Why and How Stupid People are Followed

You can ask a teacher, or anyone who deals with a ‘group.’   The stupidest person in the room often controls the other students.

This usually terminates by High School, (in the best cases) because the other students appreciate that the loud mouth, the one who is always sure, is stupid.

Stupid is a term used often.   It does not equal ‘retarded’ or ‘non-academic’.

Stupidity is often defined as; a lack of intelligence, or understanding, reason or common sense.   A person is defined as stupid when, for example they cause damage but get no personal gain, and might damage themselves.

Yet, if you go into schools you will often see the stupidest person in the class controlling the class.

Many people, from anthropologists to psychologist to sociologist have tried to discover why and how.

The answer is quite simple;

Intelligent people doubt.  They leave room for the possibility they are wrong.  Intelligent people don’t instantly read something and believe it, they will research, whether asking someone else, looking it up, or thinking about it.

Stupid people are certain.   They are sure of everything they say.   They don’t doubt, they don’t question.  If they think this plant is safe to eat, they eat it.  They eat it and that encourages others to do the same.  That it is poisonous does not enter the mind of a stupid person, because they are always ‘certain’.

A funny thing happened.   There was a water lock off, and the water returned a few hours later.  I was at the supermarket and went into the bathroom to wash my hands.  I came out and said something and one of the shelf packers said; “The water’s off.”   I said; “No it’s not.”   “He said, yes it is.”

I went into the bathroom, caught water in my hands, came out and threw it at him.   He said, “That’s water that was in the pipe before the lock off.”

Now, yes, he is stupid.  Fortunately, his duties are to put items on the shelf as he is told to do.  He won’t be doing brain surgery or driving a bus, or in put in charge of anything.

The reality is that being stupid he was told there would be a water lock off.  He absolutely believed it.   Until he was officially informed that the water was back on, he was certain it was off.  The fact I washed my hands, clear evidence the water was flowing; (for there was no container in the bathroom) did not convince him.

The fact I physically tossed water on him did not convince him.

He is certain.  And being certain always captures the weaker minds who are uncertain.

Children need to be kept from stupid people.  They will fill their heads with lies and misinformation they may carry for a lifetime.  Children believe stupid people because they are sure.

Where an intelligent person might say; “I don’t think that is safe,”  the stupid person in a loud voice will say, “Yes, it is!   It is perfectly safe.”

If the child follows the stupid person and survives, s/he will learn to be very cautious around certainty without evidence.   If the child isn’t hurt, then s/he gains a respect for the stupid person that may last a very long time.

In raising children one has to be careful in not being too protective, too fearful.    “Don’t run, you’ll fall!”  shouts the father at the little boy.   “You better hope he falls or you’ve lost his attention.”  I say.

In many cases, the ‘worst’ doesn’t happen, the child is pulled into foolishness.

The teacher says don’t, the stupid says do, the stupid gets away with it, the children follow the stupid.

By the time the children reach High School, they would have seen the Stupid suffer some penalty, proving his stupidity and so are no longer pulled into his orbit.  However, in some cases, the public doesn’t see the penalty. They link with the certain person, the one with the assurance, and continue on and on with the belief that Stupid knows.

In any group, unless the person who speaks with authority has the authority, i.e. a doctor, a lawyer,  someone who is an expert, and known to be an expert, you are hearing the voice of a stupid person who has no basis for his position.