Stupidity

A definition

Stupid.

You don't like that word?

I don't care.

Let me be absolutely clear about this. It's too important, especially now, to soft-pedal this.

Stupidity is in vogue. Vast numbers of people are rushing to be stupid, happy to be seen to be stupid, and are proud, not only of being stupid, but of encouraging stupidity in others.

So let me define what I mean by stupidity. Stupidity is not being unintelligent. It is, instead, the refusal to use intelligence, for reasons of one’s own.

Stupidity, in a nutshell, is the decision to reject any information or argument that would make the stupid person question any of their beliefs. Any information that would make them uncomfortable is simply disregarded, in favor of memorized platitudes, or outright hostility.

Stupidity is not a cognitive problem. It's not that people aren't smart enough, or informed enough to avoid being stupid.

It is not a question of access to information. We have easier access to information than we've ever had, and stupidity is rampant.

Stupidity is a decision. It is a philosophical position – a way of looking at the world, intentionally, stubbornly cultivated.

Stupidity is a habit. Being stupid again and again makes stupidity the stupid person's default reaction to any new information or argument.

In time, stupidity builds a wall against anything that does not confirm the view of life and the world that makes them most comfortable. The stupid person sees their stubbornness as valorous, as steadfast, as “common sense.” It becomes impossible to reach them with evidence or argument.

This is obviously maladaptive behavior. You simply cannot preserve a free and open society if a significant segment of the population refuses to consider any fact that makes them question their position. It is deeply harmful on both a personal and a social level.

How can a society discuss the state of the climate if millions of people simply reject science outright? How can we, as a people, react to epidemic disease? How can we discuss any question touching on the common good if any argument that doesn't fit into their self-strangled reality tunnel is met with a refusal of consideration, or even hostility?

You see the answer all around you. Twice as many Republicans died needlessly of COVID-19 because they simply refused to listen to the medical knowledge and public health expertise freely available to them because to do so would have forced them to question their position. [1]

A large majority – 77% of Republicans believed that fraud is “common,” despite their being no reliable evidence that there is any significant voter fraud in U.S. elections. [2]

Only 34% of Republicans accept the idea that human actions are causing climate change, [3] despite the fact that 97% of climate scientists believe this to be so. [4]

Donald Trump and his supporters have repeatedly pushed the idea that migrants “fuel” violent crime. This is, simply put, racist garbage. Migrants are not more likely to commit crimes than American citizens. [5]

I could multiply examples endlessly. What all of these examples have in common is that they have no basis in reality, and the information to dispel them is readily available. A person must intentionally avoid gathering or crediting information that contradicts these common errors.

One last thing: I received quite a bit of blowback on my last essay discussing stupidity from people who argued that people have always been this stupid, but that the ease of access merely makes that stupidity more visible.

To these people I say, you're simply wrong.

Americans attention spans are decreasing, [6] they are increasingly incapable of complex cognitive tasks, [7] and they are more likely to hold extreme views on topics of which they have little actual knowledge. [8]

Stupidity is growing, in both numbers and scope, and we should be very, very concerned about it.

Stupidity kills. From unvaccinated children, to people whose lives are destroyed by the increasing violence of the climate. Stupidity paralyzes public discourse, makes governmental action difficult, and poisons personal interaction.

Stupidity isn't just a matter for the stupid. It is shameful. It is a decision to shirk one's responsibility to society to be a well-informed adult.

Sources:

[1] Excess death rates for Republicans and Democrats during the COVID-19 pandemic
National Bureau of Economic Research
September 2022

https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w30512/w30512.pdf

[2] Examining false beliefs about voter fraud in the wake of the 2020 Presidential Election
Misinformation Review, Harvard Kennedy School
January 2021

https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/research-note-examining-false-beliefs-about-voter-fraud-in-the-wake-of-the-2020-presidential-election/

[3] 2024 Poll: Americans’ Views on Climate Change and Policy in 12 Charts
University of Chicago, Energy Policy Institute, 2024

https://epic.uchicago.edu/insights/2024-poll-americans-views-on-climate-change-and-policy-in-12-charts/

[4] Do scientists agree on climate change?
NASA.gov
January 2024

https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/faq/do-scientists-agree-on-climate-change/

[5] The mythical tie between immigration and crime
Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research
July 2023

https://siepr.stanford.edu/news/mythical-tie-between-immigration-and-crime

[6] Why our attention spans are shrinking, with Gloria Mark, PhD
American Psychological Association
Episode 255

https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/attention-spans

Have Attention Spans Been Declining?
LessWrong
September 2023

https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/Pweg9xpKknkNwN8Fx/have-attention-spans-been-declining

[7] Have Humans Passed Peak Brain Power?
Slashdot
March 2025

https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/03/17/0954252/have-humans-passed-peak-brain-power

[8] Social Media and Political Extremism

Virginia Commonwealth University
February 2023

https://onlinewilder.vcu.edu/blog/political-extremism/