What IS Stupidity? - An Essay

I sometimes think about the stupidity of humans in general.

And to my mind this topic is not so simple. I have found that this statement holds true:

Stupidity is stupidly hard to define and even harder to confine.

Apparently, Einstein thought about this topic too:

I have a few simple questions whose answers are not as simple:

1. What IS stupidity?

2. Who is stupid?

3. How is stupidity measured?
   

4. And who decides who is stupid?

By the end of reading this post you will probably have these questions too.

But first we will have to start at the very top - defining what stupidity actually is.

---

Google tells me these definitions:

stupidity n.

/stjuːˈpɪdɪti,stjʊˈpɪdɪti/

1. Behaviour that shows a lack of good sense or judgement.

"I can't believe my own stupidity"

2. The quality of being stupid or unintelligent.

"a comedy of infantile stupidity"

[ Similar: lack of intelligence, unintelligence, foolishness, denseness, brainlessness, ignorance, mindlessness, dull-wittedness, dull-headedness, dullness, slow-wittedness, doltishness, slowness, vacancy, gullibility, naivety, thickness, dimness, dumbness, dopiness, doziness, craziness, folly, silliness, idiocy, senselessness, irresponsibility, injudiciousness, ineptitude, inaneness, inanity, irrationality, absurdity, ludicrousness ]

---

This definition still doesn't tell us the whole picture.

I mean what IS stupidity really though? And who IS stupid for real?

Is a young boy dancing for Instagram Reels at the train station stupid? Boomers are very fed up of this stupidity. But most of Gen-Z would disagree. If a young woman listens to music on the train while returning home from work, is she stupid? Spiritualists and some gurus would say she is stupid since she isn't 'living in the moment.' Millennials would say that that is relaxing.

Are people working 9-5 stupid? Businessmen would agree.

Are businessmen stupid? Most who work 9-5 would agree.

Is Creation stupid? Scientists have written research papers on it saying yes.

Is Evolution stupid? Religions of the world say so.

Is Capitalism stupid? The US would disagree as their country thrives because of it. Is Communism stupid? Karl Marx says "NO!"

Is murder stupid? If your country's army man kills an enemy country's army man then NO. But the vice versa is YES.

Is catering to the homeless stupid? "Yes," say the Taxpayers.

Is caring for stray cats and dogs stupid? "Yes," says the group of people who ask "You can cater to animals but not humans? Are animal lives more important to you than human lives?"

Is violence stupid? "Yes," say all countries. And yet they wait for the day when they wipe out an enemy country.

Is Peaceful Protest stupid? Opponents of the cause would think so.

Scientists think Theists are stupid. Theists think Atheists are stupid. Atheists think Theists are stupid.

Is Mathematics stupid? It cannot be since it has played a huge part in everything from Commerce to Engineering to Technology. And yet it is called stupid by millions of students everyday.

Is Music stupid? It cannot be since it can have a therapeutic effect, and often helps us forget our troubles. But people who want a good night's sleep think that it is stupid.

Are parents stupid? Kids say this at one time or another; mostly while young.

Are kids stupid? Parents say this at one time or another; mostly while old.

Are old people stupid? They cannot be since their wisdom guides future generations.

Are young people stupid? They cannot be since they have the energy and determination required to make lasting change.

Is porn stupid? Many would say that it is a solution to a basic human need and according to them it is required, lest people will resort to stupidity!

Is Abstinence stupid? A major religion today very strongly advocates for it.

Are housewives stupid? Most feminists think so.

Are feminists stupid? Conservatives think so.

I'm writing a part of this blog on a Sunday and kids outside my window are being noisy. I think they're stupid. But their parents would oppose my opinion and say that kids being outside their homes is literally peace for them! This is just an example - I know that kids playing outside is good and NOT stupid, no matter how noisy they are!

Consider this hypothetical scenario:

If a person does one of those weird TikTok dances, is he stupid? If you ask him he'd say "No, I'm not. Content Creation is the trend of today. If my TikTok dances go viral and if I land brand deals, I can get rich at a very young age. And what I do is at least harmless, unlike a person doing weed. Those guys are stupid as hell!" A person who does weed would disagree, "I cannot be stupid since after I do weed I work extra hard and my mind is better focused while I work! People who have never tried this thing are stupid as hell!" A person who works without weed and is not interested in intoxication would say, "You can actually get addicted to these things. I do proper work since I do it without any stimulant. Abusing drugs to work - a basic human activity - is just stupid! These guys and TikTok dancers are at the same level of stupidity!"

And the cycle continues. But who actually was stupid and who was not? If you think one was more stupid than the others, what makes you an authority to make that assessment? And if you think all three are stupid, how would you measure and compare their stupidity?

Consider another story:

Bob was the teacher's pet in Physics class. He was a bright student in general. On one day the topic was Schrodinger Equation for a Free Particle in One Dimension. During the lecture Bob was drowsy since he had not slept well the previous night. Unfortunately for Bob his teacher asked him in the lecture, "Can you tell me what I just said?" He could not answer and the whole class was shocked. A teacher's pet always pays rapt attention in class and this was highly unusual of Bob. Sally, who sat at the far back of the class, thought he was stupid. It was amusing to her that the bright student could not answer a question about a topic that was being discussed in class!

As fate would have it, Sally slept with her boyfriend and got pregnant. They didn't use protection. And now Bob thought Sally was stupid!

Who was more stupid of the two? Depending on who you ask, the answer will vary.

There is another issue about Stupidity: What about when large groups of people are stupid? I'm talking Society. If a society says something/someone is stupid, is it right? We know that societies can be stupid since they have burned people alive in the past over what they thought was stupid. And today we call this action stupid! This proves that the definition of Stupidity can change with the times. What defines Stupidity is always changing but who defines which actions and people are stupid? And how long do these opinions hold?

Consider this example: Arranged Marriages are slowly dying out and are being deemed stupid by more and more people. Love Marriages are gaining speed as you read this. But since everything in the universe is cyclic, Arranged Marriages will someday be in favor and Love Marriages will be called stupid. But of the two, which is stupid no matter the trend? And if marriage itself is stupid in and of itself, are the people who say so stupid or not? It's a nightmare, isn't it?

Moreover, whatever is stupid to you might even spread as time passes and may be harder to confine. If for example, social media is stupid to you, you are out of luck since it is here to stay at least for another decade! Stupidity is harder to confine!

I think you now have an idea of how absurd Stupidity is.

I now repeat my questions:

What IS stupidity?

Who is stupid?

How is stupidity measured?

And who decides who is stupid?

This sentence is very true isn't it:

Stupidity is stupidly hard to define and even harder to confine.