[TorrKing]

No where is the discrimination of this group more evident than amongst Peak Oilers. Many of the people I know and who I genuinely like are counted amongst the stupid. While most of the so-called smart ones I know often exhibit dysfunctional personality traits.

Of course, in our day and age, stupid people are very much looked down upon in general. You aren't supposed to be discriminating people for race, age, appearance, sex or whatever, but intelligence is the measure for about every position or job in our society. I wouldn't be surprised if we soon are handed identity cards with our IQ on them.

In regular society, many of YOU are considered stupid/insane. Have a look around, get out of the box, maybe they won't survive the collapse, but many of them are darned nice people. If you wern't so arrogant, maybe some of them would become your "followers" too.

And yes, I have been bashing stupid people too.

[dsula]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TorrKing', 'I') wouldn't be surprised if we soon are handed identity cards with our IQ on them.

[uNkNowN ElEmEnt]

Not sure what caused your rant... did you hurt or piss off a stupid person and are now paying for your own stupidity at saying soemthing stupid? Bah, we all have our moments.

In modern terms, people don't generally label those who are less mentally able as stupid per se, that is saved mostly for people who are arrogant about it. Unabashedly, unrepentantly stupid. (the former would be more accurately described as "limited").

We say someone is stupid when it might be more accurate to say they are thoroughly entrenched in doing something that might not be the wisest thing to do... ie: the darwin awards.

We say soemone is stupid when they are shooting off their mouths without haveing thought the matter through. Its not that they don't have the mental capacity to think about things, its that they choose not too. That my friend is true stupidity.

[IanC]

Torrking,

I think a lot of us here are frustrated with what we perceive to be a lack of understanding and interest in issues regarding resource depletion, ecological overshoot, and dieoff. We have taken a lot of time to educate ourselves and maybe even prepare for a different, probably painful future. When we look around us at mainstream culture and the vast majority of people in the world who are unconcerned with these issues and are daily, willingly, engaging in activities which are self-destructive and destructive to the community at large, we call them....stupid.

"Dumb" people are as willingly blind to how their actions condemn us to a dismal future as so-called "smart" people. It's the hypocrisy of the "smart" who are very aware of global warming and environmental issues, yet persist in flying and driving everywhere that really piss me off. They are the stupidest of the stupid stupid-heads.

-Ian
PDX

[Bas]

ah, In a way I think we're jealous of the ones that can go about their way without worrying, or feeling an urge to understand the bigger issues, smart or not. Sometimes jealous, and sometimes we despise "them". On the other hand, I'm not sure if I'd be interested in peakoil if everybody else was smart and totally in to it; one of the reasons I'm here is because PO isn't getting the attention it deserves in the wider world.

As for "dumb" people, I like some, dislike others but find it easier in general to talk and relate to people with "higher" intelligence.

ignorance is bliss, and being "intelligent" sometimes a curse.

[LastManInEurope]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TorrKing', 'N')o where is the discrimination of this group more evident than amongst Peak Oilers. Many of the people I know and who I genuinely like are counted amongst the stupid. While most of the so-called smart ones I know often exhibit dysfunctional personality traits.

[Cloud9]

The fear of a thing is usually worse than the thing itself. Once in a great while you may think you are walking into a shower only to find yourself in a gas chamber, but that usually is not the case.

I intend to pursue my life as though there is no end while discretely monitoring the exits.

[Picklepuss]

A recent line from the movie: "Stupid is as stupid does."

What degree of stupidity are we attempting to define? Or, are all levels fair game on this thread?

Assuming that those born with mental birth defects are not included, are we just talking about those people who are living the [place name of country here] Dream, who who believe in the Matrix with all of their being and will accept no nugget of reality, or, are we talking about Humanity in general: destroy every resource to worship the god of "sustained growth" AND do nothing to stop the destruction?

[btu2012]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Picklepuss', '
')What degree of stupidity are we attempting to define? Or, are all levels fair game on this thread?

[TheTurtle]

I split all the Nazi related thread drift off into its own thread in the Hall of Flames.

Please continue the Holocaust discussion there and keep this thread as the OP intended it.

Thanks.

[bl00k]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TorrKing', 'H')ave a look around, get out of the box, maybe they won't survive the collapse, but many of them are darned nice people. If you wern't so arrogant, maybe some of them would become your "followers" too.

[BigTex]

People vent their frustration here that something as obvious as PO somehow escapes most people. It's easy to say that people who are content to overlook such a direct threat on their way of life are stupid.

Most of them are not stupid, they are just apathetic about something as esoteric as PO (esoteric in the present tense anyway). There is also the cognitive dissonance issue that keeps people from grasping concepts that are inconsistent with their worldview.

I enjoy talking to people about PO, but when they start to look at me like they either don't understand why it matters or they are just tired of talking about it, I let it go.

It's kind of like people who work in fast food restaurants. It's not that they're stupid, they just don't care that much about whether your drive through order is exactly right. Most people feel about PO the way the fast food employee feels about whether your food is exactly right. Saying they are stupid is mostly just venting, I think (though undoubtedly SOME of the them are actually stupid).

[Dan_Browne]

Well for what it's worth I consider myself to be stupid.
I have made dumb mistakes due to blind panic caused by "oh shit the collapse could be next week".

I freaked during the 2003 blackouts for example.

[hubbertspeak7777777]

I feel pretty Goddamn stupid sometimes. Maybe it's something to do with that head injury when I was 12.

But at least I'm not dumb enough to fall for those "get rich quick" schemes. I've also never fallen for those pyramid schemes. That must count for something, eh?

[ccricers]

I don't like using the word "sheeple" to describe this group. Smacks of a high-horse attitude. And it just makes us look intolerant towads a large group of people.

"Stupid" people are not stupid, they are maybe just more stubborn than us to see the world in a different way. It could be worse, like maybe ALL non PO-ers are neo-cons, and have an open hatred towards foreign races and cultures.

Good thing you made this topic here. If you said this kind of thing in the LATOC forums, you would probably be flamed for not giving the doomers more credit. I find these forums to be more open-minded and filled with more backgrounds and walks of life.

[BigTex]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ccricers', 'I') don't like using the word "sheeple" to describe this group. Smacks of a high-horse attitude. And it just makes us look intolerant towads a large group of people.

"Stupid" people are not stupid, they are maybe just more stubborn than us to see the world in a different way. It could be worse, like maybe ALL non PO-ers are neo-cons, and have an open hatred towards foreign races and cultures.

Good thing you made this topic here. If you said this kind of thing in the LATOC forums, you would probably be flamed for not giving the doomers more credit. I find these forums to be more open-minded and filled with more backgrounds and walks of life.

[CephloProcto]

Well, ah, hmmm

Do you have to be Stupid to be Ignorant , or
Ignorant to be Stupid ?

Have been both, it's so confusing.

[s0cks]

What a strange topic.

I don't consider atomic rocket scientists to be stupid. I don't consider PhD's to be stupid. But that doesn't mean they can see Peak Oil.

They are just uneducated on this particular subject. And most people are uneducated on many topics. Real knowledge (stuff that matters) is not taught at schools. You must find it yourslef. How many of us were introduced to peak oil at school?

There are those who are genuinly dumb. Who have a low IQ. We tend to mingle with people with a similiar intelligence level to us because otherwise we would become socially "bored". I for one do not find a conversation on "dope", football, or celebrities particularly stimulating (it doesn't mean I don't like it though), and I would rather befriend someone who wants to talk about, and can contribute, to the state of the world economy or resource depletion.

Does this mean I should be allowed to be-little people of lower IQ? I guess morally no. But have you tried talking to these "stupid" people about peak oil? Their unwillingness to even comprehend such a problem exists is my ticket to ridicule them Or atlest the ones who I know don't want to listen.

[drew]

I don't mind dumb people as long as they are not mean. The dumbness grows tiring though.

I see/talk to many ordinary folks everyday, in fact it is rare for me to run into anyone with anything more than high school. Their lack of education mostly comes in the form of ignorance.

Dumbness combined with mean-spiritedness in combination with ignorance really takes the cake though.


Drew

[MrBill]

Drew wrote:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'D')umbness combined with mean-spiritedness in combination with ignorance really takes the cake though.