November 19, 2012

The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity

“Think of how stupid the average [progressive] is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.” ― George Carlin

Whether one considers classical, or medieval, or modern or contemporary times one is impressed by the fact that any country moving uphill has its unavoidable σ fraction of stupid people. However the country moving uphill also has an unusually high fraction of intelligent people who manage to keep the σ fraction at bay and at the same time produce enough gains for themselves and the other members of the community to make progress a certainty.
In a country which is moving downhill, the fraction of stupid people is still equal to σ; however in the remaining population one notices among those in power an alarming proliferation of the bandits with overtones of stupidity and among those not in power an equally alarming growth in the number of helpless individuals. Such change in the composition of the non-stupid population inevitably strengthens the destructive power of the σ fraction and makes decline a certainty. And the country goes to Hell. -- The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity

Details at The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity by Carlo M. Cipolla

HT small dead animals: Reader Tips

Posted by gerardvanderleun at November 19, 2012 12:47 AM
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"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.

“Think of how stupid the average progressive is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.” ― George Carlin

If you are going to quote someone, and attribute a quote to them, you should use the exact quote and not change it to your liking.
That isn't a Carlin quote, but a variation of a Carlin quote. Because some of your readers will repeat the altered quote as an actual quote, the original quote works just as well.

“Just think of how stupid the average person is, and then realize half of them are even stupider!”

Posted by: Potsie at November 19, 2012 4:07 AM

You're right. Forgot the brackets. Added them. Thanks.

Posted by: vanderleun at November 19, 2012 7:56 AM

It kind of ruins the mockery of the stupid when words are misspelled. "damagin?"

Posted by: SK at November 19, 2012 1:03 PM

Can anyone identify the background music in the video?

Posted by: ROger.45 at November 19, 2012 4:58 PM
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"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated to combat spam and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.










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