I know a few overall smart people, but who totally believe that Obama is the greatest president ever and that it’s all the fault of Christians and crazy gun nuts. How is it possible for reasonably intelligent people to be so fucking stupid??
I know lots of putatively smart people and have found that it’s more common than not for someone with intellect and skill in one specialty to be average or worse outside of their specialty. People who are truly above-average intelligence across a broad range of areas of knowledge are rare, and a lot of the ones I’ve met have middling to mediocre credentials, which has no effect on their actual knowledge but a great impact on how people perceive them. I’ve met some fairly bright and interesting auto mechanics and carpenters, and some really dull people with Harvard degrees. I say this as someone with two degrees, one from a top-20 university, and a family with many Ph.D.’s and other advanced degrees. (You won’t be surprised to learn that none of those Ph.D. holders are particularly above average outside their chosen specialty.)
What I’m saying is that someone may be the best XYZ doctor in town and be essentially stupid for anything outside the practice of medicine. Or substitute physics, law, management, whatever.
Of course, someone who’s told they’re great at X will typically assume they are great at A-Z also.
Then pile on all the hippy-and-beyond crap where people who were coincidentally born during a 10 year stretch and lucked into the peaking wave of prosperity are utterly convinced that they are God’s Chosen Children ™, as are their own children. I’ve found that while conservatives can often be arrogant pricks, the moderately wealthy liberals have taken conceit to a whole new level.
—————————————————————
Sorry, I misread your question at first and answered as if you were saying Obama is stupid. Not-on-point reply below:
He’s stupid, but he’s not THAT stupid. He knows what’s going on and is doing his best to keep it going. If you think about it just briefly, you will see that there are only two likely explanations:
1) Obama is a radical socialist who’s trying to destroy the US social and economic fabric in order to “fundamentally transform” the USA. This would be 100% consistent with his known background, his mentors, his actions prior to becoming president, and his own statements.
2) Obama is a closet Muslim who’s trying to destroy the US social and economic fabric in order to promote a Muslim takeover of the US and pretty much all of the west. This would be consistent with his childhood and some of his foreign policy. However, it is not as consistent with his other personal characteristics, including the considerable evidence that he is actually gay or bi, and his general lack of reverence for anything religious.
I think it’s #1, with some sympathy towards Islam but not a real depth of religious feeling for it.
As they say in Atlas Shrugs, perhaps you need to check your premises as to what criteria you use to determine someone is smart. I went to university with many future engineers who got A’s in every course, but could not assemble an Ikea bookcase or change a tire on a car.
Enlighten you?
Clearly your judgement is flawed.
They are not very smart.
Consider yourself enlightened now.
General
June 25, 2016 6:37 pm
For example, when I say smart, I have a friend of mine, who is a doctor and a successful businessman. He probably has a net worth of 5 to 10 million now based on his businesses and investments. Yet he thinks socialism is great, Obama is the best President ever, and that Christians and NRA members are dangerous. At some point, he is going to get a very rude awakening. So yes, I guess smart at some things, and fucking stupid in other things.
Wip
June 25, 2016 6:49 pm
Snickity
For someone to be an expert at something, it is almost required that they spend an overwhelming amount of time to achieve that level. They don’t have time for much else.
kokoda
June 25, 2016 8:12 pm
General…………
Being ‘smart’ has little to do with their conclusion. It is simply that they are registered Democrats. Studies have shown that political affiliation will render grey matter useless.
Fiatman60
June 25, 2016 11:14 pm
My kid’s grade 8 physics teacher asked me one day how do you put oil in a car engine?
Does it need oil? I asked. How would you check that? he replied back.
With the engine oil dipstick, I said
Where is that? What does it look like?
I had to show him…… You mean you put oil down that small hole? No I said. The oil goes in the oil filler cap up here. So how do you get the old oil out? The oil pan at the bottom of the engine….. take out the bolt.
Well how does that work? Gravity I said. Do you leave the bolt out when you put in the new oil?
( by this time I’m getting worried that this guy is dead serious AND he’s teaching both my kids at the only school in town)
Yup he’s got more certificates than you can shake a stick at…….
starfcker
June 26, 2016 12:23 am
Enough of the suspense, jim. Aren’t you going to give us the answer?
lysander
June 26, 2016 8:33 am
It’s willful deceit. Many people make up their mind on something and will stubbornly defend their attitude no matter what the argument. That’s plain ignorance. But others, like the HNIC and his ilk, will lie and expect you to believe it. And a lot of people do so because by blindly believing the lies of others, it absolves them of the chore of critical thinking.
For the dim-witted, it’s easier to let someone else do your thinking for you. And when I say “dim-witted”, I include the supposedly ‘smart’ doctors, lawyers, engineers as well as the ditch diggers.
TE
June 27, 2016 12:02 am
How many of those were false flags?
Betcha’ lots.
Hope to God we someday see and know the truth
I don’t believe anything this government tells me anymore.
After seeing the corruption, murder, lies, it amazes me smart people still believe them.
They are keeping us fervently afraid, divided, hate and revenge filled to continue their evil plans.
We let them and encourage it all the while bemoaning the mess we are in.
I’ll ask Loretta Lynch, she should know.
Can someone enlighten me?
I know a few overall smart people, but who totally believe that Obama is the greatest president ever and that it’s all the fault of Christians and crazy gun nuts. How is it possible for reasonably intelligent people to be so fucking stupid??
I know lots of putatively smart people and have found that it’s more common than not for someone with intellect and skill in one specialty to be average or worse outside of their specialty. People who are truly above-average intelligence across a broad range of areas of knowledge are rare, and a lot of the ones I’ve met have middling to mediocre credentials, which has no effect on their actual knowledge but a great impact on how people perceive them. I’ve met some fairly bright and interesting auto mechanics and carpenters, and some really dull people with Harvard degrees. I say this as someone with two degrees, one from a top-20 university, and a family with many Ph.D.’s and other advanced degrees. (You won’t be surprised to learn that none of those Ph.D. holders are particularly above average outside their chosen specialty.)
What I’m saying is that someone may be the best XYZ doctor in town and be essentially stupid for anything outside the practice of medicine. Or substitute physics, law, management, whatever.
Of course, someone who’s told they’re great at X will typically assume they are great at A-Z also.
Then pile on all the hippy-and-beyond crap where people who were coincidentally born during a 10 year stretch and lucked into the peaking wave of prosperity are utterly convinced that they are God’s Chosen Children ™, as are their own children. I’ve found that while conservatives can often be arrogant pricks, the moderately wealthy liberals have taken conceit to a whole new level.
—————————————————————
Sorry, I misread your question at first and answered as if you were saying Obama is stupid. Not-on-point reply below:
He’s stupid, but he’s not THAT stupid. He knows what’s going on and is doing his best to keep it going. If you think about it just briefly, you will see that there are only two likely explanations:
1) Obama is a radical socialist who’s trying to destroy the US social and economic fabric in order to “fundamentally transform” the USA. This would be 100% consistent with his known background, his mentors, his actions prior to becoming president, and his own statements.
2) Obama is a closet Muslim who’s trying to destroy the US social and economic fabric in order to promote a Muslim takeover of the US and pretty much all of the west. This would be consistent with his childhood and some of his foreign policy. However, it is not as consistent with his other personal characteristics, including the considerable evidence that he is actually gay or bi, and his general lack of reverence for anything religious.
I think it’s #1, with some sympathy towards Islam but not a real depth of religious feeling for it.
As they say in Atlas Shrugs, perhaps you need to check your premises as to what criteria you use to determine someone is smart. I went to university with many future engineers who got A’s in every course, but could not assemble an Ikea bookcase or change a tire on a car.
Enlighten you?
Clearly your judgement is flawed.
They are not very smart.
Consider yourself enlightened now.
For example, when I say smart, I have a friend of mine, who is a doctor and a successful businessman. He probably has a net worth of 5 to 10 million now based on his businesses and investments. Yet he thinks socialism is great, Obama is the best President ever, and that Christians and NRA members are dangerous. At some point, he is going to get a very rude awakening. So yes, I guess smart at some things, and fucking stupid in other things.
Snickity
For someone to be an expert at something, it is almost required that they spend an overwhelming amount of time to achieve that level. They don’t have time for much else.
General…………
Being ‘smart’ has little to do with their conclusion. It is simply that they are registered Democrats. Studies have shown that political affiliation will render grey matter useless.
My kid’s grade 8 physics teacher asked me one day how do you put oil in a car engine?
Does it need oil? I asked. How would you check that? he replied back.
With the engine oil dipstick, I said
Where is that? What does it look like?
I had to show him…… You mean you put oil down that small hole? No I said. The oil goes in the oil filler cap up here. So how do you get the old oil out? The oil pan at the bottom of the engine….. take out the bolt.
Well how does that work? Gravity I said. Do you leave the bolt out when you put in the new oil?
( by this time I’m getting worried that this guy is dead serious AND he’s teaching both my kids at the only school in town)
Yup he’s got more certificates than you can shake a stick at…….
Enough of the suspense, jim. Aren’t you going to give us the answer?
It’s willful deceit. Many people make up their mind on something and will stubbornly defend their attitude no matter what the argument. That’s plain ignorance. But others, like the HNIC and his ilk, will lie and expect you to believe it. And a lot of people do so because by blindly believing the lies of others, it absolves them of the chore of critical thinking.
For the dim-witted, it’s easier to let someone else do your thinking for you. And when I say “dim-witted”, I include the supposedly ‘smart’ doctors, lawyers, engineers as well as the ditch diggers.
How many of those were false flags?
Betcha’ lots.
Hope to God we someday see and know the truth
I don’t believe anything this government tells me anymore.
After seeing the corruption, murder, lies, it amazes me smart people still believe them.
They are keeping us fervently afraid, divided, hate and revenge filled to continue their evil plans.
We let them and encourage it all the while bemoaning the mess we are in.
Someday we’ll all be made to pay.