NationStates Jolt Archive

I've seen more threads detailing the stupidity of people in general in the last two days than I have in the past two months (or has it just finally caught up with me and sunk in).

Let's see - mom decides to pray over diabetic daughter rather than take her to a doctor: mom flees with son who has cancer rather than make him have court-ordered chemotherapy: school decides that a middle school age girl can't make a power-point presentation in class because it's about a gay political figure - and how many more?

How much has stupidity cost the world in lives, sanity, health, money and freedom?

How many avoidable problems have been cause by stupidity?

How many wars ... ?

There is no cure for stupidity.

Stupidity is hereditary.

Stupidity is contagious.

Stupidity seems to be endemic.

I think I may have finally given up hope for humanity.

Come on NS, help me get my hope back.

(Yeah, I know, get a blog)

I've seen more threads detailing the stupidity of people in general in the last two days than I have in the past two months (or has it just finally caught up with me and sunk in).

Let's see - mom decides to pray over diabetic daughter rather than take her to a doctor: mom flees with son who has cancer rather than make him have court-ordered chemotherapy: school decides that a middle school age girl can't make a power-point presentation in class because it's about a gay political figure - and how many more?

How much has stupidity cost the world in lives, sanity, health, money and freedom?

How many avoidable problems have been cause by stupidity?

How many wars ... ?

There is no cure for stupidity.

Stupidity is hereditary.

Stupidity is contagious.

Stupidity seems to be endemic.

I think I may have finally given up hope for humanity.

Come on NS, help me get my hope back.

(Yeah, I know, get a blog)
Yes, all of the above is true, BUT for all the idiots out there, we're still here, growing, exploring, and thriving. That's gotta count for something.

Worst of all, us mouthbreathers are consistently out procreating you smart people.

People have changed from going crazy from the heat to going stupid from the heat.

People have changed from going crazy from the heat to going stupid from the heat.

No they haven't. They've just expanded their options.

:$ :$

Yes, all of the above is true, BUT for all the idiots out there, we're still here, growing, exploring, and thriving. That's gotta count for something.

You just have to wait for a critical mass of stupid to be near a red button to offset all of that.

Stupid happens when emotion (greed, fear, hate) and belief trump reason. And humans are bright, if emotional and superstitious lot. A dangerous mix.

You just have to wait for a critical mass of stupid to be near a red button to offset all of that.

Stupid happens when emotion (greed, fear, hate) and belief trump reason. And humans are bright, if emotional and superstitious lot. A dangerous mix.

greed is not a bad thing. all the time.

greed is not a bad thing. all the time.

When greed trumps reason, it is a bad thing. When greed teams up with intelligence and trumps reason, it is a very bad thing. When greed, intelligence and influence trump reason, it is a hideously bad thing (war, ethnic cleansing).

Reason provides the why and why not. Take that out, and all you've got is the objective and the how. That often leads to very bad things.

greed is not a bad thing. all the time.

Like anything else moderation is key, if you live by the maxim Greed is Good (to bring back the 80s) chances are you are going to emphasise the aquisition of material wealth above everything else, which isn't any more healthy than living your life completely ascetically.

When greed trumps reason, it is a bad thing. When greed teams up with intelligence and trumps reason, it is a very bad thing. When greed, intelligence and influence trump reason, it is a hideously bad thing (war, ethnic cleansing).

Reason provides the why and why not. Take that out, and all you've got is the objective and the how. That often leads to very bad things.

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii56/Near8821/FACEPALM.jpg

How much has stupidity cost the world in lives, sanity, health, money and freedom?
Just think of the damage caused by tobacco addiction, drunk driving, and lack of safety at work (here in Italy, 1 death on workplace every 7 hours: most of them from lack of safety).


How many avoidable problems have been cause by stupidity?
How many wars ... ?



There is no cure for stupidity.

Ostracism. Failing that, Darwin.


Stupidity is hereditary.

Well, sometimes someone is blessed by recessive genes.


Stupidity is contagious.
Stupidity seems to be endemic.

Yes, it is.


I think I may have finally given up hope for humanity.
Come on NS, help me get my hope back.


GAB; also, www.darwinawards.com .

greed is not a bad thing. all the time.

Yes, greed is a bad thing. You are average because you also have a good thing in your nation's name. ;)

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii56/Near8821/FACEPALM.jpg

I suppose this is where you tell me that unmitigated greed is a good thing, and that the uninhibited pursuit of personal desires above all other considerations of consequences to yourself or others are to be praised.

I suppose this is where you tell me that unmitigated greed is a good thing, and that the uninhibited pursuit of personal desires above all other considerations and the consequence to yourself or others are to be praised.

http://scienceblogs.com.br/brontossauros/double-facepalm.jpg

It's just the stupid sells stories. And for all the stupid we still have people who are breaking into new fields of research and discovering great things. I read a (not to serious) article on how stupidity would be cut off if everything hadn't become all health and safety, basically the stupid removing itself from the genepool.

Idiocy is inherent in the system.


Let's face it, it's us people who end up being/acting/doing stupid.


It should also be noted that intelligence isn't the antipode of stupidity...


Infact, one might argue you have to be intelligent in order to achieve a high rank in the annals of stupidity!

I suppose this is where you tell me that unmitigated greed is a good thing, and that the uninhibited pursuit of personal desires above all other considerations of consequences to yourself or others are to be praised.

Greed for lack of a better word is good.

*image snip*

I see you are describing your rebuttal without actually voicing it.

I see you are describing your rebuttal without actually voicing it.

http://www.scienceinthebox.com/info-pg/img_packshots/Sweden%20YES%20Liquid%20Original%20Bottle0083.JPG

http://www.scienceinthebox.com/info-pg/img_packshots/Sweden%20YES%20Liquid%20Original%20Bottle0083.JPG

You do realise that you just admitted that your rebuttal is an entire facepalm?

You do realise that you just admitted that your rebuttal is an entire facepalm?

I did? I thought we were talking about washing up liquid.

Well ASD, I feel pretty much the same way. But this stuff is always going on its just that the media has nothing else but the Swine Flu to latch on to so the Swine Flu and how stupid our species really is are all that makes the news.

Watch the movie Idiocracy

Watch the movie Idiocracy

It's a documentary from the future.

It's a documentary from the future.

Filmed in real time?

Filmed in real time?

Nope. Real events, fake time.

Nope. Real events, fake time.

Oh. :( I wanted something to watch for the rest of my life...

Without the rise of stupidity, Reality Shows would be an absolute failure.

Without the rise of stupidity, Reality Shows would be an absolute failure.

Yet another reason to squash this trend like a bug.

Hmm...

*goes out and starts giving IQ tests, and shooting the people who fail*

Yet another reason to squash this trend like a bug.

Hmm...

*goes out and starts giving IQ tests, and shooting the people who fail*

There are different kinds of stupid and not all dumb people are stupid. In fact, some really smart people are pretty fuckin' stupid.

*jumps in mud*

There are different kinds of stupid and not all dumb people are stupid. In fact, some really smart people are pretty fuckin' stupid.

*jumps in mud*

True. We should make it a law that if you see someone do something just mindblowingly stupid, we can just kill them on the spot. We must stop this trend in evolution.

In fact, some really smart people are pretty fuckin' stupid. Yeah, like Hawking. No joke.

See, this is what happens when you protect stupid people from their own stupidity.

Life is easier if you don't brain.

But more fun if you brain ifyouknowwhatimeancoughcoughnudgenudge.

True. We should make it a law that if you see someone do something just mindblowingly stupid, we can just kill them on the spot. We must stop this trend in evolution.

Weeding out the stupid used to be easy because they so often did themselves in. Unfortunately, we are making it easier for people to survive their idiocy instead of harder. For example; the Heimlich Maneuver. Here is a commonly taught life saving technique designed specifically for people too careless to chew and swallow their food thoroughly before talking, or performing other activities that all our moms warned us could cause us to choke if we did them while eating.

Another example is product safety. If somebody is going to use a product improperly, they deserve the maiming they are likely to receive. I see no reason to force companies to design products that are safer to use in a manner they were never intended to be used in.

True. We should make it a law that if you see someone do something just mindblowingly stupid, we can just kill them on the spot. We must stop this trend in evolution.

Weeding out the stupid used to be easy because they so often did themselves in. Unfortunately, we are making it easier for people to survive their idiocy instead of harder. For example; the Heimlich Maneuver. Here is a commonly taught life saving technique designed specifically for people too careless to chew and swallow their food thoroughly before talking, or performing other activities that all our moms warned us could cause us to choke if we did them while eating.

Another example is product safety. If somebody is going to use a product improperly, they deserve the maiming they are likely to receive. I see no reason to force companies to design products that are safer to use in a manner they were never intended to be used in.

Why don't add a severity scale to the standardized Engvall Test, and anyone who ranks more than twice the Sign Limit gets shot?

Actually I blame capitalism. Nowadays stupid people are very profitable customers. So if you want to stop stupidity, look at the source of who's encouraging them :p

Actually I blame capitalism. Nowadays stupid people are very profitable customers. So if you want to stop stupidity, look at the source of who's encouraging them :p

But... but... but... if the customers got brains.. they might actually compare our products. They might even demand better products! We can't have that!

I did? I thought we were talking about washing up liquid.

Wrong again little man.

Watch the movie Idiocracy

Welcome to costco. I love you.

Welcome to costco. I love you.

I would like to go to star bucks there. In fact I would spend most of my time at star bucks.