Are you as Stupid As They Think?
There are those who want the masses to believe that they (the masses) are themselves stupid. One who believes he is stupid behaves stupidly. Stupid behavior is de facto stupid. And stupid, whether it be natural or de facto, is easier to control or at least manipulate. This is encouraged by dumbing down. Rather than asking those who do not understand to try harder to learn, down-dummers try harder to simplify things, and statements representing those things, to a lower level. To a level beyond reality and which therefore contains statements and representations that are actually false, but in their eyes are, "good enough" for the average person, the weaker minded, those below their self elevated level.
Einstein said,
"Everything should be made as simple as possible and not one bit simpler."
His statement may have been a little bit tongue in cheek because you can't make something simpler than is possible to make it. For, if a thing or action (in this case, making it simpler than is possible) is impossible then it cannot be done anyway so there is no need to advise that you shouldn't do it. He was saying what we have said in another way.
To reiterate: If one attempts to make something simpler than it really is, then some part of what one is "making" or representing or explaining, must be wrong, false.
But then sadly, when a thinking person attempts to integrate those false components into his general understanding of the issue under consideration, naturally they don't fit! This enhances the perception that it is all beyond his comprehension and that he may as well give up and follow his self-appointed leader who so graciously wants to help him. On the other hand if one takes the reality approach, one of the first things he must recognize is that learning requires effort. Good heavens, ever since the first parent attempted to teach his child, children have been attempting to avoid the effort. And after realizing this, one must then look back to what is, as we had indicated, even more fundamental. You can't teach the false. One can only teach truth.
But due to arrogance, which other philosophers have referred to as pride or haughty spirit, these modern teachers we're referring to, assume a priori that their source material, the subject that they are teaching or explaining, is itself God given and therefore flawless. Therefore their teachings are less an understanding of the source material and more an understanding of what you must do to comply, to fit in, to deal with it.
Give Up Rather Than Improve
Often these teachings contain numerous work-arounds such as statements like, "to get around this you can..." A dead giveaway. Whereas a proper presentation would contain a critique of the flaws and pitfalls as well as an itemization of possible solutions to the problems revealed, not just a get-around. Of course it is true that some problems have one clear solution, and in a manner of speaking that solution gets you around the problem. But that's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about the perspective. In this case the idea that the main goal is simply getting it done, rather than understanding a flaw which itself maybe should actually be changed or fixed, or rather than understanding the natural consequence which results in a problem, requiring a solution one or more of which are presented.
A companion to "get-around" is what has become in our eyes a hideously insulting term, the "tip".
A presentation of whatever length followed by: Tip: You can ...
A clear sign of incompleteness and a deliberate distraction therefrom, for, a comprehensive presentation elucidates both the possible and the most beneficial courses of action. These tips seem to randomly occur. Have you ever noticed that some topics have tips when other topics by the same author in the same document or group don't? Is the document so complete and such a fulfillment of elucidation that there is nothing more to say? No tip? The term "tip" connotes some magic pulled out of a hat which if you're clever enough to understand and follow will reap you a reward. Or, if not magic, a carrot, a tidbit which you so joyously except from a benevolent teacher with experience beyond your imagination. Ridiculous.
This brings us to "advanced", another demeaning term, for, "If you're just a beginner, then these advanced topics are probably above you, and a waste of time for you to try to understand, without further experience, which we in our omnipotence know that you don't possess." How could they, or in this case we, know what experiences you, a stranger, possess? That is the height of arrogance! Just because this is the first time you are viewing something we are presenting does not mean you are a beginner or are inexperienced. You could in fact be the most experienced person on the planet attempting to determine whether we know what we're talking about.
Apologist would say, "Well advanced is a relative term referring to the total scope and the relationships therein." And indeed it is. And it's even more arrogance for them to think that their scope is larger than yours.
Accordingly, at
Effeciency vs Laziness
On the third hand (continuing from "on the other hand", above) there is nothing wrong with simple. Time is precious. Simple cuts to the point so you can move on. Accordingly at
1 Generally we display the simple with a link to the complex.
2 But if this is the first occurrence of a situation of importance, we may display the complex with a link to the simple, and further, in most of these situations of importance, on subsequent occurrences display the simple with a link to the complex.
The goal is to provide you the proper information required but without wasting your time.
Natural Stupidity vs Learned Stupidity
But there's one more extremely important point we'd like to make regarding stupidity. There is natural stupidity and learned stupidity. Natural stupidity is a capability of the mind and brain rendering it difficult or impossible to understand normal situations. When this is encountered one should simply deal with it with kindness. It's part of reality in which we live. There is diversity in mankind's abilities.
But all more common is learned stupidity. And that is what we abhor at
At
1 Nothing can be accomplished without trying.
2 No one will try who does not want to.
3 Both laziness and ambition are natural.
4 Whereas when one is ambitious he will try and may fail to accomplish, when one is lazy he will not try and will not accomplish.
5 Every individual has a balance between the two which may fluctuate.
6 Society teaches to comply not try.
7 This perspective hinders ambition and therefore fosters laziness, subsequently not trying, ultimately not accomplishing.
8 AEDOK teaches understanding.
9 This perspective fosters ambition and therefore trying, and thus, circumstances being proper, accomplishment.
It is sad that some people out of laziness are willing to insult themselves in front of their family, friends and public, by saying, or acting defacto, "That's above me", "That's too complicated for me to understand". More often than not, that is a lie. They're just lazy. They don't want to exert the effort to try because to them understanding is not worth the effort. So, remarkably, they are 1) willing to insult themselves, 2) by lying, so that 3) they can be lazy. Is that a pitiful combination of vice or not?
In a short period in the history of mankind our society taught that it was wrong to lie. In that situation a person would have to weigh the insult of being stupid vs the insult of being a liar. But now society universally teaches lies are ok. So they lie about being lazy and claim that they are stupid. They think that they are clever by promoting a situation where they can be lazy, and have deceived others into thinking that they are stupid when in fact they are smart. But the sad truth is that they have actually learned to be stupid by abandoning the ambition to understand!
It has been said there is no cure for stupid. A more analytical view might be that there is a black hole into which once one has entered he cannot exit. The lies and stupidity feed upon one another and one actually imagines ("thinks" would be an insult to the idea of thought) that he is smart by engineering a semi functional lifestyle centered around stupidity.
We don't know, but of course humans aren't particles in deep space. They adapt. Adaption is the process of perceiving one's environment and making adjustments. So possibly there is hope for the near black hole people.
Conclusion
At any rate, to conclude: At