I’ve met some really “stupid” people just existing in the oddest places—from the person taking your order at McDonald’s to high-powered politicians.
I mean, stupid is an adjective we use to describe things, and I try to understand how some of these people got to where they are—or even how they’ve managed to live as long as they have. I try to slow down and think, “Okay, that thing they’re doing is a stupid thing to do.”
But having worked with all kinds of people, I see them every day—watching how they tackle simple, everyday tasks. And sometimes, I just can’t help thinking how stupid some of them are. Not just because they do stupid things, but because every little thing they do, I’d naturally do differently—and probably in a more efficient way (obviously depending on the situation).
It’s like making coffee. If I learned to do it by pouring in the milk first, then the hot water, then sugar, and finally the instant coffee—and then I find myself annoyed by that thick layer of coffee granules floating on top—yet I keep making it the exact same way every time... that’s just stupid. Not even trying to vary the method in any way? That’s what makes it dumb (in my opinion).
I’ve heard people quote Einstein saying: “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.”
Now, I don’t think that’s really insanity. But yeah, maybe an insane person would do that. Then again, insane is a condition—not an adjective. Right? I think if you do the same exact thing over and over again expecting a different result, it’s not insane... it’s just stupid. Or maybe you’re being an idiot.
Whenever I failed at something and someone hit me with that quote, I’d usually stop and think. And the next time I tried again—maybe I’d do something similar, but I’d at least change something. I get that doing something similar can look like doing the same thing, but if you change even one variable in the equation, it’s not the same thing.
Like, if I grab a saw and try to cut through a piece of wood by stroking it once—and it doesn’t cut all the way through—why would I keep doing that exact motion expecting it to suddenly work the next time?
A lot of things can be seen that way. There’s another example people use: throwing all the parts of an airplane—or any other complex object—into the air, and saying that if you do it enough times, they’ll eventually assemble themselves and land as a complete unit. Same principle. If I were to throw all the parts the same exact way every time, with no wind or changing gravity, the result would always be the same. And that’s when someone would drop that annoying quote.
I think everybody is just as capable as anybody else. If I can take apart a scooter and put it back together, I honestly believe that if I taught someone else how to do it, they’d be able to as well. What comes into play here is the willingness to actually try to learn—or whether they’re even interested in the subject. Learning speed also varies from person to person, but I think that often depends on their interest in the topic, or the teacher.
I never liked history very much because it involved memorizing facts about boring topics. The teachers I had would just tell us to read the book, and then plant a test in front of us. I don’t know if the problem was that I didn’t find the subject interesting, or that the teacher made it worse—but I think that’s the case for a lot of people.
In some cases, the same “stupid people” I once thought were dumb turned out to be very skilled—even experts—in other areas. I think I’m starting to believe that we, as humans, are just not going to fully understand these kinds of things.
A lot of times, I’ve seen people manage their lives on autopilot—just handling everyday tasks without thinking. I’ve done this a lot myself. And now, I’m trying to grab the steering wheel of my life again. It’s hard to do, because I feel like I let autopilot take over for way too long.
