what does it mean to call someone stupid

By Peter Kaufman

Accusations of people acting stupidly or being stupid have been mutual in the news lately. Donald Trump has been called "too stupid" for U. South. voters and his supporters are often accused of stupidity for assertive things that are "demonstrably wrong or idiotic." Hillary Clinton has been called the "stupidest person" for setting up a private e-mail address and using it for work. And Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said that if protesters like Colin Kaepernick "desire to be stupid" then that'south their decision (she later expressed regret for this comment).

These are just some of the high profile examples of people using the term "stupidity" to evaluate the decisions and actions of others. In the form of our everyday lives, most of us probably hear the words stupid and stupidity multiple times a day. We invoke these terms non simply to ascertain people and their deportment, just also to describe situations that nosotros discover frustrating or annoying: that stupid ATM car ate my card; this stupid cell-phone battery doesn't even concluding a whole day; or our schoolhouse has the stupidest clothes-code policy.

The elementary definition of stupid is to exist unintelligent and to have or show a lack of ability to learn and empathize things. To be stupid is to non exist sensible or logical. Building on this definition, stupidity is defined every bit acting in an unintelligent way or making decisions that lack reason or are uninformed.

As these definitions propose, being stupid or demonstrating stupidity are virtually often used in response to the actions or decisions of individuals. When we refer to objects, institutions, laws, and customs every bit stupid, this procedure is known every bit reification—attributing human qualities to not-human things. Although we might be able use sociological theories such equally McDonaldization to explain the stupidity of an ATM car eating your debit card, for the purposes of this post I am interested in analyzing the strategies of social interaction that may be at play when we describe others as stupid.

Calling people stupid or pointing out their stupidity are more often than not recognized as acts of cavalier judgment. We disapprove of what others did, why they did it, or fifty-fifty how they did it, and and then we call them or their actions stupid as a mode to reverberate our atheism or disgust. In this sense, the deed of naming the behavior of others every bit stupid is a unproblematic way to vent frustration and express displeasure.

Only calling someone stupid is not just a machinery for psychic or psychological relief. Although we may feel improve or fifty-fifty superior when nosotros lash out similar this, it may non exist the only reason nosotros practice information technology. There may also be underlying sociological components at piece of work here. A possible explanation is that calling someone stupid is an endeavor to reinforce the boundaries of group norms and solidify our social (or collective) identities.

If you think nigh it, ane of the underlying sentiments nosotros are suggesting when nosotros call someone stupid is: "Why tin't you lot merely human activity like the rest of us?" We are shocked that others could deed so unintelligently because these actions fall outside the expectations of normative beliefs. Information technology is difficult for us to understand how someone could deed this manner when everyone else, or at least most of us "normal" folks, does not appoint in these sorts of uninformed thoughtless actions.

In add-on to identifying norm-breaking behavior, categorizing others as stupid might also be an try to secure our social or collective identities. Calling someone stupid is no dubiety frequently understood as a patronizing insult; withal, it tin can also be a not-so-subtle plea to bring someone back into the fold of the social group. The underlying sentiment, "why tin can't you just act like the residuum of us," also may contain within it an expression of business. If someone with whom we align ourselves is acting stupidly, then our collective identity is potentially soiled and threatened past their actions.

We tin see these sociological themes playing out today in the political loonshit. Consider the example of Donald Trump's supporters being called stupid. We oft hear this sentiment expressed when Trump's supporters defend the presidential candidate by making uninformed comments well-nigh Blacks, Muslims, Jews, women, or about widespread voter fraud, international conspiracy theories, and immigration.

Calling Trump'due south supporters stupid for making these comments may be an deed of exasperation because many people discover it hard to believe that someone can think these things.

However, it is besides an act of desperation because in that location is a desire for people in this land to not believe that others could hold these views. If you feel proud to be an American, and if existence an American means that you encompass things like republic, equality, justice, freedom of religion, tolerance, and understanding, then someone who speaks against or denies these things is breaking the norms of what it means to be an American. Moreover, as young man citizens of this country, these people are an implicit threat to your collective identity as an American.

In consequence, calling Trump's supporters stupid is a disdainful still shorthanded fashion of saying: "Don't you know what this land stands for? Don't y'all sympathize what it ways to be an American? Why are you giving the rest of us a bad name through your thoughts and deportment? Please come to your senses and bring together united states of america in supporting our shared American values and norms."

If you recollect the example of Trump'due south supporters is unconvincing, or merely obviously stupid, then consider the pregnant relationships in your life. You probably had times when y'all were called, or you called someone close to you, stupid. It may take been a parent, a sibling, a meaning other, or a shut friend. In these instances, it is likely that the word stupid was used as way to express dismay with the actions that were taken, to right these actions and ensure that they would not happen again, and to bespeak out that this is unacceptable behavior for the group of which you are a part. And every bit farther proof that calling someone close to you stupid is an attempt to reinforce norms and a solidify a collective identity, let's not forget that the phrase "stop existence so stupid" is often followed-up past "because you are embarrassing usa."

Presumably, all of us accept called others stupid and have ourselves been chosen stupid many times over the grade of our lives. Knowing that there may exist sociological reasons for proverb this may not make us less likely to utilise this phrase; however, it could help us empathise that there is more to this utterance than serving as a condescending put down.

The sociological theories I offer here are simply 2 attempts to understand the social foundations of calling someone stupid. In that location are certainly alternative explanations and some of these may fifty-fifty contradict my ideas. For case, an statement could be fabricated that solidifying collective identities is indeed part of the equation but that nosotros do this to reinforce the soapbox of difference and non to bring others dorsum into the flock.

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you await at it, we have countless opportunities to clarify the sociology of calling others stupid. And then the next time you are on the sending or receiving cease of the label stupid think about why this give-and-take is being used, consider what deeper social functions information technology might serve, and attempt to come upwards with an informed, intelligent and sensible (i.e., not-stupid) explanation.

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Source: https://www.everydaysociologyblog.com/2016/10/the-sociology-of-calling-other-people-stupid.html

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