Stupidity: A Real Problem or Not?

But you are talking about ignorance, not about stupidity.

Technically speaking, if one is ignorant then they could also be considered somewhat stupid as well. As we are ignorant we tend to stupefy ourselves, don't we? I call it blind and stupid, Americas middle name.

I am ignorant of quantum mechanics. But would that make me stupid? If so, it would make a lot of people we consider pretty smart, stupid. How up are you on QM, by the way?

Heck, if someone asked me who won last year's SuperBowl, I couldn't tell them. I also couldn't say who is #1 on the pop chart. However, I do know how to help people naturally relieve their arthritis or lower their blood pressure. Apparently, less people care about the things that I do know and apparently care more about things that I know nothing about.

It's always rough for me when people don't see it my way, but I give them slack.

Rich

I agree, there's a lot to know. But there are basic things and common things as an America that Americans should know that most don't. Quantum Mechanics is a field of study, American is what we. So there are some fundamental differences here.

I'm sure ignorance is not limited to Americans but as a whole, I think Americans tend to place the burden upon our leaders and just sort of ride the wave hoping for a better tomorrow. That's what I call stupid. Instead of educating oneself or digging deeper into things or questioning things that need question, isn't a question of ignorance it's more stupidity than anything. America is sort of dumbed down on many fronts... Just take a look at our last president... now he was the ultimate poster boy for stupid Americans.

I have wondered about this very question many times, but I know of no solution.

As to the why, I think of it in terms of an evolutionary process. A society promotes what it values, and apparently unending capital growth is what US society values, or at least for those who "guide" US society. Capitalist growth depends on the exploitation of new frontiers (check out "Turner's Frontier Thesis.") If you can't find one, you create one by "bombing them back to the stone-age," or letting them devolve into a third world state, where labor and other resources are cheap and easily exploited. Those who guide society simply promote the things that benefit them and starve the things that don't. There's no money for education or social services, but plenty-o-money for war or corporate bailouts.

I think US society feels threatened, but seems unaware of the threat. Like many threatened societies religious fundamentalism grows, and jingoist tendencies crop up too.

But, I take solace in knowing that people of third world countries are resourceful, and that all the wisdom on earth came from simple people somewhere. So, guess I don't really think it's a problem.

Thank goodness not all Americans are the same as their leaders, same as any country really, UK too. As people we've all got alot to offer, alot of great things have come out of America, it is because it is so big that we see American business and corporates spread out through out the globe, such as McDonalds, but we have to remember that these things do not represent the people. Personally I believe that Bush was made president to serve a small group of people, (puppet on a string), and we must not forget that the average American are nice people and not stupid, I for one have gained alot from America.

Stupidity: Marked by a lack of intelligence or care; foolish or careless: a stupid mistake.
Ignorance: The condition of being uneducated, unaware, or uninformed.

In response to your statement, it is actually a bit of both. The reason for mankind's ignorance is due to a lack of interest or desire to find the truth. Most if not all of us are on this forum to talk with people that care enough to research, learn, and know. We are here because we want the opinions of people worth getting opinions from. Not the stupid people that walk around like drones in this world doing as they are told without wanting to know why they are doing it.

As for the original post, I have felt this way for many years if not most of my life. I look around and see people that don't know more than what directly affects their lives and even some that know very little about that. You gave a list of things that people don't know and it seems that your general post points to politics and history. Why point only to history of the last 300 to 400 years. I do see that you listed one bit of information about gravity and how the world moves in this galaxy. Most don't know that Paganism is one of the oldest know religions, older than any of the 5 major branches of Christianity (Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant) which I also feel the need to point out they all have different views on the same religion and "word of god" they bring hatred and chaos to this world all in the attempt to call themselves the correct path and people blindly follow. Most don't even know the bible has been rewritten at least 3 know times and had information added and removed to better suit mankind's needs. I am not diving into that issue any further because I don't feel the need to spend the next week debating religion but the point can be summed up as simple as witch-hunts. These hunts were caused by the teachings of the church. The Hebrew Bible condemns sorcery. Deuteronomy 18:11-12 calls it an "abomination" and Exodus 22:18 prescribes "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live", and tales like that of 1 Samuel 28, reporting how Saul "hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land" suggesting that in practice, sorcery could at least lead to exile.

Ignorance and Stupidity both lead to pain, suffering, and death. Wars are started and continued because of mans lack of desire to learn or know but also the immense desire to criticize, hate, kill, and hurt because of false information.

People walk the streets and a hurt, scolded and damned because a small group of people decided to run some jet airliners into some building. I have seen Indians hurt and scolded because they are Al-Qaeda as well as many others. What is wrong with this world and the people in it...?

People will blindly follow what TV and other media tells them and it is sick and it will someday destroy us all. I will cut this short but there are so many other events and issues that are caused by a lack of knowledge. Poisons in our food because no one cares enough to stop it, the idea that steroids are bad even though the government regulated medical websites as well as many others have stated that there are no know long term side effect to taking them? They are illegal because the sports industry doesn't want them in the open. Qi is considered fiction when there are tons of research on the subject and many, many, many experiments that prove the existence of Qi and so much more on the matter. Most people believe that our galaxy is the entire universe? Our galaxy is small enough to make up a star cloud in other galaxies. Like I said I can go on forever.

To answer your question again? yes this is an issue and I really wish man would open their eyes and see the world. So much is lost because people don't take the time to learn or study or even look.

I will end this note on one interesting bit of information.

In the museum of National University of Peru, there is a rock on which is engraved a human figure, which, after close examination, was engraved 30000 years ago. However, this human figure is wearing clothes, a hat and a pair of shoes, observing celestial bodies through a telescope in his hands. How could people of 30000 years ago possibly have woven cloth and worn clothes? The most inconceivable is that he is holding an astronomical telescope to observe celestial bodies, and that he has certain knowledge of astronomy as well. We have been of the opinion that Galileo, a European, invented the telescope, which has a history of only over 300 years up to now. But who was it who invented the telescope 30000 years ago?

In 1972, a French plant imported this uranium ore. To their great surprise, chemical examinations showed that this ore had already been extracted and utilized, therefore they sent people of science to the country to investigate, and scientists from many other countries went there, too. They confirmed, at last, that this uranium ore was in fact a large-scale nuclear reactor, which was so well laid out that it would be impossible even for modern people to produce it. Then when was it completed? It was two billion years ago that it was completed, and it had been in operation for about 500000 years.

Aside from your political preferences, which are irrelevant, there is still an important distinction between stupidity and ignorance, although it may be true that sometimes stupidity causes ignorance. So, let's not confuse them. There is enough confusion as it is.

If I might offer there is a big difference in stupidity and ignorance though anyone is welcome to offer what they think. IMO ignorance is truly "not knowing any better"; where stupidity is knowing better but doing stupid sh*t anyway. Why? Hmm? Maybe that's why they call it stupid? It has no rhyme or reason. It's just stupid and maybe it is just to GET attention. Hmmm?:perplexed:

William

The opening post struck me as weird. A problem with potentially universal aspects is connected with the american people, there are no examples of human stupidity given beyond the borders of the States. I often noticed a strange kind of humility with the americans, they are often too critical towards themselves, while I can assure you that here in Belgium, Europe stupidity and ignorance are clearly present too. But there's another side to this, we do have good schools etc., and this equilibrium wouldn't make me see stupidity as a problem. But why are americans seeing / experiencing it as such? There must be some kind of psychological profile behind his...

Ignorance is not wanting to know any better, not desiring to know any better which IMO is stupid. Ignorance is a stupid choice. It would seem that one has to be somewhat stupid to claim ignorance. Ignorance with today's resources and transparency is no excuse for stupidity. So it can be seen both ways.

I think you had better look up the word, "ignorance". That is not what it means. (I thought that might be the problem. You are ignorant of what the word "ignorance" means).

Ignorance is open to interpretation, just like anything else.

chooses to subjectively ignore information - This a choice which IMO is stupid.
Stupid - unwillingness to properly consider the relevant information
Ignorant - chooses to subjectively ignore information.

Wow, apples don't fall far from the tree do they. Birds of a feather flock together. The ignorant and stupid seem to have quite a relationship in context.

They are different words with different dictionary meanings but they are also very similar. Besides, they are only words to describe a state of mind and the state of mind is much the same.

Let me offer an example of the above statement. Ignorance is engaging in sexual intercourse when no knowledge is known about "fertility cycles" in women; Stupidity is engaging in sexual intercourse with a rubber in your pocket.

William

I think there is a perception that the "stupid" people are becoming more powerful. Some in the US feel that we are on the verge of something like the Nazi rise to power in Germany.

Or perhaps it is just narcissism.

LOL, sure, I agree. But with the Internet and dictionaries and the resources available today I'd have to say ignorance is in no way an excuse for stupidity. They are very closely related in a lot of ways. They can both be used as excuses for the other which is also very common of humans. One word to describe another.

I do understand what you all mean though and do admit to being stupid and ignorant at times myself. I think that's human nature and not limited to Americans but we do have quite the reputation of flaunting our stupidity in the world. LOL.

Ok, so back to the original post and the thread start, how do we change it? Is it a problem? Why? How?

It is a problem IMHO and I think it starts with Religious beliefs. Ignorant religious beliefs that lead to stupidity in action. God telling Bush to go to war could be an example. Same goes for God telling the Christians to slaughter the Muslims. These are examples of ignorance which make people stupid. There's plenty of examples and I'm sure it's not limited to Americans or American politics.

The only reason I drag religion and politics into this is because they are the two most ingnorantly stupid examples that I can think of... both of which cause fear and yes, America fears.

-> This thread certainly took off quickly. Way to go Khethil!

Thinking about the fascinating relation between religion and politics (or ideology) on the one hand and ignorance and stupidity on the other here. What comes first and which causes what? Thinking about the classic dystopias, 1984, Brave New World... As Lo?s Lane would say: what a story! ;-)

It makes no difference to me what word we use (stupid or ignorant). If we choose to use the word ignorance, I think we must realize that some of this is a forced ignorance. That takes some energy on the part of the ignoramus. Constant distractions, like action movies, beer, (not that I don't like the occasional brew), and "multi-media" devices help reinforce the ignorance. Of course, I live in Texas, and that's is my perspective. :bigsmile: