---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Stupidity always has been the unfortunate…"
description: "\"Stupidity always has been the unfortunate side effect of too much privilege. Nowhere has this been truer than in the United States, where people routin..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/norah-vincent-3829_only_stupidity-always-has-been-the-unfortunat_2386925.jpg"
---

#  Stupidity always has been the unfortunate side effect of…

![“Stupidity always has been the unfortunate side effect of too much privilege. Nowhere has this been truer than in the United States, where people routinely espouse untenable political positions that only a spoiled child would ever entertain.” quote by Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/norah-vincent-3829_only_stupidity-always-has-been-the-unfortunat_2386925.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/norah-vincent-3829_only_stupidity-always-has-been-the-unfortunat_2386925.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/norah-vincent-3829_only_stupidity-always-has-been-the-unfortunat_2386925.jpg)

> “Stupidity always has been the unfortunate side effect of too much privilege. Nowhere has this been truer than in the United States, where people routinely espouse untenable political positions that only a spoiled child would ever entertain.”

[Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Excessive privilege can blind people, leading them to hold unreasonable political views.

**In simple terms:** Privilege can cause blind, extreme opinions.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and check the influence of privilege.

Themes

privilege politics blindness

Mood

critical reflective

Type

analytical observational

When to use this quote

- political debates
- policy making
- media consumption

Key Concepts

social inequality cognitive bias

Questions to Reflect On

- How does privilege shape your political beliefs?
- Can awareness of privilege reduce extreme positions?

A Different Perspective

Privilege may not be the sole cause of extreme views.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Effect Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effect-privilege-5930944/) [Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/) [Privilege Truer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege-truer-5930943/) [Side](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/side/) [Stupidity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupidity/) [Stupidity Unfortunate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupidity-unfortunate-3218011/)

## Related quotes

> [“Stupidity is an unfortunate consequence of lousy genetic heritage. Ignorance is a choice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-manahan/stupidity-is-an-unfortunate-consequence-of-lousy-genetic-heritage/)

[Rowan Manahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-manahan/)

> [I'm lucky because I have the ability to look at the brighter side of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phaneesh-murthy/i-m-lucky-because-i-have-the-ability-to-look-at-the-brighter-side-of/)

[Phaneesh Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phaneesh-murthy/)

> [I don't have a huge amount of gear, but on the software side, I have a number of plug-in chains that act as abstracted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hopkins/i-don-t-have-a-huge-amount-of-gear-but-on-the-software-side-i-have-a/)

[Jon Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hopkins/)

> [Take control of who you report to, what you do, what you create. Or start a business on the side. Deliver some value, any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/take-control-of-who-you-report-to-what-you-do-what-you-create-or/)

[James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/)

> [I was brought up by the English side of my family, who are very repressed and working class. Absolutely lovely, but very English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bat-for-lashes/i-was-brought-up-by-the-english-side-of-my-family-who-are-very/)

[Bat for Lashes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bat-for-lashes/)

> [Self-deprecating humour is a common form of comedy and it helps get the audience on side because you're being vulnerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-brooker/self-deprecating-humour-is-a-common-form-of-comedy-and-it-helps-get/)

[Alex Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-brooker/)

> [At the outset, my notion of being a writer was that you would have moments of inspiration and moments of frustration, when you'd crumple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rachman/at-the-outset-my-notion-of-being-a-writer-was-that-you-would-have/)

[Tom Rachman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rachman/)

> [For the Russian masses, the proletarians, knew for certain, and already saw during the war, and in part before their very eyes, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-gorter/for-the-russian-masses-the-proletarians-knew-for-certain-and-already/)

[Herman Gorter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-gorter/)

> [The physio side probably stemmed from the knocks I got as a player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-paisley/the-physio-side-probably-stemmed-from-the-knocks-i-got-as-a-player/)

[Bob Paisley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-paisley/)

> [I realized I couldn't be a journalist because I like to take a side, to have an opinion and a point a view; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/i-realized-i-couldn-t-be-a-journalist-because-i-like-to-take-a-side/)

[Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/)

> [When I first started making music, it was learning other people's songs and putting them onto four-track. Like Beatles songs and stuff. When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-ward/when-i-first-started-making-music-it-was-learning-other-people-s/)

[M. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-ward/)

> [When I pitched the show, I made this special seashell. You could pick it up and hear me singing, 'Spongeboy, Spongeboy!' I also made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hillenburg/when-i-pitched-the-show-i-made-this-special-seashell-you-could-pick/)

[Stephen Hillenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hillenburg/)

> [I have tried to treat people on the other side civilly and look for common ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-klobuchar/i-have-tried-to-treat-people-on-the-other-side-civilly-and-look-for/)

[Amy Klobuchar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-klobuchar/)

> [So I concentrated on the rhythmic side of things, and therefore left a lot of holes. I didn't want to use big pad chords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/midge-ure/so-i-concentrated-on-the-rhythmic-side-of-things-and-therefore-left-a/)

[Midge Ure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/midge-ure/)

> [The system in Germany is different, as you sign up with a company for two or three years, and you work exclusively with them;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wlaschiha/the-system-in-germany-is-different-as-you-sign-up-with-a-company-for/)

[Tom Wlaschiha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wlaschiha/)

## More by Norah Vincent

> [Smokers, like so many of us, are mavericks when they're healthy but parasites when they're not. They trash their bodies and then expect the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/smokers-like-so-many-of-us-are-mavericks-when-they-re-healthy-but/)

[Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/)

> [Isn't it curious how quickly a conservative becomes a libertarian when he's caught sinning? There's a lesson in that somewhere, if only the Christian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/isn-t-it-curious-how-quickly-a-conservative-becomes-a-libertarian/)

[Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/)

> [The feminist establishment has made choice a woman's issue. The Christian right has made life a religious issue. Both have made loyalty crucial. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/the-feminist-establishment-has-made-choice-a-woman-s-issue-the/)

[Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/)

> [The twin causes Bin Laden invokes are Islam and Arab self-determination, and armies rise to serve him. No need to convert or dogmatize. Believers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/the-twin-causes-bin-laden-invokes-are-islam-and-arab-self/)

[Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/)

> [Private academic institutions admit the children of alumni because substantial parts of their operating budgets come from the financial contributions of alumni.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/private-academic-institutions-admit-the-children-of-alumni-because/)

[Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/)

> [My gender has roots in my brain, possibly biochemical ones, living very close to the roots of my self-image... Far, far closer than my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/my-gender-has-roots-in-my-brain-possibly-biochemical-ones-living-very/)

[Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/)

> [Race is not the stumbling block to progress it once was, in large part because the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it illegal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/race-is-not-the-stumbling-block-to-progress-it-once-was-in-large-part/)

[Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/)

> [We are a nation of savages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/we-are-a-nation-of-savages/)

[Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/)

> [Practically as soon as the towers hit the ground on Sept. 11, pundits of the left like Noam Chomsky and Susan Sontag took advantage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/practically-as-soon-as-the-towers-hit-the-ground-on-sept-11-pundits/)

[Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/)

> [Americans love a morality tale, especially one that's been taken from real life. We like facile categories of good and bad, and we like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/americans-love-a-morality-tale-especially-one-that-s-been-taken-from/)

[Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/)

> [People who dislike Oprah's Book Club dislike it for the same reason that they dislike Barnes & Noble. The fact that the two do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/people-who-dislike-oprah-s-book-club-dislike-it-for-the-same-reason/)

[Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/)

> [The candidates who get themselves elected are illusionists and prevaricators of the first order. We expect this of them. They're a reflection of us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/the-candidates-who-get-themselves-elected-are-illusionists-and/)

[Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/)

> [I learned that gender identity runs very deep in all of us, very near the center of our sense of self and messing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/i-learned-that-gender-identity-runs-very-deep-in-all-of-us-very-near/)

[Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/)

> [You've got to lie skillfully to get elected, because you've got to convince a whole zoo of self-involved ciphers that you've got every one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/you-ve-got-to-lie-skillfully-to-get-elected-because-you-ve-got-to/)

[Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/)

> [Publishers and writers are desperate to cash in on the latest craze, be it baseball, the founding fathers or jihad. Their livelihoods depend on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/publishers-and-writers-are-desperate-to-cash-in-on-the-latest-craze/)

[Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/)

[Explore all 121 Norah Vincent quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/)

## More Only quotes

> [It is only because of the love of masses that I am campaigning for the SP.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaya-prada/it-is-only-because-of-the-love-of-masses-that-i-am-campaigning-for/)

[Jaya Prada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaya-prada/)

> [If I don't know who I'm writing for, I make it up and pick somebody I'm writing for. That's really the only way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-mazin/if-i-don-t-know-who-i-m-writing-for-i-make-it-up-and-pick-somebody-i/)

[Craig Mazin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-mazin/)

> [For not only every democracy, but certainly every republic, bears within itself the seeds of its own destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-not-only-every-democracy-but-certainly-every-republic-bears/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Outside Buckingham Palace, the Royal Standard flies only when the reigning monarch is in residence. Sadly, there's no similar flag outside The Woods Jupiter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-rushin/outside-buckingham-palace-the-royal-standard-flies-only-when-the/)

[Steve Rushin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-rushin/)

> [My only close-to-game-plan is to follow good writing. If the writing is in TV or if it's in theater or in film, that's it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-driver/my-only-close-to-game-plan-is-to-follow-good-writing-if-the-writing/)

[Adam Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-driver/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [I'm a weirdo and an only child. That comes together to create one-woman shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-seales/i-m-a-weirdo-and-an-only-child-that-comes-together-to-create-one/)

[Amanda Seales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-seales/)

> [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/)

[Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/)

> [I mean, you've kind of got the track down, especially with ovals. The only thing that improves is that when race conditions come, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danica-patrick/i-mean-you-ve-kind-of-got-the-track-down-especially-with-ovals-the/)

[Danica Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danica-patrick/)

> [Politics only makes the difficult challenge of marriage even harder, with the demands of the job and the public spotlight it casts on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/politics-only-makes-the-difficult-challenge-of-marriage-even-harder/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [Nations sometimes flourish by denying the crimes that brought them into being. Only when the original invasion, occupation, extermination or usurpation has been safely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/nations-sometimes-flourish-by-denying-the-crimes-that-brought-them/)

[Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/)

> [In China, people are moving from bigger cars to small hatches, and interestingly, the Indian market is graduating to bigger cars and sedans. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winfried-vahland/in-china-people-are-moving-from-bigger-cars-to-small-hatches-and/)

[Winfried Vahland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winfried-vahland/)

> [If God is first, and you kind of center everything else around Him being the main focal point, you really can make decisions that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aj-michalka/if-god-is-first-and-you-kind-of-center-everything-else-around-him/)

[AJ Michalka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aj-michalka/)

> [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/)

[Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/)

> [When I went to medical school, the term 'digital' applied only to rectal exams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-topol/when-i-went-to-medical-school-the-term-digital-applied-only-to-rectal/)

[Eric Topol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-topol/)

[Browse all 16,845 Only quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Stupidity always has been the unfortunate side effect of too much privilege. Nowhere has this been truer than in the United States, where people routinely espouse untenable political positions that only a spoiled child would ever entertain.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Norah Vincent"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/stupidity-always-has-been-the-unfortunate-side-effect-of-too-much/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Only"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/stupidity-always-has-been-the-unfortunate-side-effect-of-too-much/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/norah-vincent-3829_only_stupidity-always-has-been-the-unfortunat_2386925.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/norah-vincent-3829_only_stupidity-always-has-been-the-unfortunat_2386925.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/norah-vincent-3829_only_stupidity-always-has-been-the-unfortunat_2386925.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Stupidity always has been the unfortunate side effect of too much privilege. Nowhere has this been truer…” — Norah Vincent",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Norah Vincent",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Stupidity always has been the unfortunate...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/stupidity-always-has-been-the-unfortunate-side-effect-of-too-much/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/stupidity-always-has-been-the-unfortunate-side-effect-of-too-much/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```