People are stupid?

If you ask people why they do the things they do in life, they will give you sensible


sounding reasons which seem to explain their decisions. We like to believe that we


exercise sound judgement, especially in the important decisions of our lives.





I think that this is rarely true. I think that standard operating procedure for human


decision making is to do what feels right to you at the time, and then to give logical


sounding justifications for what you were already going to do anyway, whether you had


justifications or not.





So, if you are pregnant, and want to get an abortion, you will be able to give any number


of reasonable sounding explanations why this is the right decision. You're not ready to


be a parent, or you need to finish your education or get to a better point in your career,


or you don't have enough money, etc. If instead you want to keep the baby, you will


explain how even though you will have some extra difficulties due to the lack of money


or whatever, you will certainly be up to the challenge to make your life work with the


baby, how being a parent will be good for you, what a great parent you'll make, how it


will bring you and the father closer together, and so on. In either case, none of these


will be the real reason for your decision. The real reason for your decision will always


be, "I did it because I wanted to do it".





This method of decision making may have worked fine earlier in human history.


However, in a highly complex technological society, the inevitable result of this is that


people behave in extremely stupid ways.





For example, the average American household now has $8000 in credit card debt, on


which they pay an average of 19% interest. Is there any good reason to be running an


$8000 debt? No. Did these people all run into major life crises which forced them to


run up huge debts or else become homeless? No, they spent it on furniture, clothing,


televisions, etc. Is it logical to spend $1500 a year in credit card interest? Clearly not.


People do this because there isn't extra money in the bank, but there is something they


want to buy, and the positive feeling they get from the idea of having this item is


stronger than the negative feeling they get at the idea of their monthly payment going


up by another $20.





For example, marijuana is illegal in most of the world, while alcohol is legal, despite the


fact that alcohol is a far more dangerous drug than marijuana in every way. People


consider marijuana to be a dangerous drug, while they think of alcohol as being a fun


beverage. They consider those who sell marijuana to be drug dealers, the scourge of


society who should be hunted down and imprisoned, while those who sell alcohol (wine


makers, grocery stores) are of course not placed in the same category.





Logically speaking, it should be the other way around. Alcohol tends to make many


people aggressive, leading to a variety of violent crimes, while marijuana does not.


Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, and leads to a serious loss of


coordination and motor skills. At larger doses, alcohol renders one completely


unconscious. Drunk drivers cause enormous numbers of automobile accidents and


deaths. Marijuana is not a central nervous system depressant, and while one probably


shouldn't drive while intoxicated on anything, it simply does not cause anywhere near


the loss of motor control that alcohol does, and is only a fraction as dangerous as


alcohol in terms of driving. And, a large enough dose of alcohol can and will kill you,


while the same is not true of marijuana.





But people are looking at this based on their feelings. Marijuana feels like a drug to


them. It's illegal, isn't it? Alcohol feels like a fun beverage. It's legal, and socially


acceptable, so it feels ok, so it must be ok.





All of this is illogical and stupid, and typically human. And I could give countless other


examples of this, but I'm sure you can think these up yourself. Just look at how people


behave in terms of politics and religion.





And, I think that when you see ridiculous and idiotic behavior and decision making in


other people(or in yourself), you have to consider it to be the inevitable result of the


nature of the human psyche.





"The only way to comprehend what mathematicians mean by Infinity is to contemplate


the extent of human stupidity." - Voltaire

People are stupid?
I'm glad you're seeking to spread the word. Good job on the Voltaire quote. But certainly you aren't claiming you're above this at all? Yeah, people are stupid, and it probably is a problem that we can't actually explain logically our mental processes. Where DO our emotions come from? Can we ever trust our "gut" feelings? Rationalization is an amazingly developed skill for most people. This essay stated the issue but provided no solution. Simply knowing people are like this is only going halfway.
Reply:I like what you wrote. Unfortunately, people are plain ignorant,it is not like people don't already know it.


Thanks for the eye-opener.


We should just get what we need and live within our means.


Be responsible for our actions.


Use our brains.


Behave.


These are all basic common sense. But do we all have it?
Reply:"UMMF", was it the liquid or the smoke that caused your problem. Both are bad for you, but what's your point?
Reply:That was quite profound indeed. Thank you for opening my mind. Now what is it that you seek knowledge about, my love?





P.S.- Your observations/assumptions are not necessarily true. There is in fact, no way for you to know why someone does something. You can only go by what that person tells you.
Reply:I read your entire "QUESTION???"


While I do not believe with most of what you say, I do believe you are high as a kite right now and that's OK.


I think it's better than drinking alcohol.
Reply:Too long; didn't read. %26gt;_%26gt;





And I don't see what you're asking, but, uh, great for you. ^_^
Reply:...wow that was long....
Reply:Bravo. Longest non-question question ever. I liked the quote by Voltaire.


People have known that people are stupid since people first stood on there back legs, looked around and said, "Who the hell are all these dumb f**ckers walking around on their back legs?"


So that is nothing new.


Great post though.
Reply:Way too long...i'm not reading it all. But I agree with your main question....most people are stupid. Next time don't smoke a blunt right before asking a question.
Reply:What was your question?
Reply:because people are stupid.


2 points.
Reply:Turn to JESUS and all will be fine.
Reply:i think peopel are not just stupid but impatient , that why no one is gona read what is in your question. and people are not just stupid, but lazy, and that why im not even gona go back and spell check my answer to your question.
Reply:Wow long question, sry i am not answersing it but next time make it shorter
Reply:I agree completely. :-)
Reply:ur stupid if u think anyones gonna read all that crap
Reply:With this speech youll make cofee sleep
Reply:way toooooo lllllllooooooonnnnnnnggggggg