It is more accurate to say that the difference between stupid people and smart people is that smart people can be proved wrong.
you mean smart people are more open to be proven wrong?
Smart people don't think others are stupid
31–40 of 130 posts
Re: Smart people don't think others are stupid
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
But people tend to fixate on their first impression of others. It's very common to see someone do something stupid once, and then assume they're stupid forever-or the opposite. It's definitely worth recognizing the first impression bias, and doing your best to fight it.
Fundamental attribution error from social psychology - you tend to attribute errors by others to their intrinsic flaws (stupidity, poor judgment, clumsiness) but your own errors to circumstances (I was tired, they tricked me, it was slippery).
Thank you! I was trying to remember the name but couldn't.
Re: Smart people don't think others are stupid
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
But people tend to fixate on their first impression of others. It's very common to see someone do something stupid once, and then assume they're stupid forever-or the opposite. It's definitely worth recognizing the first impression bias, and doing your best to fight it.
Actually there's interesting research on this.. I wish I could remember where I read it - I think a Malcolm Gladwell book. In general, we only need to see someone being smart once and then we will forever label them as smart. It's as if being smart is an achievement and they've proven they're capable. However, in general we only need to see someone being evil once, and we will forever label them as evil. It's as if t…
From his book Blink probably.
Re: Smart people don't think others are stupid
#34Human brain capabilities differ, just like computer processors. Failing to realize that is stupid.
Right, but brain capability is not a one dimensional quantity, and measurements of it are time-varying and noisy. This suggests that one shouldn't jump to conclusions before careful measurement, and that it is not trivial to compare measurements from different people along just one axis.
Re: Smart people don't think others are stupid
#35But insecure people do see others are stupid.
Re: Smart people don't think others are stupid
#36Nearly 15 percent of people worldwide believe the world will end during their lifetime and 10 percent think the Mayan calendar could signify it will happen in 2012, according to a new poll.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/01/us-mayancalendar-p...
^at LEAST 15% of the world is stupid. That's just getting started. That's one poll, about one thing.
Re: Smart people don't think others are stupid
#37The author makes an interesting point; however, he seems to make the same assumptions that he is actively protesting. If smart people do X, then would not doing X mean people are not smart?
This generalization that can be inferred from the article--as well as demonstrated in this comment section--seems to fall into this same trap.
As a reader of "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People", I think there is a better way to go about this. Rather than "smart people do X [therefore if you do not do X, you are not smart]"; it should be: people do X, which is smarter than doing Y.
People can change. If they have a consistent ability to do stupid things, it just means they are acting in poor judgement and possibly could use help. If they fail to accept help, or are too headstrong/temperamental/can-never-be-wrong then it just means that their behavior and mindset should change [in order to be more productive].
Although, I would sometimes choose a less-intelligent person that is of no fault of their own, than a willingly ignorant person who should know better, but does not act it.
Re: Smart people don't think others are stupid
#38So according to him, if you think others are stupid, then you are stupid. What irony.
Re: Smart people don't think others are stupid
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
But people tend to fixate on their first impression of others. It's very common to see someone do something stupid once, and then assume they're stupid forever-or the opposite. It's definitely worth recognizing the first impression bias, and doing your best to fight it.
Fundamental attribution error from social psychology - you tend to attribute errors by others to their intrinsic flaws (stupidity, poor judgment, clumsiness) but your own errors to circumstances (I was tired, they tricked me, it was slippery).
The world would be a much better place, IMO, if everyone ever knew about this cognitive bias and was reminded of it periodically.
Re: Smart people don't think others are stupid
#40Interesting choice including Republican and Democrat, there.
I don't think they're stupid, but if someone identifies themselves as "a Republican" or "a Democrat", as opposed to "the Republican party best fits my views", or "I'm a registered Democrat", I pretty much write off any chance of having a decent political discussion with them.
A large segment of the population follows politics the way they follow football, except without even watching the games, just the commentary and opinion pieces afterwards.
Smart people also triage their time so as to not waste it going down likely unproductive avenues.
But it's just a numbers game; there are invariably going to be people a level above me intellectually who this will filter out. But I can live with that.