Comment by Freedom Gas on Is Stupidity Expanding? Some Hypotheses. · 2020-10-17T14:29:10.241Z · LW · GW

(Obvious and quite weak joke: This is an interesting topic but for some reason I didn't understand the original post.)

Slightly less obvious and more serious point, related to George's point 1.: Stupid Proud. As in, "I know I just said something stupid, but I despise all the experts trying to order me around, and so I persist in my stupidity, just to push back against them." This is akin to Trump lawn signs saying "Drive the Liberals Crazy Again in 2020!" -- the point is not to advance a policy or put forward a fact, but the taunt. (PLEASE, commentariat, do not leap on me for mentioning T.... : I would have used a Biden example if I had seen a sign saying "Rile the Rednecks in 2020!")

I remember hearing on an AM talk radio show, years ago, an argument between caller and host, which the caller was losing. With his back to the wall, the caller shouted his last line of defense against the host's argument: "Well, that is just what SMART PEOPLE THINK!" and hung up.