Meditation for December 11th
The Power of Dumb
Yes, we, as a society, are getting dumber. There is just a downward slide into anti-intellectualism, budget priorities that aren’t education, and the Internet turning us into bigger idiots than we were before, and it isn’t like we were the smart ones to begin with. You don’t have to be the smartest in the world, just the biggest military, and even that is starting to look bad.
I have two options: be the asshole who really thinks he is the most intelligent man in the room, or give up and be dumb. Before you think I am going to pick the first option, and you are right, I’m usually the most intelligent man in the room, I do have to point out the power of being dumb.
First off, there is power in humility, and a part of humility is not knowing everything. The Internet is setting us up to be the greatest generation of Trivial Pursuit players, but it doesn’t matter how much you know if you aren’t humble. Knowing stuff doesn’t equate to knowledge or to how to apply that knowledge. Being dumb in a room full of smarty-pants means you can confidently ask questions without losing any street cred.
Not being smart means we can do away with the emotional armor we wear, and if we are dumb, we stand naked in front of everyone we meet. We do not have to argue our opinions; if we are truly embracing our stupidity, we can listen to others. Most people are only “smart” at defending themselves from being truly authentic around others. We can be the nudists in a world of clothed people. We can be the Adam & Eve before the forbidden fruit.
Smart people can’t accept anything because there has to be more to the story, so being an idiot means we can more easily accept the world around us. Who cares how the world began? Who cares if there is a god or not? Who really cares if there is a point to any of this? No, if you are too dumb, you won’t have to worry about depression because that is an intelligent person’s disease. We can shrug our shoulders and enjoy going to work because we don’t know that there might be a different way. Smart people are pessimists, and idiots are optimists. If you want to start being positive, you’ve got to stop thinking so hard.
We can remain teachable. If we don’t feel like all the knowledge in the world is known, we can have moments of childlike wonder even as older adults, because we are still learning new things. Smart people always think their race has been run, and get stuck not learning anything new and neat-o.
The real secret is not being dumb, but not acting wise. People think that because they have the Internet in their pocket, they can know everything there is to know, and learning is not just about reading an easy-to-read answer or watching a three-minute video. Wisdom and Knowledge are complex paths to journey, and it means shutting off what we think we know so that we can actually know.
Prayer
Actually, this is a non-prayer
To Azathoth
The Blind Idiot God
Who dreams of our existence,
but is oblivious to it.
Even thinking of this deity,
puts me at risk of going insane.
If he wakes up,
If the drums and horns cease,
We cease.
We are trying to know a madgod’s dream,
So why not just be dumb,
So that the chaos gently keeps the god dreaming.
Amen?
Craft
While we can’t just make people smarter, we can definitely foster a culture of intelligence. Here are some ideas to bring to your local communities.
Model curiosity
One of the things that keeps people ignorant is a lack of curiosity. What happens beyond the hoola hoop around me? We can do this by boldly asking questions. People are so scared of embarrassment that they let questions go unasked, and if you have thought of a question, others might have as well. Lead the way and ask.
Don’t be judgmental
The one thing that smart people do is gatekeep knowledge. Whether it’s behind academic paywalls or swarmy personalities, knowledge can seem out of reach for the curious person. Instead of being annoyed that someone wants to know stuff, help them realize it. If you don’t know it all, you can also learn alongside your friend.
Share your inputs
Be proud of the books you read, the podcasts you listen to, the articles you have finished, the quotes you have memorized, or anything else that might be cool for other people to know. Don’t hide the good stuff, no matter how much you think it makes you look like a nerd, share it. Let’s not be shy about what we have learned and from what!
Create the community you crave.
Book clubs, craft parties, and other get-togethers that promote learning and mental exercise are a great way to foster curiosity and knowledge-seeking. It can be lonely to try to find ways to make us smarter, but if you can find a group of people who want to better themselves, it can be more fun.
Goal
There are some benefits to being dumb and also to being intelligent. You can be confidently wrong. It doesn’t matter how smart you are if you don’t know how to use it. Be curious.