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Humans really are fascinating creatures. We’ve explored outer space, invented the internet on a planet made of mud and sticks, discovered cures for life-threatening diseases, and created art so moving it can bring us to tears.
And yet, despite all these incredible achievements, there’s one thing we never seem to conquer: stupidity. Proof of that can be found in Reddit threads by users Afraid_Cake_8167 and ApexOverlordIsDrunk, who shared the quote, “Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups,” and asked others to name the best real-life examples.
Scroll down to see their answers, and if you’ve got more to add, don’t hold back.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Everything going on right now in America. The entire MAGA movement.
The only thing I'll say is I think what we are seeing is more ignorance than stupidity: people are being massively misinformed. Algorithmic selection of information availability is contributing mightily to this epidemic.
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#3
I can’t believe poor whites constantly vote to give tax cuts to billionaires. I understand how many of them can be bigots, I don’t understand why they constantly vote against their own pocketbook.
Geoffrey Scott 2 months ago
I am amazed, that someone living in a single-wide, who knows their boss is screwing them would slavishly support someone with a history of screwing people.
#4
U.S. elections.
Once when Adlai Stevenson was campaigning for president a woman in the crowd shouted “all the smart people are voting for you Senator!”, his response “that’s great ma’am, but I need a majority to win.”
Verena 2 months ago
This whole voting and party-concept in the US is outdated. It might have been a necessity when post was transported by carriage and traveling took weeks. It is healthy for a country if several parties compete, with half a dozen having a chance of the majority. Direct votes for persons and parties, translated into percentages of seats. At cut-off % to avoid having 24 parties in parliament. 6 to 8 is healthy, with 2 to 3 governing and the rest in opposition.
#7
The amount of animals we have made extinct and the pollution we unleashed on the planet.
Grumpy old man 2 months ago
The amount of people in general. 1918? 2 billion worldwide, localized climate change. 2025? 8 billion and everyone is doomed. Do you want Mad Max? Because this is how you get Mad Max.
#8
Conspiracy theorists. Like the ones who think democrats all drink the blood of virgin kids. Or that birds are really drones. The flat earthers who constantly prove themselves wrong. But how about Scientologist? They follow a "religion" MADE UP BY A SCI FI WRITER! A man who literally made a living writing fictional stories made a whole religion and everyone just jumped on board.
Lost Panda 2 months ago
Didn't the guy also make a comment about how making a religion would be easy before he did it, or was that just an urban legend I heard somewhere?
#9
Brexit.
SchadenFreudian Psychology 2 months ago
Too bad we can’t put all the right-wingers from every country on their own island. Away from the rest of the world.
#10
I’m saying this as a devout Christian- some Christians
Covid really sent me, as it was one of the more memorable times I watched people that claimed to be of the same faith, act anything but Christ-like
I believe in God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, heaven & hell- but also LOGIC. Like holy moly, seeing churches gather at the height of things, no masks, saying they wouldn’t let the government hold them back- only to later post on FB asking God why they lost meemaw and pawpaw so unexpectedly from Covid after they went to church and caught it.
Like, newsflash- that wasn’t God- that was them being selfish & reaping what they sowed!!!!
And the whole vaccine thing, like- yes, I believe in power in prayer, but I also believe God put intelligent people on this earth to create medicines, heal via surgery, and spread medical general knowledge for our benefit. It’s like that story where a city is flooding and assorted help comes by- a car, then a boat, then a helicopter, yet the man stranded on his roof denies each option to leave, saying God will save him…he drowns and asked God why he didn’t do anything and God replies saying he sent a car, a boat and a helicopter to help him.
(Also, for what it’s worth- I’m Christian but also pro-choice, pro-marry & love whoever you want, pro-religious freedom, etc. I have my faith, but i’d never use it to dictate how someone else should live or be).
Luke Branwen 2 months ago
Two things I really love to see - devout religious people who see some people of their faith are nutjobs, and firm atheists who see that not all religious people are nutjobs.
#11
Project 2025.
nottheactualphoto 2 months ago
It's pretty much a blueprint for a theocratic dictatorship. I used to be joking when I called the right the "forces of evil."
#12
People involved in religious violence.
Geoffrey Scott 2 months ago
Not following a "Christian Nation" proposal to it's logical conclusion. In the US, at least, that would mean everyone would have to practice saying mass as the Catholic church is, by far, the largest sect. I'm sure everyone would be happy with that...right?
#14
Anti-vaxxers.
TheMightyDontKneel61:
My uncles mate is one of them, started talking to me about chicken noodle soup being a cure all until I said "so all those polio people in the iron lungs just needed chicken noodle soup? That's what you're saying? CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP?"
Geoffrey Scott 2 months ago
I Have to constantly restrain myself from going all Lewis Black every time. "Are you FU**ING KIDDDING ME!!??"
#15
Flat earthers.
Khayaru:
Flat earthers are still so hard to grasp for me. They do it just for fun dont they?^
Jokes aside I had a colleague who ordered a book about flat earther stuff an more. And the reasoning as for why the stuff we know should be wrong is so hilariously stupid and bad.
Some stuff wanted to debunk anything about gravity, iirc with black holes, how we can see behind them due to gravity affecting the light. The reasoning for why this cant be true, was that if you look at a can of lemonade, you cant see what behind it. They asked, shouldnt the light bend around the can like for suns and black holes? It doesnt so its a myth....
Like, it does, but the can has a tiny bit less mass than the black hole. I just cant.... and you also cant reason with something like that.
#17
People panic buying 800 rolls of toilet paper during covid.
Robert Millar 2 months ago
Used to be able to use newspaper as a substitute, but now, you can't wipe with the Internet.
#18
Kanye fans.
SchadenFreudian Psychology 2 months ago
Kanye is mentally ill. Because he got popular, he gained a lot more influence than he really deserved.
#20
When the ocean at the beach suddenly pulls backward a mile and everyone goes running to catch up to the water. It never really worries them. Like, I don’t even live in an area where tsunamis happen, but if I see that happening, I’m running away, quickly.
Pandemonium 2 months ago
I think before December 26th, 2004 it was not common knowledge that a sea level drop precedes a tsunami, though I heard (not sure if true) that there were traditional peoples on some islands (Andamans?) where that knowledge had been preserved and passed down. It's probably much more widely known now - until we forget again.
#22
Everyone trying to leave a festival at the same time through the same one car gate. I myself just pull a few folding chairs outta my trunk, sit back, and people watch with my friends.
Happy Onion 2 months ago
Same with leaving any arena after an event. Just sit tight and let the lemmings waddle out en masse first.
#23
The Tide Pod Challenge.
Millions of people watched teens eat laundry detergent — and some actually joined in.
No agenda, no cause, no protest.
Just peer pressure, internet clout, and a complete collapse of common sense.
#24
World War I. Everyone was ready to cheer on war… until it turned into a 4-year meat grinder.
And 99% of other wars with public support throughout history, too.
#25
Social media.
#26
Here in Europe we have thousands of large groups of hooligans. Each time that there's a football match they devastate pubs, streets and entire neighborhoods. They behave like animals and fight against other hooligans and the police burning whatever they find on their way.
Yrral Spavit 2 months ago
Could never understand why grown men get so worked up watching other grown men playing.
#28
TikTok.
JK 2 months ago
This purported ban and then deal isn't going to make a difference. As usual, it is all posturing. I'm hoping someone does a study about all the stupid stunts, maiming and injuring, harmful pranks and encouraged deaths that has resulted from this stupid and useless "influencer" app.
#29
* Vague gesture towards the entire human history *.
Geoffrey Scott 2 months ago (edited)
I interpret this to mean our refusal to take what has been learned before and disregarding it/not learning from it. Covid and the 1918 epidemic springs to mind. Our (Michigan) governor shut our state down out of an abundance of caution, and many thought she was trying to 'rule the world'. Those same people in our private conversations admit she had no idea what to expect, nor did they and agreed it was the right course. And I agreed that not allowing folks to golf, fish or do construction work, with precautions, was a step too far. Huh! Compromise...
#30
Informal car meets.
No, your ability to drift the car isn't going to improve when you are high/drunk, being spectated by rowdy young men and have an illegally modified car.
JK 2 months ago (edited)
And the circles watching them. I wish young people would understand the risks of being hurt or killed at one of these "events". Where I live there are a lot of these. Street racing is also a problem. These kids don't know how to handle a vehicle, let alone a high powered one. EDIT: We also have a lot of car meetups where people show off their customized and tricked out cars, its a Mexican thing and its very cool. No challenges, just showing off proud work. Those are more mature than the street punks of today. EDIT2: a lot of those cars used in the meet up derbys are stolen.
#31
HOA board.
Michael Largey 2 months ago
Home owners associations are to nice neighborhoods what organized religion is to spirituality.
#32
Jonestown.
Granted, many of those people didn’t drink the Kool-aid willingly.
JK 2 months ago
I just watched a documentary on this, again, and it really disturbs me. We are currently unwillingly (1/2 of us at least) forced to drink the trump kool aid. I've said since before he was elected that his intention is to k**l as many Americans as he can through his policies. It is happening now, and there are no guardrails. S*****e rates in the US has gone up 9% since January. In New Mexico, a pedestrian bridge over a deep gorge was closed due to an uptick in people jumping. It is only going to go up as he continues his destructive policies on small businesses, health care and access to food and medicine.
#33
People on the internet laugh a lot about the gruesome fate of Dutch ex-leader* Johan de Witt in 1672, but it is a very good horrifying example of what the masses are capable off if you manipulate them by spreading lies to stir up their unrest and dissatisfaction. It was a deed that was not even normal by the standards of the time, and yet more and more people seem to have no care for the consequences of creating similar monsters these days.
*By the time the man was lynched, he had already stepped down from his position as grand pensionary of Holland.
Verena 2 months ago
The mega-short version: The de Witts were actually decent people, with lots of solid supporting plans to make life better for average citizens. But this wasn't in line with what the wealthy few wanted, so they spread rumours. De Witg stepoed down to avoid violent protests, but the aforementioned rich managed to persuade and manipulate normal decent people.
#34
The effect of Karents on schools and youth sports.
#35
The Koolaid drinking extremists of any political party.
Think man! Think! Followers are idiots.
Geoffrey Scott 2 months ago (edited)
Followers with no logical assessment abilities ARE idiots.
#36
Not a famous example but I once watched several hundred people stand in line for a music festival that didn't have a lineup because they all assumed the person in front of them was standing in line.
#38
Me and the girls when we go out 🙃.
Vincent Bevort 2 months ago
I always learned to start with the second and third persons. So: The girls and I ......
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What do you think ?
LillieMean 2 months ago
Conspiracy thinking is fueled by the lack of transparency in government operations and the restrictions on obtaining and producing information. If decisions are made far from citizens and responsibility is difficult to perceive, a sense of epistemic, or information-related, injustice and a lack of trust arise. Then alternative explanations are created to replace the views of the supposed elite or the majority in power. Conspiracy thinking can be a way to protect oneself from threats that seem uncontrollable. Note: I quoted this text from a Finnish news website because it was so well said and of course something changes a little when translated, but still. The person who said this is a professor of social psychology.
panda#13 2 months ago
The Rapture yesterday. People sold their cars, lost their jobs… just because of one guy on TikTok says he saw Jesus in a dream. And today- no Jesus, and all their lives are ruined.
wobbly jelly 2 months ago
never argue with stupid people - they drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
BrunoVI 2 months ago
.... and I can't help this one, despite the fact it's sort of political. So, people in America hate RFK Jr so much that just because he said consuming Tylenol while pregnant can be harmful to babies in utero, pregnant women are chowing down on Tylenol. One woman even killed herself, and another landed in a hospital. Lots of nations have warned pregnant women not to consume Tylenol while pregnant. Even Tylenol has.
BrunoVI 2 months ago
1) People who think those who disagree with them are stupid, especially on matters such as moral values, politics and religion. 2) People who angrily and persistently spout their beliefs in an echo chamber, and inform their notions of other people on what they hear in that echo chamber. 3) People who conflate hearing what those in their echo chamber excerpt what others say with hearing others' opinions. 4) People who don't realize they're in an echo chamber.
LillieMean 2 months ago
Conspiracy thinking is fueled by the lack of transparency in government operations and the restrictions on obtaining and producing information. If decisions are made far from citizens and responsibility is difficult to perceive, a sense of epistemic, or information-related, injustice and a lack of trust arise. Then alternative explanations are created to replace the views of the supposed elite or the majority in power. Conspiracy thinking can be a way to protect oneself from threats that seem uncontrollable. Note: I quoted this text from a Finnish news website because it was so well said and of course something changes a little when translated, but still. The person who said this is a professor of social psychology.
panda#13 2 months ago
The Rapture yesterday. People sold their cars, lost their jobs… just because of one guy on TikTok says he saw Jesus in a dream. And today- no Jesus, and all their lives are ruined.
wobbly jelly 2 months ago
never argue with stupid people - they drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
BrunoVI 2 months ago
.... and I can't help this one, despite the fact it's sort of political. So, people in America hate RFK Jr so much that just because he said consuming Tylenol while pregnant can be harmful to babies in utero, pregnant women are chowing down on Tylenol. One woman even killed herself, and another landed in a hospital. Lots of nations have warned pregnant women not to consume Tylenol while pregnant. Even Tylenol has.
BrunoVI 2 months ago
1) People who think those who disagree with them are stupid, especially on matters such as moral values, politics and religion. 2) People who angrily and persistently spout their beliefs in an echo chamber, and inform their notions of other people on what they hear in that echo chamber. 3) People who conflate hearing what those in their echo chamber excerpt what others say with hearing others' opinions. 4) People who don't realize they're in an echo chamber.
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