After the results of the Mid-term election came in I wondered..
How could so many Americans have voted for the democrats then I remembered Bonhoffer's theory...
Core Premises of the Theory of Stupidity
• Stupidity is a moral defect, not an intellectual one: Bonhoeffer argued that stupidity is not a lack of intelligence or education. Even highly intelligent people can be stupid, while people with lower intellectual capacity may not be. It is a moral and sociological failure that people choose or allow themselves to fall into.
• Stupidity is more dangerous than malice: Malice (evil) can be exposed, protested against, and fought with force or reason because it recognizes itself as wrong. Stupidity, however, is immune to reason. Facts that contradict a stupid person's beliefs are ignored, dismissed, or reframed, leaving the person self-satisfied and unreachable.
• It is a group phenomenon: Stupidity is rarely seen in people living in complete solitude. Instead, it flourishes when people gather in groups, influenced by mass movements, propaganda, and rising political or religious power.
• The surrender of independent thought: Under the weight of powerful authorities or social pressure, individuals surrender their inner independence. They become "made stupid" rather than born stupid, clinging to slogans and rules while forfeiting personal moral responsibility.
• Evil uses stupidity as a tool: Evil does not always act directly; instead, it exploits stupid people as unthinking enablers. Because stupid people feel they are acting out of duty or goodness, they become dangerous instruments of destruction.
Core Premises of the Theory of Stupidity
• Stupidity is a moral defect, not an intellectual one: Bonhoeffer argued that stupidity is not a lack of intelligence or education. Even highly intelligent people can be stupid, while people with lower intellectual capacity may not be. It is a moral and sociological failure that people choose or allow themselves to fall into.
• Stupidity is more dangerous than malice: Malice (evil) can be exposed, protested against, and fought with force or reason because it recognizes itself as wrong. Stupidity, however, is immune to reason. Facts that contradict a stupid person's beliefs are ignored, dismissed, or reframed, leaving the person self-satisfied and unreachable.
• It is a group phenomenon: Stupidity is rarely seen in people living in complete solitude. Instead, it flourishes when people gather in groups, influenced by mass movements, propaganda, and rising political or religious power.
• The surrender of independent thought: Under the weight of powerful authorities or social pressure, individuals surrender their inner independence. They become "made stupid" rather than born stupid, clinging to slogans and rules while forfeiting personal moral responsibility.
• Evil uses stupidity as a tool: Evil does not always act directly; instead, it exploits stupid people as unthinking enablers. Because stupid people feel they are acting out of duty or goodness, they become dangerous instruments of destruction.
51-55, M
