The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity
INTRODUCTION TO THE TOPIC
Thought we’d throw this in there for a little bit of entertainment. Although it might not be entertaining. You might not think it’s funny when you see it. So this is a paper written I believe back in the 50s called “The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity.” Carlo Cipolla was the author and it’s an interesting five or six page read that outlines five laws of human stupidity.
THE FIRST LAW OF STUPIDITY
The first law states that we always and inevitably underestimate the number of stupid individuals in circulation. What that means is that you know there are stupid people, but you think there are fewer than there actually are, because there are more.
THE SECOND LAW OF STUPIDITY
Law number two: the probability that a certain person is stupid is independent of other characteristics. What that means is you might not think somebody’s stupid because they’re good-looking or because they’re successful or they have a good job or they have done something substantial. That doesn’t mean they’re not stupid.
LAW THREE: STUPIDITY IS EVERYWHERE
The same proportion of stupid people exists in any large group as in any small group. So, anytime you think somebody might not be stupid because of the group they’re in, wipe that thought out.
LAW FOUR: LOSS WITHOUT GAIN
A stupid person is a person who causes loss to another person while deriving no gain for themselves. This happens all the time. You see people do this all the time where they do something that’s going to hurt you or inconvenience you, but it doesn’t benefit them at all and it doesn’t make any sense. Not only is that stupid, but it’s also mean-spirited.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON HUMAN STUPIDITY
So, as you go out into the world and deal with people, just remember that stupid people are out there. Look, we all do stupid things. I’m not immune to this. I do stupid things all the time and we all do. None of us are necessarily better than anybody else. It’s just that we have to recognize that stupidity exists not only in ourselves but in others and account for that accordingly. Don’t expect the best to always happen, otherwise you’ll be sorely disappointed.
