Reading through the various blog entries here in Montana and elsewhere, I am once again struck by what I can only characterize as willful stupidity. It simply amazes me that in the so called “information age”, that people would choose to be so ignorant. It really doesn’t matter what the subject matter is - Education, Health Care, Patriotism, Our Representatives… it all attracts those that seem to be bound and determined to be willfully, adamently, forcefully, and undeniably stupid.
Under normal circumstances, I really try to ignore these people. I have structured my life – in part – so that I don’t have to deal with most of these people. You see, these people are like my Kryptonite.
I don’t mean that these people will kill me or take away my superpowers (though one could argue that enough stupid people in large groups will be the downfall of us all). It is just that I can’t simply ignore them. It is like that sore tooth that your toungue keep worrying at when your attention wanes.
I know better.. I really do. Trying to argue with these people is a lesson in futility. They can’t be convinced that what they are saying is stupid and they certainly won’t see reason even if you grab them by the back of the head and submerge their head in reasonable argument until they drown. Moreover, they breed. First there is one stupid person, then another, and then you find yourself drowning in stupid people.
Now I honestly believe that the majority of the American Population isn’t stupid (or at least tries not to be). Sadly, these really stupid people seem to lower the IQ of those that aren’t stupid, though. Case in point. I got into a discussion with an old friend that I KNOW isn’t stupid. This young man has accomplished a lot for someone his age. He reasons well, he is capable of thinking for himself and he is a genuinely good person. Sadly, he has chosen to listen to the wrong people.
What we were discussing is moot. The fact is, though, that shortly after starting this reasonable and intellegent discussion, the stupids came out in force. Not just people who disagreed with me or him… I am talking the willfully stupid, ignorant type of people that blather incomprehensable arguments based on what they gleaned from Glenn Beck and Faux News. It was like a plague of stupid.
Any chance for reasonable discussion disappeared. The conversation rapidly devolved into this real idiot making completely unsupportable claims and insulting anyone that would care to point out his stupidity. In short, the conversation was over for all intents and purposes. This is where the “kryptonite” comes in.
I couldn’t let it go. It was like there was the internal directive that compelled me to attempt to educate this moron. Yes, yes, I know.. that isn’t possible, but it was like the knowledge that it wasn’t possible got shoved aside by the desire to reach through my screen and strangle the living shit out of this idiot. I was taken over by my baser instincts and wanted to crush this oozing pestule of slime. I quoted facts, statistics, even news stories from his own beloved Faux News – to no avail. Then it dawned on me (as it should have from the very beginning) – Nothing I say will change this idiot.
I honestly believe you can fix just about anything… except willful stupidity. There is no cure for that. It is a terminal disease. I need to keep telling myself that you can’t fix stupid and ignore these people. I need some lead shielding to protect me from my Kryptonite.