Economist Carlo Cipolla groups people into four categories - Intelligent, the people can benefit themselves while producing benefits for others. Helpless, who can benefit others, but cannot benefit themselves. Bandits, who can only benefit themselves by destroying benefit for others. And finally the Stupid, who can only destroy benefits for others but cannot benefit themselves.
He believes that the Stupid are genuinely dangerous because their chaos is unpredictable (they have no realistic plans) and other types will always underestimate how much destruction they’re capable of generating (because they persist in thinking the Stupid operate from reason).
Economist Carlo Cipolla groups people into four categories - Intelligent, the people can benefit themselves while producing benefits for others. Helpless, who can benefit others, but cannot benefit themselves. Bandits, who can only benefit themselves by destroying benefit for others. And finally the Stupid, who can only destroy benefits for others but cannot benefit themselves.
He believes that the Stupid are genuinely dangerous because their chaos is unpredictable (they have no realistic plans) and other types will always underestimate how much destruction they’re capable of generating (because they persist in thinking the Stupid operate from reason).
That seems like a thoughtful take, but it is more generalized than I really meant. I will need more than 10 minutes before bed to agree or disagree.
Particularly the depth of helpless and stupid I’m not totally sure about.