Why we should do away with the word 'stupid'

[PyramidHead]

I think that we have an in-built reflex when we observe somebody struggling with a mental task we have already solved. Probably because we evolved in groups, our natural reaction is to think less of the person who doesn't assimilate new information as rapidly as we'd like (of course, there is also a competing instinct, equally natural, to help this person with the problem).

Your analysis seems to veer into determinism about mental states. I don't necessarily disagree, but it almost implies that nobody should be ridiculed for anything, since at the base, nobody has as much control over their brains as they normally think.

 

[rousseau]

I think that we have an in-built reflex when we observe somebody struggling with a mental task we have already solved. Probably because we evolved in groups, our natural reaction is to think less of the person who doesn't assimilate new information as rapidly as we'd like (of course, there is also a competing instinct, equally natural, to help this person with the problem).

Your analysis seems to veer into determinism about mental states. I don't necessarily disagree, but it almost implies that nobody should be ridiculed for anything, since at the base, nobody has as much control over their brains as they normally think.

Yea I agree with this assessment, and I do believe that quite a lot of what we do is somewhat out of our own control, not necessarily in the sense that we have no control, but rather in the sense that we have limited parameters (or information) on which to act, and until we magically come upon useful information we are limited by those parameters. That means we can only see a finite number of possibilities at any one time. The less possibilities we see, the less control we have over ourselves.

Of course this has big implications on what it means to be responsible and how we view ourselves as people. The question is then: how far do you want to take this line of reasoning.

 

[braces_for_impact]

Look godamnit. They took away "gay". They took away "retard". All for good reasons I suppose, but I'm not letting go of stupid. It's too useful. That's fucking stupid. No. Just, no.

 

[rousseau]

Look godamnit. They took away "gay". They took away "retard". All for good reasons I suppose, but I'm not letting go of stupid. It's too useful. That's fucking stupid. No. Just, no.

I think you might find that trying to parse what I'm saying and adjusting your worldview is much more useful.

 

[fast]

There is a cure for ignorance, but there is no cure for stupidity, but wait, if no one is stupid, are we all smart? If so, I guess those that aren't merely smart are glad they aren't like those that are.

 

[bigfield]

I'm finding that the words "fool" and "foolish" are working well to describe people who aren't actually retarded, but act or have acted as if they might as well be.

 

[WAB]

I think your intentions are good, but the troof is easy (well, leastways it is for me, reckon):

A rock isn't stupid
A fish isn't stupid
A cat isn't stupid
A child isn't stupid.

Only an intelligent grown-up can be stupid.

I'm related to one of the stupidest geniuses I know.

 

[WAB]

Look godamnit. They took away "gay". They took away "retard". All for good reasons I suppose, but I'm not letting go of stupid. It's too useful. That's fucking stupid. No. Just, no.

Seconded. Removing 'stupid' from the lexicon would be stupid. I'm reminded of Ezra Pound's Cantos, where he uses the word to maximum effect, "bog of stupidities, and stupidities..."

And, lest we forget, Pound was one of the stupidest geniuses who ever lived.

 

[DBT]

Stupid is not necessarily a life sentence, I'm sure everyone has been 'stupefied' at some point in their lives, maybe even regularly. Nothing to be ashamed of unless it becomes a chronic condition.

 

[Togo]

Yea I agree with this assessment, and I do believe that quite a lot of what we do is somewhat out of our own control, not necessarily in the sense that we have no control, but rather in the sense that we have limited parameters (or information) on which to act, and until we magically come upon useful information we are limited by those parameters. That means we can only see a finite number of possibilities at any one time. The less possibilities we see, the less control we have over ourselves.

Of course this has big implications on what it means to be responsible and how we view ourselves as people. The question is then: how far do you want to take this line of reasoning.

Does stupid just mean uneducated, or does it mean not reaching a reasonable conclusion based on the info you have got?

 

[surreptitious57]

I make a distinction between attributing stupidity to an individual and attributing it to an act. Saying someone is stupid is attacking their character. But they may have just committed a solitary act worthy of the description. Best therefore to just focus on what it is they have done rather that upon them themselves. Though I rarely if ever actually use the word anyway. The reason for this is that it is regarded as an ableist slur and one tries as much as possible to avoid using derogatory terms of any kind as much as possible. Although having said that I am not in favour of censorship of any kind. One should be free to use whatever terminology one wishes long as one also accepts complete responsibility for it and is willing to be educated by others if their inadvertent use of a word is deemed offensive to a particular demographic. Ableist language is more prevalent in society but is no more acceptable than racist or sexist language so should be avoided as much as possible and preferably altogether. Being ignorant and in a position of privilege is what makes it so prevalent in the first place because those who have mental illness are not as immediately identifiable as other non privileged nor as vocal about the prejudice against them

 

[doubtingt]

I guess I should have re-phrased the original post and title in a different way. Maybe I just don't know an eloquent way to get the point I'm trying to make across.

The thread is less about literally doing away with the word stupid and more about the concept of why we regard others as the concept of stupid. It's an insult and value judgement towards other people that props ourselves up, but it's the equivalent of calling a fox 'red' or a shark 'dangerous' as an insult. When we regard others as "stupid" it holds a negative connotation and presupposes that we think the person in question has less worth, when in reality almost all people who are ignorant have little to no way of not being ignorant, it's out of their control, so we shouldn't judge them for it.

First, stupid and ignorant are not the same. Stupid is more like unintelligent and refers to the failure to apply thinking and reasoning skills.
Einstein was ignorant of many things, He was not stupid.
Second, it is sometimes used as but is not inherently an insult. Intellect is something most people value and feel positively about. So, it makes people feel bad to be thought of or called stupid, just as it does to point out other negative facts about them, like being poor, fat, etc..
Third, much ignorance and stupidity is not an innate trait like the color of a fox, but a willful result of people choosing to remain ignorant or to not employ their own reasoning faculties. Also, even when ignorance of something is not at all our fault, our failure to acknowledge that ignorance and overconfidence in our beliefs rooted in that ignorance are often our fault and something we could avoid.

 

[Rhea]

rosseau, I agree with you in that we need to have some awareness of when and how the term 'stupid' is used. It's the self-fulfilling prophesy in action: if a person hears phrases with the word 'stupid' in it often enough, they begin to believe they themselves are stupid. Is this what you mean when you propose this idea? Stopping the self fulfilling prophesy?

That's a good point.

Na, not really what I was going for, though. I guess I am still trying to fully flesh out what I mean or it would have been clear from the very beginning. The major idea is that most people have almost no control over their level of intelligence or insight, and so ridiculing them for their intelligence is the equivalent of ridiculing them for being short, or having red hair.

On the other hand, the way we direct the insult towards people now is usually done so in anger, and in a way that presupposes lack of intelligence is something people do on purpose. As if it's the fault of unintelligent people that they're unintelligent, and so they actually deserve our ridicule. But they don't, is what I'm saying. There's all that, and then there's the fact we just shouldn't be insulting anyone for any reason anyway.

So by looking at people this way we have a little more forgiveness and empathy for those who don't act perfectly at all times, rather than getting hostile with them.

You don't take rep, so I'll just reply here. I agree with this concept wholeheartedly; the world is better off when ridiculing is diminished. And that a very good reason not to ridicule others is an honest examination of ourselves.