Where are all these "stupid people" that supposedly exist?

[RedDeadFred]

There are genuinely stupid people in this world but I don't think there are actually that many. However, there are tons of ignorant people.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

I don't believe there are huge number of stupid people, rather there are many people who feel insecure about their own intelligence or uniqueness in the world and so dismiss others as stupid with the implication that they themselves aren't, that they're better than the average person. This is particularly common in politics where often the other side is always the side of ignorance who haven't seen the light yet.

This. 100% this.

Everyone makes stupid mistakes.

Maybe you remember the time a customer asked a stupid question and you mocked to try and make yourself feel superior them but one time that customer was you. You asked a question and i PROMISE. PROMISE. You. That at least one time that question was obvious but you needed help and you wanted to ask to save time. And the retail assistant sneered in his/her head and thought "What a fucking braindead moron" and laughed at you and thought "What a pathetic lesser human being, that person is a stupid person. They are stupid. And i am superior because of this single event". That person was an asshole. Im just gonna follow basic logic and say youre being an asshole too if you do this to someone else.

Sometimes we all say stupid things. You remember stupid things other people have said and gleefully post them here on the internet to derride them as a people chanting "WE ARE THE SMART ONES THEY ARE STUPID WE ARE THE SMART ONES THEY ARE STUPID" in some sort of horrific circle jerk. I bet they do it to. Or maybe. One of them was nice and thought "We all do stupid things sometimes, its not fair to label someone as a stupid person because they had an issue that to you is obvious". Is it so much to ask to be that person?

Id say "Stupid people" as in people who are habitually stupid compose about 2-5% of the population. And thats me being mean. All the customers who i talk to at work and ask "stupid" questions are just uninformed about something i AM informed about because i work there. Maybe they just had a tiring day and missed an obvious sign. Maybe they just had a brain fart. It happens. And im not going to pretend to be superior because of it.

 

[omicron1]

Stupid (and Ignorant, for that matter) generally mean "Disagrees with me." The perception that others are stupid generally stems from an internal sense of superiority, whether of intelligence or of knowledge, quite similar to the moral superiority granted to most believers in any faith. This is more common in the modern era due to the prevalence of scientific laws, and extends even to subjects of limited or no certainty.

The funny thing about bell curve distribution is, generally people are pretty intelligent. The real "stupid" people (and the real geniuses) are few and far between, and it's very inaccurate to say something along the lines of "Half of the world is stupid."

 

[Lopende Paddo]

all the stupid people are busy getting into discussions about (A) is better than (1) on youtube...

 

[Risingblade]

There's a difference between people who are stupid and people who we think are stupid.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

Also I don't want to come across as pretentious, but I consider myself to be well educated; I did well in school, and I'm constantly challenging myself to learn new things. I'm always wanting to better myself. So I do look down on people of 'average' intelligence, because they seem content with not bettering themselves; which is something I could never do.

Im gonna be a bad person and double post. Sue me.

I used to think like this. I used to wake up every morning, make toast and sit down to watch some news/tv before i went to school. The garbage man came to take the trash away and i thought "I cant believe he can be happy with his life, i want to be a neurosurgeon, i want to better myself and hes just... a garbage man... i must be better than him. He comes in and does this every day for like 5 years? What a static life. I couldnt do it".

By total accident one day i left slightly earlier and walked past him. For no reason at all i just said "Good morning, its a nice day today isnt it?" and smiled. He looked at me like i had two heads. I dont imagine a single person in the last year had ever even bothered to look at him. After a few seconds he smiled back waved and said "Hi there mate, it is isnt it?" before cheerfully going back to work with a smile on his face. I think that the superior attitude is destructive to be honest. Maybe his idea of bettering himself is being closer to his wife. Or raising his kid better. To give his kid something in life maybe he didnt get the chance to do himself.

I cant possibly look down on someone has humble as the garbage man. I just couldnt do it. Without him society wouldnt function. Not everyone can be a neurosurgeon. And we shouldnt hold it against others because they cant be neurosurgeons. Bettering yourself works on more levels than intellectually and maybe thats how the garbage man was content with staying a lowly garbage man. It feels to presumptuous to guess at who does and doesnt work to improve themselves or other peoples lives from a simple glance at status and job.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

There's no red flashing light above someone's head that says "stupid." You've probably met a lot of people at parties or what have you that seemed pretty laid back and down to earth who you would find offensively stupid if you actually sat down and got to know them. Also, another thing about people is they're non confrontational and they play to the social scenario around them. There have been so many people I've thought were pretty down to earth and then found myself losing all respect for them after adding them on facebook.

Also stupid is completely subject to interpretation and different people have various levels of knowledge about different things. I'm not going to be one of those people who claims there's no such thing as stupid, because there definitely most certainly is, but if someone is able to recognize where their intellectual shortcomings are and either work to improve them or at very least be modest about them, then it's not really a problem, is it? I'm sure we've all had moments when we or a friend have said legitimately something dumb and everyone was just able to laugh it off. It's when someone vindictively argues something that's either wrong or personally disagreeable that it becomes abrasive.

Also when you ***** about "stupid people" you do not instantly become an intellectual Valkyrie donned in stupid proof armor. Let's just say I've seen irony in the accusation a lot. Now excuse me while I further rot my stupid brain with more halo.

 

[Paradoxrifts]

Stupidity is often enough confused with differences in opinion.

I mean, how can you not support free health care? Are you stupid?
/quote]

It's all about keeping rights and responsibilities in balance.

If socialised medicine is a right it must be paired with the responsibility to practice basic preventive care. A minimum amount of daily exercise, keep your weight within an acceptable range agreed upon by your local GP and keep a firm grip on your intake of vices like cigarettes, alcohol or pretty much anything else that, when taken to excess, is harmful to both the individual and the health budget.

::Edit:: Fixed

 

[Nekron_X]

i agree with what most others have said in this thread, there's not really a lot of truly stupid people, just people who occasionally say things that make them seem stupid. the problem with this is that first impressions, despite what some may say, really DO matter. especially if it's the only time, or one of very few times, you meet someone. Now, i'm sure if you could actually get to know them then it wouldn't seem that,or maybe they are, but as i said there are very few truly stupid people.There ARE things that some people say that make me want to hit my head against the wall repeatedly though.This one girl i knew back when i was in HS...i know she's not stupid, or is at the very least very attentive and intelligent in the other classes i had with her, but in global history...it's the one thing i can't forget because i used to love history back then.it was just...it hurt my head for a little while. it went like this;

Teacher: So Columbus discovered the Americas, which is the Caribbean islands now in 1492, now-
Her: Wait...Columbus Discovered it in 1492?!
Teacher: yeah...like the old ryhme "1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue"
Her: ohhhh...i though we started counting with the years in the 1800's.
Teacher and Class: ...O.O
like i said...i know she's not really stupid but...this was sophomore year in HS and it just...bugged me.

Another was when i was at work. i work as a part-time dishwasher and i'd just stepped out of the bathroom. There was a man waiting to use it and asked me who i was, since it was only him and his group currently in the restaurant. here's how it went.

Man: hey, i didn't see you come in with us, who are you?
Me: i'm the dishwasher here.
Man: but...you can't be!
Me:...why?
Man:Those who work in a restaurant that don't cook aren't people!
Me:.....

Now,i'm sure any other time this man is perfectly fine, and probably didn't mean to say it like that but still...it sounded stupid and it was just...ouch.

 

[LordLucan375]

Oh no, I've met plenty of idiots in my time. Like back when I was in school for example:
Teacher- "So students, as you can see, mixing a variety of ionic substances can yield many different results."
Derp- "Hey miss, what happens if you mix Sodium and Sodium?"
Teacher- "....You get more Sodium"

Or my personal favourite:
Teacher- "The Rapier, a long thin sword was very common during Shakespeare's time."
Derp- "Sir, *snickers* what would you call someone who uses a Rapier *snickers*."
Teacher- "A swordsman"
Derp- "Oh....."

 

[Waaghpowa]

When you work retail, sometimes it feels like the dumb people are the only ones you deal with.

 

[Keoul]

Just saying, I would of question that too, if only because I was taught in first grade that plants can't grow in Sand.

And you spent weeks learning about Sand Dunes? Jesus and here I am bitching about how board I am reading Virginia Woolf.

There's some vegetation on sand.
Also consider the following, we've learned in the past year stuff about erosion due to deforestation and all that jazz, environmental stuff.
So clearly by now you should know what vegetation means right?
And by weeks of sand dunes I mean we've spent weeks studying about coastlines, how they work, and how they're being destroyed. Sand dunes are related, it's just another segment of work spread throughout the week.

 

[imagremlin]

Rest assured, you are one of them according to somebody.

Every day, something someone does will be perceived as stupid by somebody else.

Most likely in different occasions it will be different people for different reasons, yesterday's stupid may be today's awesome guy and vice versa.

We just tend to remember the times we thought a group of people was stupid, hence the perception.

 

[ImBigBob]

I mean, how can you not support free health care? Are you stupid?

It's all about keeping rights and responsibilities in balance.

If socialised medicine is a right it must be paired with the responsibility to practice basic preventive care. A minimum amount of daily exercise, keep your weight within an acceptable range agreed upon by your local GP and keep a firm grip on your intake of vices like cigarettes, alcohol or pretty much anything else that, when taken to excess, is harmful to both the individual and the health budget.

Uh...I never said that.

 

[Strazdas]

Am I missing something with your first example? What's stupid about asking where the frozen garlic bread is? You are aware you can buy garlic bread in a packet that you keep in the freezer and cook from frozen, right? Or are you suggesting he's stupid because he doesn't know in what part of the freezer the bread is? Why is any of that stupid? Am I being dumb here?

Well he knows where the freezer is, so why is he asking where the frozen garlic bread is? Does he expect it to be in a place that isn't a freezer? Am I being stupid now? haha

i dont know what kind of soter you work for, but the stores i go shopping to has freezes the size of whole section. if you want one specific thing and you dont know where it is, you may search for as much as 30 minutes on your own. so asking to save time searching is not stupid. now if he does that every time he comes into the shop and faisl to remember where it is, then yes i see your point.

Maybe you remember the time a customer asked a stupid question and you mocked to try and make yourself feel superior them but one time that customer was you. You asked a question and i PROMISE. PROMISE. You. That at least one time that question was obvious but you needed help and you wanted to ask to save time. And the retail assistant sneered in his/her head and thought "What a fucking braindead moron" and laughed at you and thought "What a pathetic lesser human being, that person is a stupid person. They are stupid. And i am superior because of this single event". That person was an asshole. Im just gonna follow basic logic and say youre being an asshole too if you do this to someone else.

basically this:

 

[bl4ckh4wk64]

I think you're incredibly lucky. I've met a few completely pants on head retarded people, and I'm only 18. I think a large majority of them are out there, you just don't know it until you either talk with them or overhear them talking with other people.

 

[renegade7]

That one street with all the frat houses? At least at my school, most of the stupid comes from there, usually on Saturday at 4 30 in the morning. Why that one genius decided to smear food all over my dorm hall I will likely never understand....

 

[solemnwar]

People aren't necessarally stupid all the time.
But it tends to happen a lot when they walk through the front door of a fucking store.
Good god retail gives you a huge dose of almost uninterrupted stupid.
Too bad a university degree is becoming the new high school degree, I'm probably going to be stuck here for a while...

The amount of people who ask me where the coffee lids are.
Which are on either side of where the sugar and cream/milk/etc is kept.
WHICH THEY WERE JUST AT AND USING USE YOUR FUCKING EYES YOU USELESS SHITS ALKsdlfalsfjlsdf.

 

[Blow_Pop]

Working in two seperate amusement parks and as a waitress and a locksmith and camp counselor and mechanic and reciever and food prep and cashier and a cook(though all those were separate jobs of course except a cashier job that turned into food prep, recieving, and cook) I can honestly say that the general person coming into an amusement park(especially season pass holders) tend to quite literally leave their brains at the ticket booths. Examples: Big huge signs posted everywhere AND in the map they are holding reads "Don't touch or harass employees(ok technically monsters but point still)" what do they do? Touch, hit, kick, harass ALL employees(not just monsters) and act shocked when they get escorted out.
Another example: Stands in front of big bathroom/locker sign looking AT the sign "excuse me, where is the bathroom/locker?"
None of these I'm talking about from people who don't speak English as their first language. This is all people who are perfectly fluent in reading and speaking English.
So you tell me. Stupid or moronic? I refuse to believe wilful ignorance if they can read a tiny park map as opposed to a huge sig

Then of course the entitled asses that think the rules don't apply to them and just because they are so and so and belong to such and such they get special treatment to do whatever the fuck they want........

I don't think I've ever met a stupid person. I've met obnoxious people, pretentious people, vapid, cruel, angry and shallow people but not any stupid people.

And all of these people also frequent amusement parks. Or at least the ones here in Southern California. Though I think we breed a particular brand of stupid out here. Must be something in the water. Or it's the Hollywood influence(though honestly that's more entitlement and pretentious assholes than anything else).

 

[lacktheknack]

Maybe you remember the time a customer asked a stupid question and you mocked to try and make yourself feel superior them but one time that customer was you. You asked a question and i PROMISE. PROMISE. You. That at least one time that question was obvious but you needed help and you wanted to ask to save time. And the retail assistant sneered in his/her head and thought "What a fucking braindead moron" and laughed at you and thought "What a pathetic lesser human being, that person is a stupid person. They are stupid. And i am superior because of this single event". That person was an asshole. Im just gonna follow basic logic and say youre being an asshole too if you do this to someone else.

basically this:

And this is why I don't think people are dumb because they ask questions at my grocery store. Being discouraged from asking questions is how one DOESN'T learn.