaving it open to false knowledge (like the Bible).

A person committing a single stupid act is stupid nonetheless, yes, I agree there. Thus, I am stupid for bothering to argue with you brick walls.

I disagree that 'all who disagree with me are stupid'. Rather, I think the more reasonable statement is, 'all who disagree with me but are unable to defend their stance are stupid'. I fully allow that others may disagree with me; yet if they wish to state so, then they must be prepared to defend their stance. Confrontational, I know, but that's how I am, it seems.

As for the Debate one - well, if the shoe fits... :D

Rad, it's interesting that you use this very juvenile logical structure as your filter for logic. IN fact, most of the statements made in your silly so-called rebuttal were your own interpretations of what was being said here. But I'm not surprised - you've got your NIV filters on, so nothing real can reach you now.

[Iacchus]

Originally posted by Radrook

Anyone wilfully avoiding knowledge is stupid.
Joe wilfully avoided knowledge
Joe is stupid.Garbage in, garbage out. ;) And might I suggest we commit to memory only those things we understand? This is what we call discernment isn't it?

[Radrook]

Originally posted by zaayrdragon
[B]

[quote]Only this one is not faulty.

If you willfully avoid knowledge, you are stupid. I will assert that as a fact.

Now that is the mother of all senseless statements!
Too much Jerry Springer? LOL
Obviously some knowledge deserves avoidance because it is either useless or else harmful.


Or is it that you are unable to discriminate between the twain and assume everyone else should share your moribund mental conditon?



Those who are ignorant when it is not their fault cannot be faulted for their stupidity, but I would still claim them to be stupid. But perhaps a better qualifier would be that someone who is ignorant about a given subject, yet attempts to discuss said subject as if he/she were not ignorant, is stupid. Thus, if Joe is ignorant about torture, yet discusses torture as if he were not ignorant, then Joe is stupid.


Which places you sycophantically right smack dab in the middle of your own classification along with your wanabe intellectual buddyboy friend over there.


No one said all acquisition of knowledge is a cure. There's no disease present to relate a cure to. If, however, you're referring to a cure from ignorance, or from stupidity, then yes, acquisition of knowledge is a cure for stupidity.

It is bestial stupiidity to engorge your mind with drivel.
But you admit that's your modus operandi.
No wonder you fail to make any sense.

You have none! LOL

Then you wonder Alfred E. Newmnan like why people evadediscussing anything of importance with you.



Every piece of knowledge you gathers removes another blinder from your eyes. Let's qualify this further to change 'knowledge' to 'facts', since knowledge is too ambiguous a term, leaving it open to false knowledge (like the Bible).

Coming from a self-addmited pig and monkey descendant your aversion to the Word of God is understadable. Obviously the Bible was meant for--ummm descebdants of Adam. A descenbt that you vehemently deny!


A person committing a single stupid act is stupid nonetheless, yes, I agree there. Thus, I am stupid for bothering to argue with you brick walls.

I think you meant balls.





I disagree that 'all who disagree with me are stupid'. Rather, I think the more reasonable statement is, 'all who disagree with me but are unable to defend their stance are stupid'. I fully allow that others may disagree with me; yet if they wish to state so, then they must be prepared to defend their stance. Confrontational, I know, but that's how I am, it seems.

Who would want to give your inanities the time of day?
A chimp?


As for the Debate one - well, if the shoe fits... :D

I wear sandals.



Rad, it's interesting that you use this very juvenile logical structure as your filter for logic. IN fact, most of the statements made in your silly so-called rebuttal were your own interpretations of what was being said here. But I'm not surprised - you've got your NIV filters on, so nothing real can reach you now.

Too deep fer you?
Try a hanky to staunch the nosebleed.

[Bikewer]

Of interest: the NPR show To The Best of Our Knowledge today had a segment on this very subject. You can listen to the segment on streaming audio at:

http://www.wpr.org/book/

[Z]

Rad, that post explains SOOO much about you...

So you claim that some knowledge is useless (depends on the situation, I'd say, and better to be prepared in any case) or harmful (yeah, right, show me ONE piece of knowledge that's really harmful. No, really. I mean it.)

Well, then, you are willfully ignorant and therefore stupid.

What I have is the ability to recognize potentially hazardous knowledge, and know what to do with said knowledge (probably why I still carry top-secret clearance even though I've been free of the Military for two years).

As to the rest of your drivel... Well, since you choose to be ignorant, further discussion with you is irrelevant.

I wonder... if what I say means so little to you, why do you still continue to vehemently attack my commentaries?

Curious.

BTW

I'm proud to be a descendant of the single-celled organisms, microbes, fish, amoeba, pigs, monkeys, and every other critter in our past - I'm proud to be part of the Earth, not seperate from it.

You are welcome to your fairy-tale ancestor, Rad. Much good it will do ya

:D