"People are Stupid"

[Mittens The Kitten]

I've heard this said many times and I have found it both disturbing and confusing. I try not to get too annoyed because I honestly don't know what people are stupid relative to, so I've come up with a list of possible things that can be intended by the statement "people are stupid"
-People are stupid relative to an idealization of human intellect: this statement is meaningless, as the average person would be, by definition, stupid compared to above average individuals.
-People are stupid relative to me": this is a vibe I get pretty often when I'm told that people are stupid. Even if it is true for you, saying it out loud is kinda pretentious.
-People are stupid relative to their perception of themselves: of these three, this is the best in my opinion, it is, however, unlikely that the listener will catch on to what you're saying if you just blurt out "people are stupid."
If you guys can come up with a better meaning, ide like to hear it, otherwise I'll just go on getting annoyed every time I hear someone talk about how dumb everyone is.

Edit: I'm seeing a lot of comments on how groups are dumb while individuals are not, this seems like a very lonesome view of the world, as it seems to imply that people shouldnt interact socially. Also, i highly doubt that it's any more than an excuse to say people are stupid while excluding yourself from "people".

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

People are stupid. A person is smart.
On their own, a person can be smart. As part of a crowd, they lose that. They become one of the people.
At least, I think that is what it was, or close enough. Other things on my mind >.>

 

[RatRace123]

People are indeed stupid, regardless of how smart a person is. In a social situation we'll most likely just go along with what the people next to us are doing.
That's how you can take a group of decent people and manage to get a football riot out of 'em.

 

[hittite]

It always reminds me of one of my favorite quotes.

"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it."

Kinda-sorta ninja'd.

 

[darth.pixie]

People are stupid. A person is smart.

Not sure if it was intentional but that is an MIB quote.

"Kay: A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow."

It depends on the context. Stupid as in ignorant, well we are all ignorant. None of us know enough and we keep on learning.

Stupid as in dumb, then you can create comparisons.

Edit: was ninja'ed as well. Your stealth skills are impressive *bow*

 

[Palademon]

People are stupid because they often ignore common sense and logic. So there's my comparison.

 

[Paxel]

I always assume that everyone I met is stupid, until prove otherwise. Of course this might go really fast. But still, expect everyone to be a moron and you will never be disappointed.
People are stupid, as in simple minded and short sighted.

 

[Mittens The Kitten]

I always assume that everyone I met is stupid, until prove otherwise. Of course this might go really fast. But still, expect everyone to be a moron and you will never be disappointed.
People are stupid, as in simple minded and short sighted.

And you are a genius with superb forsight? Or are you not a person?

 

[faspxina]

It's usually the first two meanings.

 

[tigermilk]

snip

Thankyou, when i saw this I rolled my eyes and thought oh dear another thread with a subtext of 'I am great, everyone else is an idiot, this is why please feel free to share in my superiority complex'. Instead the OP is the anethesis of this ironically on some level reinforcing my faith in the human race.

OT: People are stupid because they hold opinions which are different to mine, have differing frames of reference and experiences therefore they cannot see the infalliable truth, are naively ideological and have nothing to offer me.

 

[danintexas]

Stupid? No I don't think so.

Selfish with little common sense? Damn straight

 

[El Poncho]

People in a crowd are stupid. I think it was Terry Pratchett that said 'The intelligence of the creature known as a crowd, is the square root of the number of people in it.'

 

[Wondermint13]

I got all excited when I saw the title but as I read on I believe any opinion I have of people is best saved for a site that dont have so many administrators...

Good points... Good points..

 

[xDarc]

The Public sucks. -George Carlin.

 

[Sticky Squid]

Most people aren't stupid, they just do stupid things.

 

[Craterlord]

Most people aren't stupid, they just do stupid things.

How do we do stupid things if we aren't stupid? Are you saying that people knowingly do stupid things?

 

[Nimcha]

Most people aren't stupid, they just do stupid things.

How do we do stupid things if we aren't stupid? Are you saying that people knowingly do stupid things?

They might. For the sake of heroics, adrenaline, or just plain old street cred.

 

[Mittens The Kitten]

I got all excited when I saw the title but as I read on I believe any opinion I have of people is best saved for a site that dont have so many administrators...

Good points... Good points..

I wanna hear what you have to say, your comment was a bit cryptic. Tell was what you think of people, and if, by people, you mean "other people".

 

[wolf92]

People are a collection, and as a collection they are prone to mass hysteria and general ignorance.
A person is an individual, and as an individual, he/she can choose to educate himself/herself.