Why do people do stupid things?
Wednesday, May 24, 2017 at 05:23AM Hanlon's razor: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. Robert J. Hanlson
Law 3. A stupid person is a person who causes losses to another person or to a group of persons while himself deriving no gain and even possibly incurring losses. from The five universal rules of human stupidity by Corrine Purtill.
Cipolla Matrix
I'm not convinced one has to pose a hazard to others to commit an act that could be called stupid. Not wearing a seat belt, bungee jumping with a badly frayed cord, posting job-endangering photos to the Internet, or drinking from the toilet are all stupid acts as far as I am concerned, but none of them necessarily harm anyone other than the person himself.
But an element of harm seems to be at the heart of most stupid acts. So if a stupid acts are harmful, why do we still commit them? Why do all of us, even those who may behave intelligently and reasonably most of the time, do really stupid things now and again. And I very much include myself.
Is stupidity a quality that can only be discerned by others or not realized by oneself until after the stupid act has been committed, and is therefore unpreventable?
I've long worried that we confuse ignorance and stupidity. (See Seven stupid mistake teachers make with technology.) So any definition and explanation of stupidity is a welcome read. I personally define stupidity as having knowledge but not using it. Yes, I know the bungee cord is frayed and may break, but I'm going to do the jump anyway, sort of scenario.
Most of the stupid acts I commit are a result of over-confidence. My high opinion of myself when applies to fixing things like plumbing, electrical outlets, and furniture, despite knowing from past experiences that my repairing something costs more in time and money than if I had hired an expert in the first place, tops my list of stupid acts. (See The quick fix: a tale of woe) Not admitting to ignorance is reason stupid acts are made.
Anytime one defies the odds, they are acting stupidly. Any time one refuses to admit their ignorance or acts despite reliable information, they acting stupidly.
To be very clear, I would not label any person as stupid. But I am happy to call out actions, even beliefs, that seem stupid to me.
It's OK to be ignorant. Ignorance, happily, is a correctable condition. But let's all try to do stupid things as seldom as possible.
Why do you think people do stupid things?
Reader Comments (3)
It's like good days and bad days; you have to do stupid things once in a while so you can differentiate and appreciate. Las Vegas also makes me think that we are pleasure seeking, and sometims greedy beings, so we are quick to throw our judgment out the window for things we desire, right or wrong.
Nice post Doug.
Thanks for the perspective, Chad. I have a tough time imagining you doing anything very stupid!
I've always referred to state lotteries as the stupidity tax. I agree that greed may well be a cause.
Doug
Thanks for the perspective, Chad. I have a tough time imagining you doing anything very stupid!
I've always referred to state lotteries as the stupidity tax. I agree that greed may well be a cause.
Doug