Stupidity

The Basic Laws Of Human Stupidity by Carlo M. Cipolla

Stupidity is often defined in different and inconsistent ways, but it is important to have a basis for stupidity. Stupidity seems ubiquitous but is a subject that is seldom discussed seriously, but needs to be. Mess things up for everyone else without a benefit for themselves. Stupid people are consistently stupid which makes them problematic in many ways. Cipolla presented five rules of stupidity to give us a base line to deal with stupid people.

First, we all underestimate the number of stupid people in the world.

Secondly, it is important to remember that stupidity is independent of all other characteristics that the stupid person might have. This sometimes makes stupidity difficult to recognize.

Third, the issue with stupidity and stupid people is that they cause losses to others with no benefits to themselves According to Cipolla, a person who causes losses to others with a benefit to themselves is a bandit, a criminal.

Fourth, non-stupid people underestimate the danger of stupid people. Nowadays, this particular point is unfortunately becoming more and more obvious. It is becoming more and more necessary for non-stupid people to act against stupidity.

Fifth, stupid people are the most dangerous people on the planet. This is perhaps not so obvious as to why, but the reason is that stupid people have no beneficial place in a civil society. The cause havoc, create losses and add no benefit.

This is a short synopsis, but on a subject that truly needs study.