The 5 Laws of Human Stupidity: Why You Should Never Underestimate the Power of Stupid People
Have you ever wondered why some people act so stupidly and cause trouble for themselves and others? Have you ever felt frustrated by the stupidity of your boss, your co-worker, your neighbor, or your family member? Have you ever wished you could avoid stupid people altogether?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re not alone. Stupidity is a common problem that affects all aspects of human life. It can ruin your plans, waste your time, make you lose money, and even endanger your health and safety.
But what is stupidity and how can we recognize and deal with it?
Luckily, there is a brilliant and funny essay on this topic written by Carlo M. Cipolla, a famous professor of economic history at the University of California, Berkeley. He wrote it in 1976, but it’s still relevant today. It’s called “The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity” and it explains five laws that confirm our worst fears: stupid people are everywhere and they are dangerous.
Here are the five laws of human stupidity according to Cipolla:
Law #1: Always and inevitably, each of us underestimates the number of stupid individuals in the world
We all know that there are stupid people in the world. But Cipolla says that we don’t realize how many they are and how much they affect our lives and society. He says that “any numerical estimate would prove to be an underestimate”.
Think about it: how many times have you met someone who seemed smart but then turned out to be stupid? How many times have you gone out to the street and seen people doing stupid things that annoy or harm you or others? How many times have you watched the news and wondered how some people can be so stupid?
The truth is that stupid people are everywhere and they can pop up at any moment to mess up your day.
Law #2: The probability that a certain person is stupid is independent of any other characteristic of the same person
Cipolla says that stupidity is not related to any other trait, such as hair color, eye color, gender, age, education, or social status. Stupidity is just another characteristic that some people have and others don’t.
That means that you can find stupid people in any group or category of society. It doesn’t matter if they are rich or poor, young or old, male or female, educated or uneducated. You can even find stupid people among your friends, your family, or your colleagues.
Cipolla cites a study that showed that the level of stupidity was the same among different groups of people at a university: janitors, staff, students, and teachers. He concludes that “whether you practice elegant circles or you take refuge among the Polynesian head cutters, you lock yourself in a monastery or decide to spend the rest of your life in the company of beautiful women, the fact remains that you must always face the same percentage of stupid people”.
Law #3: A stupid person is one who causes harm to another person or group without at the same time obtaining a benefit for himself or even damaging himself
Cipolla doesn’t define stupidity as a lack of intelligence or knowledge. He defines it as a lack of relational intelligence. He says that when we interact with others we can either benefit ourselves and others (intelligent behavior), benefit ourselves and harm others (bandit behavior), harm ourselves and benefit others (helpless behavior), or harm ourselves and others (stupid behavior).
He says that a stupid person is one who causes harm to another person or group without getting any benefit for himself or even hurting himself. For example, a stupid person might cut you off in traffic without gaining any advantage but risking an accident. Or a stupid person might spread false rumors about you without having any reason but damaging your reputation.
Cipolla says that this kind of behavior is irrational and unpredictable. He says that “the stupid ones are more fearsome than Mafia, the military-industrial complex or the Communist International. They’re an unorganized group, without a leader or norm, but in spite of that, they act in perfect harmony, as guided by an invisible hand”.
Law #4: Non-stupid people always underestimate the damaging power of stupid individuals
Cipolla says that non-stupid people tend to be naive and optimistic. They think that stupid people are harmless and that they can be reasoned with or ignored. They don’t realize how much damage stupid people can cause and how difficult it is to stop them.
He says that non-stupid people make two mistakes: they forget law #1 (there are more stupid people than we think) and they confuse stupidity with other traits, such as ignorance, incompetence, or malice. He says that “the non-stupid are often surprised by the actions of the stupid and spend a lot of time and energy trying to find explanations for them”.
He warns that non-stupid people should never underestimate the power of stupid people. He says that “the stupid ones are capable of causing harm to anyone, anywhere and at any time”. He also says that “the stupid ones are the only ones who can cause losses to others without gaining anything for themselves”.
Law #5: A stupid person is the most dangerous type of person
Cipolla adds a corollary to the fifth law: “A stupid person is more dangerous than a bandit”. He explains that intelligent people, regardless of their intent, are predictable and rational. They act in ways that make sense and that can be understood and anticipated.
He says that bandits, who benefit themselves and harm others, are also predictable and rational. They act in ways that serve their interests and that can be countered or negotiated with.
He says that helpless people, who harm themselves and benefit others, are also predictable and rational. They act in ways that reflect their altruism or weakness and that can be exploited or helped.
But he says that stupid people, who harm themselves and others, are unpredictable and irrational. They act in ways that don’t make sense and that can’t be explained or anticipated. They cause harm for no reason and without any benefit.
He says that stupid people are the most dangerous type of person because they can ruin any plan, project, or relationship. They can create chaos and destruction without any motive or logic. They can hurt anyone, anytime, anywhere.
He says that “the only way to defend oneself from a stupid person is to keep him at a distance”. He also says that “the only way to reduce the damage caused by a stupid person is to limit his power”.
Conclusion
Cipolla’s 5 Laws of Human Stupidity are a brilliant and humorous way to understand and cope with one of the biggest problems of human life: stupidity. By learning these laws, we can become more aware of the presence and influence of stupid people in our lives and society. We can also learn how to recognize and avoid them as much as possible.
Of course, we should also remember that we are not immune to stupidity ourselves. We should always try to be honest with ourselves and check our own behavior against these laws. We should always try to be intelligent, or at least not stupid.
As Cipolla said: “The first basic law tells us that one way or another we are all stupid. This fact should fill us with humility”.
