Stupidity

Someone once said, “Don’t worry that people are going to steal your ideas. If they are any good, you are going to have to shove them down their throats.” Stupid people are impervious to good ideas, and they are attracted to bad ones. Whether resisting good ideas or arguing for bad ones, truly stupid people rely heavily on bafflegab and blither. Truly stupid people do not know that they are stupid, and they probably agree with everything I have to say about them. However, they think I am talking about someone else.

The smartest people I have ever known have been able to express their ideas in simple language, and I try to do the same. Smart people question themselves as a matter of course. Smart people are entertained by their own mistakes. Being wrong is part of the process. Not being afraid to make mistakes is a prerequisite to success.

Contrary to what one might think, stupidity is not an impediment to advancement. Stupidity is an auspicious characteristic for those who want to get ahead. A lack of credentials can kill you, but stupidity will never hold you back. Perhaps the truly stupid rise to high positions precisely because they are too dull witted to imagine a goal more worth pursuing than power and prestige.

Once, I worked with a product manager who opposed my every idea. I asked him why, and he said that he was afraid. Either I was a genius, or I was wrong. If I was wrong, he knew that he had to oppose me. If I was a genius, he knew that I was dangerous. Either way, I had to be stopped. Needless to say, he stopped me. I made the mistake of ignoring him and concentrating on the work.

I have never tried to achieve power. Hence, I write cranky rants about stupidity. I am tempted to ask myself if this is the best use of my time, but it is probably best not to over-think it. I doubt that I am a genius, but I am clever enough not to dwell on this. What can come of it?