Bad day Quote by Bauvard
““Einstein’s remark on the limitlessness of human stupidity is made even more disturbing by the discovery that infinity comes in different sizes. Answering ‘How much stupider?’ or trying to measure the minimal idiocy bounded by an IQ test are mysteries which are themselves infinitely less alarming than simply attempting to tally the anti-savant population. One can count all the natural idiots (they’re the same as the even number of idiots – twice as many), but the number of real idiots continues forever: all the counting idiots (finger reckoners) plus all the fractional idiots (geniuses on a bad day) plus all the irrational idiots (they go on and on and on) add up to a world in which the approaching upper limit of our set of natural resources has its complement in the inexhaustible lower limit of our set of mental ones.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Satirical commentary on intelligence, 2010s
Human stupidity is limitless and comes in many forms, making measurement futile.
In simple terms: Stupidity is endless and varied.
Key Takeaway
Accept limits of measuring intelligence.
Themes
humor
philosophy
critique
human nature
Mood
sarcastic
critical
Type
philosophical
satirical
When to use this quote
- education
- policy making
- public discourse
Key Concepts
infinite sets
cognitive bias
relativism
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this say about how we value intelligence?
- How can societies address widespread irrationality?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on IQ can ignore broader societal issues.
