Stupidity is something that has baffled me for a lot of my life. I’m not into definitions today. Look at the following sequence – and it’s not important where this conversation was happening. The only relevant context is that the other person was going on about FM Radio (as a hardware feature, as against a software feature). The other person below was upset that the S4 had no FM Radio as hardware. You don’t need to be IT literate to follow what’s going on.
Me: “Eats your internet allowance? Oh dear. Surely if you run an app that simulates radio it will draw down on your internet allowance. I mean to expect differently is beyond my comprehension. Anybody who purchases an S2, S3, S4 or any Samsung Smartphone needs to have unlimited internet on their phone. All this information is out there on Google.” [ i.e. me trying to explain that an app – which is software – that simulates Radio (as hardware) via the internet, will ‘eat internet’ bandwidth.]
Other person: “FM Radio app has NOTHING TO DO WITH INTERNET – it is completely FREE – that is the reason they have taken this app OUT (why give it to us for free when they can milk it ? ) – by the way: you are wrong : S1 has had it / S2 had it / S3 (first model) has had it – how on Earth I could THINK that S4 will come without ???”
Just to be clear, I assure you that there is nothing missing. The response to my statement whilst excerpted, is accurate.
Perhaps if you were awake you may have noticed that, I’m told that I’m wrong about S1, S2 and S3 having Radio (as hardware) – whilst the S4 doesn’t have it. You’ll see shortly why I take notice of this.
I made no assertion that S1, S2 or S3 did not have Radio (as hardware). But having made no such assertion, I’m told I’m wrong – about something I actually didn’t say!!! I could not even have implied it.
What’s going on in the mind of the other person, is that because he knows that S1, S2, and S3 had hardware radio, he knows he is entitled to expect S4 to have it as hardware. I still don’t see why I am wronged. I did not even make a statement about his expectation on S4. The above is not even a full analysis of how confused the individual is.
Why is any of the above important? Because today, I’m making a change in personal policy: By and large, I’m not going to spend my time arguing with people who construct facts in their heads from thin air, misconstrue what I say and leave it to me to put them right. I’ve been noticing for some time a propensity for people out there to not read what is written, not think about what they’re saying, and to trot out utter drivel. I’ve been thinking that it is a total waste of my time to challenge their stupidity. I am not responsible for teaching people in general, out there. In addition if I stop to correct lots of stupidity, I’d actually be spending my time unprofitably for myself (and to be certain I’m not paid for correcting people in general).
So what does this mean? From today on, I’ll be ignoring the the above sort of responses i.e. where I would have been tempted to say, “I never said that.” I’ll just be saying nothing. Of course, I will still continue to respond fiercely where stupidity threatens my personal security or comfort, in which case fools will still be treated to proportionate kickings.
