Against stupidity we have no defense.
Neither protests nor force can touch it. Reasoning is of no use. Facts that
contradict personal prejudices can simply be disbelieved — indeed, the fool can
counter by criticizing them, and if they are undeniable, they can just be
pushed aside as trivial exceptions. So the fool, as distinct from the
scoundrel, is completely self-satisfied. In fact, they can easily become
dangerous, as it does not take much to make them aggressive. For that reason,
greater caution is called for than with a malicious one. Never again will we
try to persuade the stupid person with reasons, for it is senseless and
dangerous.
In conversation with [the foolish
person], one virtually feels that one is dealing not at all with a person, but
with slogans, catchwords and the like that have taken possession of him. He is under a
spell, blinded, misused, and abused in his very being. Having
thus become a mindless tool, the stupid person will also be capable of any evil
and at the same time incapable of seeing that it is evil.
These were incisive lines written by Deitrich
Bonhoeffer, a German pastor, from prison before he was executed by Nazis. His
views on nature of stupidity matters not only as an insight to the world he
lived in but also the spreading sickness that is incapable to evolve to the
immense possibilities of contemporary. Bonhoeffer lost his life because
of stupidity that encouraged worst in humans. Millions of people were massacred
for fantastical ideas so stupid that you would laugh if not for immense
tragedy. A situation so implausible that one would’ve dismissed it as
impossible in what was essentially an advanced society. Banality of evil was
made common place by sadist stupidity that found large audience hence more
power. A shifting ground that keeps everyone entertained before you realize it
has started to engulf all that is valued. Unlike Cipolla (also elaborated on
stupidity from limited economist frame of opportunities of gain and loss) who defines stupid person as “causes problems for others without any clear benefit for
himself”. This ‘clear benefit for himself’ is root problem of modern
times. We have well passed narrow lanes of neoliberal anchored staid management theories; indeed, attention economy
of stupidity is thriving and hugely beneficial if you touch the lowest
base of short attention. Bonhoeffer’s insight therefore matters significantly in
the perilous times where stupidity is not only monetized for personalized
attention but is having significant impact on democracy. Social media is
increasingly pushing large number of populations all across the world into
complacency, and ironically, disconnect. It is consolidating stupidest and
vilest through conspiracy theories and utter nonsense to work dopamine outrage. Best possibilities of latest technologies are getting muted
for nasty, it is tapping on worst of human emotions and insecurities as
stupidity gets consolidated and used by the manipulators.
Bonhoeffer argues that people are not born stupid nor has it to
do with intelligence -intelligent people can be stupid, there were many
scientists who supported Nazi (even incisive philosopher, Heidegger),
we also have many examples from contemporary world. Bonhoeffer see stupidity as
moral defect and not intellectual -not surprising from a pastor, and that
stupid person can only be liberated, not argued or reasoned. No doubt
Bonhoeffer is insightful but as a theologian placed in limited frame of
religion he is quite expectedly limited in his solution. This is not to belittle
Bonhoeffer, he steadfastly stood for decency, civility, and kindness, and was fervently
against narrow mindedness and oppression in trying times. The attempt here is
to understand the issue. Idea of liberation is limited in christian theology
and really cannot be universalized nor does it resonate to the realities of contemporary
world. I am reminded of Elias Canetti’s understanding of crowd. A person finds
liberation in crowd can be extended to liberation in collective stupidity, it
binds them and gives self-worth of shared by being part of the crowd. It
doesn’t matter how spacious or fantastical the claim is as long as it binds
them into unrelenting unit. Indeed, religion is also such a construct. Bonhoeffer
was earnest and deeply conscientious during the period under Nazi when even
religious heads were looking for easy options so as to not antagonize the
powerful and peril their position and life. He passionately criticized inaction
of church and accused it as a site for ‘cheap grace’ – “it is costly because it
costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true
life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the
sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son”. Though
he sincerely dealt the situation it cannot be denied that he protested within
the fantastical illusion that is religion -that has only increased problems in
contemporary world as an active breeding ground for variety of stupid claims. It
is also not at all surprising that the movie on him Bonhoeffer is being appropriated
by far right christian conservatives in USA (for this very reason the release
is postponed). They are calling, defining time of historic US election, as resistance
against evil state and appropriating his legacy into christian nationalism. The
movie is unabashedly faith-based story -a preacher spreading the word of god,
and promo of Bonhoeffer carrying gun (overplaying the role of assassin) to engage
in violence to “battle against tyranny” with lines like “my country was invaded from within” wherein Bonhoeffer was
much nuanced representation of religion, ‘a voice of love, grace, justice and courage’.
These are the perils of limited frame of
engagement of crucial issue. Collective stupidity of religion -simplistic version of life, is
seen as liberation from responsibility of complex reality and existential
challenges. We have well passed this anachronistic frame, and as religion loses
significance the theological construct of moral shifts to humanism arbitrated
ethics. Stupidity therefore is not a moral lack but a significant ethical lack
with serious social consequence. Neoliberal capitalism is another of collective
stupidity that fails to see its consequences nor able to critically scrutinize
itself. Stupidity is afterall lack of common sense.
We all act stupid at some point in our life, we do carry that
aspect of stupidity in varying degree and try to improve through
self-evaluation and exposure to better understanding. Life as existential
absurdity does see stupidity as respite. It is the basis of wit and essential
aspect of survival. Most stupidity are childish and purpose to liberate from
stress, essentially harmless, unless one is conned, breaks law, or importantly,
finds deviant collective to consolidate as normal and not a defect. Stupidity
could also be a channel for latent violence against complacent systems that
nurture status quo and opportunist beneficiaries. There is a space for stupidity of ‘flat
earth society’ but it is a problem if presented as a normal choice. They
must be ridiculed as much as religion should be (and this I keep repeating, religion
cannot be taken seriously in contemporary reckoning for solutions, it is a
problem, more it is authenticated more you inflate the problem. Religious morals
have serious alignment issue with humanistic ethics. The attempt to make it as
defining identity is sinister, nor is it adding to diversity). Stupidity is not
a choice but an ethical flaw.
Clips of stupid acts are fun to watch. It becomes
a problem when we are cunningly addicted to monetize and we slowly lose the
ability to critically engage. We are being made stupid by constantly watching
stupid. Our threshold of tolerating stupidity is reduced so that we start to
slowly entertain fantastical notions. Our scaffolds of critically thinking are continually
eroded as we fall prey to short attention dopamine crave. It is feeding our
worst emotions (social media must have caution similar to what they have on
cigarette cover. Like for instance: this is a 5min video of cat eating food or
a 3min video of two people fighting on street, an essential summary with duration
so that it puts context as also value of time. Or else regular warning of time elapsed. It gives people option to choose
rather than being led by bigtech. A short summary is like a list of ingredients
on a packet. It must be made mandatory so that people are cautious before being
pulled to watch). These addictions to social media as also attention seeking
stupidity that it is nurturing must be dealt with regulation. We have entered unchartered
path of atomized isolated alienated individuals virtually connecting into collective to
further stupidity. This is having serious ramification and legitimizing worst
kind of people into responsible positions. Stupidity is sinister it has led to
mass killings, it degrades the world. Stupidity creates herd out of human. It is
the product of unthinking mind, lacking critical thinking faculties. Increasing complexities of discourse -varying
views in deluge of information and technology, is alienating common people, essentially a failure of society to peg egalitarian
values and education to nurture critical thinking and empathy, are
incapable to comprehend, relate, or deal, with emerging reality hence seek simple
relatable narrations, palatable views to create their own narration further
simplifying the complex truth to assuage their insecurities and alienation. Demystifying
issues into simple facts and opinions based on empathy and critical thinking
will help. Even if there is a failure of communication or breakdown of society,
foundation of empathy and critical thinking will find suitable response. It
will be wary of views that questions basic human sensibility and actions that
undermine humanity.
Thinking and understanding different
views and assimilating facts to decipher takes time. Market media has nurtured
worldview as attention feeding snippets and caricaturized crucial issues
into entertainment. This is now extended by social media. There is a
need for culture of slowing down. Neoliberal economics evaluates life as usable
resource tagged with price and fast consuming pattern as growth. Fast food MNCs
have created infrastructure of hygiene and efficiency but the culture of fast
food doesn’t value life. What is needed is food that is made slowly with
nutritive ingredient and sustainable process that includes traditional
knowledge of the local and preferably served in an environment of inclusive leisure
and connection with surrounding -the local ambience creates association with memory
of place that will nurture into care. Care connects to values of concern for
place, hence environment that assimilates web of life. Such robust grassroot
association by its very nature will not encourage stupidity. It is an urgent vigorous
connection of care that doesn’t tolerate superficialities. Stupidity can be addressed by awareness of
responsibility. A deep sense of sympathy in existential condition, and ability
to separate human from their stupidity. There are no stupid people but people
who hold some views that are stupid. There is no stupid person, it is
not a congenital defect. it is an ethical falling that has a personal and
social context. So, we need to separate the person from stupidity. We need to
appeal to shared humanity and concerns. Logic or reason has limitations, indeed
could backfire as stupidity will find its own logic to be self-satisfied.
Personally, I have zero tolerance for stupidity and stupidity that occupies
public space as alternative, a primitive society is overwhelmed with stupidity.
I as a common person can keep quiet or walk away but a political leader or a
social reformer doesn’t have that luxury. They will have to engage. Surely,
they cannot call the electorate deplorables or garbage and alienate
(particularly in extremely polarized US). They will have to engage with
stupidity with all earnestness without losing their bearing, or else seek some
other occupation. Also understand likes of Trumps are not accident, he is an
extreme spectrum of neoliberal nurtured useful idiots to control the system,
and yes Democrats too are in this spectrum so are most political parties across
the world. To deal with stupidity there must also be earnestness to address
factors that degrade democratic institutions.
New technologies are presenting newer meanings for assertion
of free will and the alienation it creates must be understood. The resurgence
of religion, rallying to revive the mythical past, are attempts by limited
minds and flawed humans to construct and control their reality. At one level it
is deeply painful to see this unravelling wherein they could use the
possibilities of amazing advancements for better but on the other it is scary.
There must be therefore institutional mechanism to create awareness of responsibility.
It is complacency and greed that is nurturing stupidity to thrive for gain. Stupidity
is seen as distraction. As institutions lose credibility and trust evil seize the
opportunity to gain credence. Stupidity facilitates evil. Hence it is important
that complacency is called out. Feudal and elitist status quo nurture
complacency and distraction as it helps control power and resources and
perpetuate exploitation under the garb of democracy. Systems
that nurture stupidity sedate indelible aspect of being a human: to use faculty
of mind, in such eventuality free will presents scary scenario hence will go
back to comforts of stupidity immune to immense evolving understanding of
world. Stupidity is herd’s weapon to repeat history and suffer without gaining
any insight. Original intent of religion has withered while the egalitarian attempts
of religious doesn’t pass the basic scrutiny. The dilapidated framework is
therefore carried forward in the garb of faith in all its glitter immune to
changed reality therefore, intendedly or unintendedly, nurtures stupidity as
the need to hold it together –the crowd needs rallying point and increasingly
it is stupidity that is filling the gap as acceptable surrogate. Personal
salvation through mystified faith has unraveled into juvenile claims incapable
to factor changed reality hence cult of stupidity that claims authority from
fantastical world of make belief. Stupidity can be engaged by retrieving
“individuality and spontaneity” (totalitarianism works by transforming a person
into a superfluous entity through the destruction of individuality and
spontaneity- Arendt). Individuality is what defines a human and his or her
spontaneous connection with reality is freedom. We must resist any attempt to negate
our individuality and curtail our spontaneity and gaiety towards life. It is a lively
barrier from turning into a ‘mindless tool’. Unless institutions are strengthened with democratic
principles and individual responsibility nurtured with egalitarian ideals, we
will see complacency that feed stupidity which facilitates evil. Awareness of
complexities needs framework of care and concern. Complexities that are not
complicating but deeper awareness and assertion of simple values and not
allowing it into complacency of simplistic narration. Every attempt must be
made to retrieve humanity in every human.
I leave with these lines from poem by Bonhoeffer, a beacon of religious response in the best tradition of humanism in 20th century.
Death, lay down your ponderous
chains and earthen enclosures
walls that deceive our souls and fetter our mortal
bodies,
that we might at last behold what here we are
hindered from seeing.
