Only if they think they aren’t stupid themselves. I think everybody, including me, in past and present (and most likely in the future) is stupid.
I mean we’ve got more or less the same brain people in the stone ages had and are trying to solve problems in the microcomputing age. Of course we’re going to make mistakes and most ideas we have about the universe or society are probably wrong. And of course we’ll repeat the mistakes of our ancestors.
So I don’t think thinking of someone as stupid is bad, just assuming you’re less stupid is.
Sorry I get equally worked up over the assumption that people aren’t stupid.
Is it useful to define “stupid” as the level of intelligence that everybody possesses? I’m not saying it isn’t - maybe thinking “I’m stupid and so is everyone else” really is the appropriate level of humility. But, on the other hand, someone must ultimately make important decisions, so we can’t just say “no one is qualified”. With apologies to George Orwell, all people are stupid but some people are less stupid than others. So I think our language should distinguish between the two.
I admit I do get worked up over the assumption that people in the past were stupid. It can make people in the present dangerously overconfident.
Only if they think they aren’t stupid themselves. I think everybody, including me, in past and present (and most likely in the future) is stupid.
I mean we’ve got more or less the same brain people in the stone ages had and are trying to solve problems in the microcomputing age. Of course we’re going to make mistakes and most ideas we have about the universe or society are probably wrong. And of course we’ll repeat the mistakes of our ancestors.
So I don’t think thinking of someone as stupid is bad, just assuming you’re less stupid is.
Sorry I get equally worked up over the assumption that people aren’t stupid.
Is it useful to define “stupid” as the level of intelligence that everybody possesses? I’m not saying it isn’t - maybe thinking “I’m stupid and so is everyone else” really is the appropriate level of humility. But, on the other hand, someone must ultimately make important decisions, so we can’t just say “no one is qualified”. With apologies to George Orwell, all people are stupid but some people are less stupid than others. So I think our language should distinguish between the two.