Bonhoeffer’s Theory of Stupidity

“Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than evil,” wrote Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian. Penning this sentence ten years after the accession of Adolf Hitler, these words reflected tough lessons soaked in blood. Bonhoeffer formed part of a small circle of resistance to the dictator in Germany (Peter Burns in a recent article explains Bonhoeffer’s Theory of Stupidity).

You can fight evil. You can expose it. Evil makes people uneasy. As Bonhoeffer continued, “evil carries with itself the seeds of its own destruction.” To prevent willful malice, you can always erect barriers to stop its spread. Against stupidity you are defenseless.

“Against stupidity we have no defense. Neither protests nor force can touch it. Reasoning is of no use. Facts that contradict personal prejudices can simply be disbelieved — indeed, the fool can counter by criticizing them, and if they are undeniable, they can just be pushed aside as trivial exceptions. So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self-satisfied. In fact, they can easily become dangerous, as it does not take much to make them aggressive. For that reason, greater caution is called for than with a malicious one. Never again will we try to persuade the stupid person with reasons, for it is senseless and dangerous.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Source: https://sproutsschools.com

After writing down those words, Bonhoeffer was soon arrested. He died two years later, executed in a concentration camp by the Nazis. The man lived in what now seems like a completely different era. Yet, the ideas he left us with have an application in any century. For stupidity hasn’t disappeared. It is eternal.

 “If we want to know how to get the better of stupidity, we must seek to understand its nature,” wrote Bonhoeffer in his treatise. And the nature of stupidity has its roots deep in the subconscious. It is driven by the fundamental mechanics of the human experience. As ancient philosophers noted, humans are social animals. It is this very sociability that is at the base of stupidity.

“We note further that people who have isolated themselves from others or who live in solitude manifest this defect less frequently than individuals or groups of people inclined or condemned to sociability. And so it would seem that stupidity is perhaps less a psychological than a sociological problem.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Stupidity is a group phenomenon. An individual can act stupidly, but that has no effect on the greater whole. However, when a group acts stupidly, that greatly impacts the individual, compounding the entire effect. 

Herd behavior is among the pre-eminent causes of stupidity. Numerous scientific studies have shown how individual humans can be swayed by the crowd to adopt positions which go against all logic. In a classic examinationof human folly, psychologist Solomon Asch looked at how individual people respond to the majority group around them.

 “The power of the one needs the stupidity of the other. The process at work here is not that particular human capacities, for instance, the intellect, suddenly atrophy or fail. Instead, it seems that under the overwhelming impact of rising power, humans are deprived of their inner independence, and, more or less consciously, give up establishing an autonomous position toward the emerging circumstances. The fact that the stupid person is often stubborn must not blind us to the fact that he is not independent. — Dietrich Bonhoeffer

People overcome with stupidity act as if possessed. Their logical part of the brain is shut down. Such a person starts acting as a political zombie, with whom any type of logic or discussion of facts fails. Instead, they function on the level of slogans, catchwords, and low-level rallying cries.

Stupidity facilitates the process of the capture of society by spineless, evil forces. A narrative is created that incorporates simple explanations for complex problems, offering “solutions” and scapegoats. Whoever doesn’t conform to this standard orthodoxy becomes the “other”, an enemy to be destroyed.

The 21st century is seeing these internal failures of the human mind unfold in full swing. Pro-Trump rallies, the attack on The Capitol, the “Big Lies” by Trump,  the slogan “Brexit is Brexit” and no one knew what it meant. Not even the Brexiteers.

Are our politicians doing the same?

Myocho Kan believes so and I reproduce the viral post (reduced and adapted):

Instead of learning and empowering, they ask for vernacular schools to be shut so that all students are equally low in intellect and intelligence.

Instead of enhancing the economy, they call for cap on retirement so that young graduates have a job.

Instead of being prudent and put an effort in building the economy, they say doing business in Malaysia is cheaper.

Instead of developing the economy, they ask the People to grow their own veges and rear their own produce.

Instead of learning, they ban other languages and force through their own.

Instead of studying to do business, they hijack businesses through quotas and permits.

Instead of managing the “sin” activities, they ban 4D and allow illegal and online gaming to flourish.

Reference:

Bonhoeffer’s Theory of Stupidity explains the world perfectly, Peter Burns

(https://medium.com)