Liberal Forum

Key Takeaways

• When we know something or someone is evil, we can take steps to fight it. With stupidity, it is much more difficult.
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer argues that stupidity is worse than evil because stupidity can be manipulated and used by evil.
• He also argues that stupidity tends to go hand-in-hand with acquiring power — that is, being in power means we surrender our individual critical faculties.

Article: Of course, stupid people wont read this!     Share Bonhoeffer’s “theory of stupidity”: We have more to fear from stupid people than evil ones on Facebook Share Bonhoeffer’s “theory of stupidity”: We have more to fear from stupid people than evil ones on Twitter Share Bonhoeffer’s “theory of stupidity”: We have more to fear from stupid people than evil ones on LinkedIn There’s an internet adage that goes, “Debating an idiot is like trying to play chess with a pigeon — it knocks the pieces over, craps on the board, and flies back to its flock to claim victory.” It’s funny and astute. It’s also deeply, depressingly worrying. Although we’d never say so, we all have people in our lives we think of as a bit dim — not necessarily about everything, but certainly about some things.Most of the time, we laugh this off. After all, stupidity can be pretty funny. When my friend asked a group of us recently what Hitler’s last name was, we laughed. When my brother learned only last month that reindeer are real animals — well, that’s funny. https://bigthink.com/thinking/bonhoeffe ... ket-newtab
 
 

nuckinfutz » 04 Feb 2023, 4:24 pm » wrote: ↑

04 Feb 2023, 4:24 pm

Key Takeaways

• When we know something or someone is evil, we can take steps to fight it. With stupidity, it is much more difficult.
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer argues that stupidity is worse than evil because stupidity can be manipulated and used by evil.
• He also argues that stupidity tends to go hand-in-hand with acquiring power — that is, being in power means we surrender our individual critical faculties.

Article: Of course, stupid people wont read this!

The only thing I want to read is that we are INVESTIGATING everything regarding Biden and his administration. Don't stop till Nov 2024. INVESTIGATE PIZZAGATE..AFGHAN u.s. KILLINGs..RUSSIAN COLLUSION (Hillary)..
Ukraine and Biden...China and Biden..INVESTIGATE antifa...BIG LIPS MATTER terrorist org....and the *** of the alphabet.
 
 

Stupid people being allowed to vote is a problem.

More!The enemy withinIn comic books and action movies, we know who the villain is. They wear dark clothes, kill on a whim, and cackle madly at their diabolical scheme. In life, too, we have obvious villains — the dictators who violate human rights or serial killers and violent criminals. As evil as these people are, they are not the biggest threat, since they are known. Once something is a known evil, the good of the world can rally to defend and fight against it. As Bonhoeffer puts it, “One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force. Evil always carries within itself the germ of its own subversion.”Stupidity, though, is a different problem altogether. We cannot so easily fight stupidity for two reasons. First, we are collectively much more tolerant of it. Unlike evil, stupidity is not a vice most of us take seriously. We do not lambast others for ignorance. We do not scream down people for not knowing things. Second, the stupid person is a slippery opponent. They will not be beaten by debate or open to reason. What’s more, when the stupid person has their back against the wall — when they’re confronted with facts that cannot be refuted — they snap and lash out. Bonhoeffer puts it like this:“Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply need not be believed — in such moments the stupid person even becomes critical — and when facts are irrefutable, they are just pushed aside as inconsequential, as incidental. In all this the stupid person, in contrast to the malicious one, is utterly self-satisfied and, being easily irritated, becomes dangerous by going on the attack.”With great power comes great stupidityStupidity, like evil, is no threat as long as it hasn’t got power. We laugh at things when they are harmless — such as my brother’s ignorance of reindeer. This won’t cause me any pain. Therefore it’s funny.The problem with stupidity, though, is that it often goes hand-in-hand with power. Bonhoeffer writes, “Upon closer observation, it becomes apparent that every strong upsurge of power in the public sphere, be it of a political or of a religious nature, infects a large part of humankind with stupidity.”                                  This works in two ways. The first is that stupidity does not disbar you from holding office or authority. History and politics are swimming with examples of when the stupid have risen to the top (and where the smart are excluded or killed). Second, the nature of power requires that people surrender certain faculties necessary for intelligent thought — faculties like independence, critical thinking, and reflection.Bonhoeffer’s argument is that the more someone becomes part of the establishment, the less an individual they become. A charismatic, exciting outsider, bursting with intelligence and sensible policies, becomes imbecilic the moment he takes office. It’s as if, “slogans, catchwords and the like… have taken possession of him. He is under a spell, blinded, misused, and abused in his very being.”Power turns people into automatons. Intelligent, critical thinkers now have a script to read. They’ll engage their smiles rather than their brains. When people join a political party, it seems like most choose to follow suit rather than think things through. Power drains the intelligence from a person, leaving them akin to an animated mannequin.
 

Theory of stupidity

Bonhoeffer’s argument, then, is that stupidity should be viewed as worse than evil. Stupidity has far greater potential to damage our lives. More harm is done by one powerful idiot than a gang of Machiavellian schemers. We know when there’s evil, and we can deny it power. With the corrupt, oppressive, and sadistic, we know where we stand. You know how to take a stand.

But stupidity is much harder to weed out. That’s why it’s a dangerous weapon: Because evil people find it hard to take power, they need stupid people to do their work. Like sheep in a field, a stupid person can be guided, steered, and manipulated to do any number of things. Evil is a puppet master, and it loves nothing so much as the mindless puppets who enable it — be they in the general public or inside the corridors of power.

The lesson from Bonhoeffer is to laugh at those daft, silly moments when in close company. But, we should get angry and scared when stupidity takes reign.

Jonny Thomson teaches philosophy in Oxford. He runs a popular account called Mini Philosophy and his first book is Mini Philosophy: A Small Book of Big Ideas.
Tags
critical thinking
Ethics
philoso

Selaphobia » 04 Feb 2023, 7:16 pm » wrote: ↑

04 Feb 2023, 7:16 pm

We have more to fear from the OP of this thread.

@nuckin futz  is STUPID

No, you are just too stupid to understand how stupid you really are!
And are failing at being an effective troll!      
 

I have long held this same sentiment. Evil can be bargained with. Stupid cannot. Evil can be trusted, predicted, directed. Stupid cannot. Evil will always act within its interests. Sort those out, you can predict what evil will do. Stupid will against against its own interests, whimsically.

I have always been willing to enter into a contract with a jewish fellow, even though I know he is a bigot against me and despises me and considers me proper slave material. But a protestant fellow who genuinely likes me? Not in this lifetime. They're too stupid. No way to predict when their suicidal martyrdom urge will take over.

I knew a chef - great guy - who started his own restaurant in a town just big enough to need a fine dining establishment and just small enough that it didn't have one. It was a goer. He was doing excellent business. Then his "friends" in his protestant congregation convinced him that he was "sinning" by serving spirits. Within six months, a competing shop opened up. Within a year, he was head chef for that establishment.

The three kinds of Christians I can tolerate are Orthodox, Mormons, and Lapsed.

Okay, Catholics, too, as far as business goes.
 

PRIME EXAMPLE: EVIL CONTROLLING STUPID
EXHIBIT A
THE LEFT-WING CRIME ORGANIZATIONS USE OF THEIR LIBERAL SHEEPLE  

nuckin futz » 04 Feb 2023, 4:24 pm » wrote: ↑

04 Feb 2023, 4:24 pm

Key Takeaways

• When we know something or someone is evil, we can take steps to fight it. With stupidity, it is much more difficult.
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer argues that stupidity is worse than evil because stupidity can be manipulated and used by evil.
• He also argues that stupidity tends to go hand-in-hand with acquiring power — that is, being in power means we surrender our individual critical faculties.

Article: Of course, stupid people wont read this!     Share Bonhoeffer’s “theory of stupidity”: We have more to fear from stupid people than evil ones on Facebook [url=https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=ht ... dity-Share Bonhoeffer’s “theory of stupidity”: We have more to fear from stupid people than evil ones on LinkedIn [/url]There’s an internet adage that goes, “Debating an idiot is like trying to play chess with a pigeon — it knocks the pieces over, craps on the board, and flies back to its flock to claim victory.” It’s funny and astute. It’s also deeply, depressingly worrying. Although we’d never say so, we all have people in our lives we think of as a bit dim — not necessarily about everything, but certainly about some things.Most of the time, we laugh this off. After all, stupidity can be pretty funny. When my friend asked a group of us recently what Hitler’s last name was, we laughed. When my brother learned only last month that reindeer are real animals — well, that’s funny. https://bigthink.com/thinking/bonhoeffe ... ket-newtab
 
 

Yes I edited your quote to fit my reply within the character limit.

Stupid LIVE is EVIL lived. Devil in the details to rule of law prohibiting honesty in any reality genders can discuss actual time evolving as never the same form shapod here now as spontaneously going forward within the moment here simultaneosuly present as the numbers change by the numbers currently here evolving like never before again.

inversion conversion balances what does change form never same shape twice among each arriving fertilized cell to exiting decomposed corpse. thermodynamics thingy.

stupid people cannot determine who is evil

nuckinfutz » 04 Feb 2023, 7:12 pm » wrote: ↑

04 Feb 2023, 7:12 pm

More!The enemy withinIn comic books and action movies, we know who the villain is. They wear dark clothes, kill on a whim, and cackle madly at their diabolical scheme. In life, too, we have obvious villains — the dictators who violate human rights or serial killers and violent criminals. As evil as these people are, they are not the biggest threat, since they are known. Once something is a known evil, the good of the world can rally to defend and fight against it. As Bonhoeffer puts it, “One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force. Evil always carries within itself the germ of its own subversion.”Stupidity, though, is a different problem altogether. We cannot so easily fight stupidity for two reasons. First, we are collectively much more tolerant of it. Unlike evil, stupidity is not a vice most of us take seriously. We do not lambast others for ignorance. We do not scream down people for not knowing things. Second, the stupid person is a slippery opponent. They will not be beaten by debate or open to reason. What’s more, when the stupid person has their back against the wall — when they’re confronted with facts that cannot be refuted — they snap and lash out. Bonhoeffer puts it like this:“Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply need not be believed — in such moments the stupid person even becomes critical — and when facts are irrefutable, they are just pushed aside as inconsequential, as incidental. In all this the stupid person, in contrast to the malicious one, is utterly self-satisfied and, being easily irritated, becomes dangerous by going on the attack.”With great power comes great stupidityStupidity, like evil, is no threat as long as it hasn’t got power. We laugh at things when they are harmless — such as my brother’s ignorance of reindeer. This won’t cause me any pain. Therefore it’s funny.The problem with stupidity, though, is that it often goes hand-in-hand with power. Bonhoeffer writes, “Upon closer observation, it becomes apparent that every strong upsurge of power in the public sphere, be it of a political or of a religious nature, infects a large part of humankind with stupidity.”                                  This works in two ways. The first is that stupidity does not disbar you from holding office or authority. History and politics are swimming with examples of when the stupid have risen to the top (and where the smart are excluded or killed). Second, the nature of power requires that people surrender certain faculties necessary for intelligent thought — faculties like independence, critical thinking, and reflection.Bonhoeffer’s argument is that the more someone becomes part of the establishment, the less an individual they become. A charismatic, exciting outsider, bursting with intelligence and sensible policies, becomes imbecilic the moment he takes office. It’s as if, “slogans, catchwords and the like… have taken possession of him. He is under a spell, blinded, misused, and abused in his very being.”Power turns people into automatons. Intelligent, critical thinkers now have a script to read. They’ll engage their smiles rather than their brains. When people join a political party, it seems like most choose to follow suit rather than think things through. Power drains the intelligence from a person, leaving them akin to an animated mannequin.

 You are not evil futz, you are good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WED9UNIdZbI
 

Mr.7 » 04 Feb 2023, 4:39 pm » wrote: ↑

04 Feb 2023, 4:39 pm

The only thing I want to read is that we are INVESTIGATING everything regarding Biden and his administration. Don't stop till Nov 2024. INVESTIGATE PIZZAGATE..AFGHAN u.s. KILLINGs..RUSSIAN COLLUSION (Hillary)..
Ukraine and Biden...China and Biden..INVESTIGATE antifa...BIG LIPS MATTER terrorist org....and the *** of the alphabet.

Funny how you rang in just to prove the ops point.  This is a stew of unfounded conspiracies.
 

ScottMon » 05 Feb 2023, 8:15 am » wrote: ↑

05 Feb 2023, 8:15 am

Funny how you rang in just to prove the ops point.  This is a stew of unfounded conspiracies.

so was everything democrats spewed out about Trump.

ScottMon » 05 Feb 2023, 8:15 am » wrote: ↑

05 Feb 2023, 8:15 am

Funny how you rang in just to prove the ops point.  This is a stew of unfounded conspiracies.
 

melting pot of organized deceptions about kinetic genetics self evidently living as eternally separated in real time displacement not relative time logistics.

ScottMon » 05 Feb 2023, 8:15 am » wrote: ↑

05 Feb 2023, 8:15 am

Funny how you rang in just to prove the ops point.  This is a stew of unfounded conspiracies.

Best you got Scotty? 
 

nuckinfutz » 04 Feb 2023, 4:24 pm » wrote: ↑

04 Feb 2023, 4:24 pm

Key Takeaways

• When we know something or someone is evil, we can take steps to fight it. With stupidity, it is much more difficult.
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer argues that stupidity is worse than evil because stupidity can be manipulated and used by evil.
•  

you are evil with your aids
 

he's right, at least on the highlighted points.

witness the last 40 or more elections!

We have more to fear from STUPID people......... but perhaps not for that much longer.

"In many countries Deaths are 20%+ higher than expected..."
https://simplescience.substack.com/p/fa ... -of-humans
Life insurance CEO says deaths are up 40% among people ages 18-64
All-cause mortality skyrockets in 2021 Data from Europe and the U.S. show
Dying unexpectedly – 29% more than usual in Scotland and 2,000 a week in England
Died Suddenly - the movie
Myocarditis numbers before COVID were 4 per million, post jab 25,000 per million
Embalmers Find Veins & Arteries Filled with long stretchy Rubbery Blood Clots
 

Mr.7 » 05 Feb 2023, 8:18 am » wrote: ↑

05 Feb 2023, 8:18 am

Best you got Scotty?

You're too stupid to argue with.  The op is correct.
 

ScottMon » 05 Feb 2023, 8:38 am » wrote: ↑

05 Feb 2023, 8:38 am

You're too stupid to argue with.  The op is correct.

No, I just don't argue with stupid people.