
Why stupidity is worse than evil, and what we can do to fight it.
You’ve probably heard the saying that arguing with an idiot is like playing chess with a pigeon. The pigeon knocks over the pieces, makes a mess, and flies away, claiming it won. It’s funny, sure, but also a little terrifying when you think about it. As the theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer once pointed out, stupidity isn’t just frustrating—it’s far more dangerous than evil.
Evil, as Bonhoeffer explained, tends to self-destruct. Once we recognize something is evil, people with good intentions band together to resist it. We know how to fight evil because we know what it looks like.
Stupidity, though? That’s trickier. For one thing, we’re much more tolerant of it. Nobody gets called out for being ignorant the way they would for being malicious. And worse, the stupid person is impossible to reason with—like that pigeon at the chessboard. They’re not interested in facts or debate.
Evil’s Secret Weapon. What makes stupidity so dangerous is that it’s a tool. Evil people love having stupid people on their side. It’s hard for someone with bad intentions to seize power on their own, but pair them with someone who’s ignorant yet confident? Suddenly, you’ve got a force to be reckoned with.
History shows us again and again that stupidity doesn’t stop someone from being powerful. And once evil gets its hooks into a person who doesn’t think critically, it can use them to spread lies, chaos, and harm.
Clueless and Confident. Here’s where David Dunning’s research comes in. He discovered something fascinating (and a little depressing): people who are bad at something don’t realize they’re bad at it.
This is because the skills you need to be good at something are the same skills you need to recognize how bad you are. If you’re clueless, you don’t know enough to notice your own cluelessness. This is now called the Dunning-Kruger Effect, and it explains why some people can be wildly overconfident despite being completely wrong.
It’s not just a quirk of human psychology—it’s a recipe for disaster. Overconfidence paired with ignorance creates the perfect storm of stubbornness. These people think they’re right, and no amount of logic or evidence can convince them otherwise.
Why Is This a Big Deal? Well, stupidity doesn’t just hurt the individual—it allows evil to thrive. A stupid person doesn’t need to be malicious to cause harm; they just need to be manipulated by someone who is. It’s why societies can sometimes be overtaken not just by evil leaders but by armies of people who have no idea they’re doing something wrong.
So how do we how make sure the chessboard stays intact—and the pigeons don’t take over?
Start Here. Encouraging critical thinking starts with showing some humility—being willing to admit when you’re wrong or don’t know something. Combine that with really listening to others’ viewpoints, not just waiting for your turn to talk, and you create space for real conversations. On top of that, make it a habit to ask for evidence and question where information is coming from.
We can’t depend on anyone else to do our fact-checking for us. These small steps, though, can make a big difference in creating a culture that values curiosity and thoughtful conversation.
What do you think? Click the links here for more information + great tips on spotting fake news across the political spectrum. Comments? Please leave them below, along with your questions and impressions.
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