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I have a thirst for knowledge. Whenever I meet someone I have to know more about them (even if I don't like them). Whenever I hear something from the news or other people I strive to learn more about the subject. I am good at getting more knowledge.
Lately I have been interested in stupid people, why are they stupid? Is it merely lack of passion/being lazy or is it just a physical limitation. This question is giving me great trouble. It is not that I don't have enough stupid people to study, I have plenty of specimens  You see I am pretty smart, I am also very optimistic. It is hard for me to believe that all stupid people were doomed to be stupid from the day they were born. I like to believe smartness can be achieved by passion and hard work, I am also a romantic. Does romanticism and optimism go hand and hand? More and more though, I see stupid people working hard and caring about what they are doing, still being stupid. Maybe they are not working hard enough, maybe they are not caring enough, maybe their stupidity is holding them in a viscous cycle of failure, or maybe they are just stupid, just plain stupid. They were born stupid, so now they are doomed to die stupid. I don't like to think this way, but more and more I am. Has my quest for knowledge become harder, or is it rewarding me with things I do not want to know?
 
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um this might sound strange but can u elaborate more; i have this weird thirst for knowledge and i dont completely understand the OP~
+ Show Spoiler +j/k but me too ~ , minus the ... stupid people part i prefer to disassociate myself from* them
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On August 02 2008 06:32 HeavOnEarth wrote:um this might sound strange but can u elaborate more; i have this weird thirst for knowledge and i dont completely understand the OP~ + Show Spoiler +j/k but me too ~ , minus the ... stupid people part i prefer to disassociate myself from* them
I don't like stupid people that much either, but, they are so easy to experiment on!
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Depends on what people you define as stupid.
How good a person is at something is defined by talent and practice/effort put in. Different people have different talents and interests. Someone without talent and interest in a subject might seem stupid regarding that, but the same person might be a genius in a different area.
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well i tend to alienate them when they try and act witty; fail ( crash + burn ) and i HAVE to point it out; being the anal retentive that i am and then they tend to avoid me afterwards
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On August 02 2008 06:35 h3r1n6 wrote:
Depends on what people you define as stupid.
How good a person is at something is defined by talent and practice/effort put in. Different people have different talents and interests. Someone without talent and interest in a subject might seem stupid regarding that, but the same person might be a genius in a different area.
I mean people who are geniuses in no area.
EDIT: And need to work very very hard to do good in any area.
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actually wait with all the honor/AP classes i take with electives like physics 2 and problems + solutions ( academic engineering course ) the system weeds them out :O
yes im still in hs 
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On August 02 2008 06:44 HeavOnEarth wrote:actually wait with all the honor/AP classes i take with electives like physics 2 and problems + solutions ( academic engineering course ) the system weeds them out :O yes im still in hs
I am just going in to High School, the amount of stupidity frustrates me D: I meet very nice stupid people, but find it hard to connect with them because they are so... well stupid lol. Then a lot of the smart people I meet have this crazy elitism going on and are total jerks.
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You're just going into high school and you believe a lot of people around you are stupid? Not calling you stupid but...haha.
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I think a part of what makes someone stupid is what they're born with. Some people are just born with more capabilities than others. And this just happens to be in the field of knowledge or ability to learn. The good thing is, those who are born 'dumber' are able to work hard and study hard to become as smart as one who was born 'smart.'
Sorta like how a clumsy guy can become as good as a natural athlete if he works really hard at it. Of course if the athlete also strives to become better, he'll probably reach a level that cannot be reached by the clumsy one no matter how hard he practices.
edit
OP: I'd rather be friends with a nice dumb person than an arrogant smart person. But stay on good terms with everyone.
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Who gives a shit about knowledge I care about understanding. Information means nothing, just collections of labels and classifications.
And people are "stupid" primarily due to a lack of curiosity, most likely caused by their environment. though obviously physical limitations have a large role in cognitive ability, as well.
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On August 02 2008 06:55 ieatkids5 wrote:
edit
OP: I'd rather be friends with a nice dumb person than an arrogant smart person. But stay on good terms with everyone.
Same here, It just frustrates me how I have yet to meet a really nice smart person.
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On August 02 2008 06:56 travis wrote:
Who gives a shit about knowledge I care about understanding. Information means nothing, just collections of labels and classifications.
And people are "stupid" primarily due to a lack of curiosity, most likely caused by their environment. though obviously physical limitations have a large role in cognitive ability, as well.
I like knowledge because it helps you understand better. I am not good at getting my thoughts onto paper, something I need to work on. People being stupid due to lack of curiosity is what I like to think to, now I just have to find a way to make them curious!
EDIT: AHA! Put them (unwittingly) through a series of tests that they might win because they are interested in the goal, and then be like "Hey you idiot, see that if you care about something you can be smart!" Then they are like "Oh my gosh I see the light now, I am gonna go on to make the world a better place!" In best case scenario of course. The test of course, would be EXTREMELY hard for them to complete if they were not interested in the goal. Time to test my theory.
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On August 02 2008 07:11 UmmTheHobo wrote:Show nested quote +On August 02 2008 06:56 travis wrote:
Who gives a shit about knowledge I care about understanding. Information means nothing, just collections of labels and classifications.
And people are "stupid" primarily due to a lack of curiosity, most likely caused by their environment. though obviously physical limitations have a large role in cognitive ability, as well. I like knowledge because it helps you understand better. I am not good at getting my thoughts onto paper, something I need to work on. People being stupid due to lack of curiosity is what I like to think to, now I just have to find a way to make them curious!
I used to be like that, but eventually it seemed that as long as you figure out and remember the tendencies of nature, you start to be able to figure out stuff based solely on your intuition. so I pretty much stopped remembering everything except for the gist. the rest is easy to figure out again if you need to.
i said figure out alot, geeze
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On August 02 2008 06:56 travis wrote:
Who gives a shit about knowledge I care about understanding. Information means nothing, just collections of labels and classifications.
I mostly agree. I think that since there's infinite potential knowledge, it's kind of pointless to judge someone's intelligence by what factoids they know. I respect people as intelligent despite the domain of their knowledge base. But if they aren't knowledgeable of anything, that is a sign of apathy or lack of curiosity, which can certainly be considered "stupid" in the absence of some excuse, like a psychological disorder.
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people just going into high school aren't ambitious enough.
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the internet is full of stupid people trying to sound smart
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It's interesting that you are inquiring about stupid people as if people can very simply be categorized in such a way. I'm sure to someone, you're a stupid person.
Do you see what the problem is here? There isn't a singular definition of intelligence. Before we can even respond to your question properly, we need to know how you are qualifying whether a person is stupid or not.
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On August 02 2008 07:42 Saracen wrote:
the internet is full of stupid people trying to sound smart
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You may look devoted ... they may see slow.
You may look fast ... they may see not-caring.
You may look efficient at work ... they may see "not a family man".
I disagree with your vision of stupidity. Too narrow.
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I like being stupid. The less I know, the happier I am. The happier I am, the happier I can make people around me.
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On August 02 2008 07:11 UmmTheHobo wrote:Show nested quote +On August 02 2008 06:56 travis wrote:
Who gives a shit about knowledge I care about understanding. Information means nothing, just collections of labels and classifications.
And people are "stupid" primarily due to a lack of curiosity, most likely caused by their environment. though obviously physical limitations have a large role in cognitive ability, as well. People being stupid due to lack of curiosity is what I like to think to, now I just have to find a way to make them curious!
Meh. I have little curiosity for anything or anyone, and most everyone around me thinks that I'm the "smart guy", or at least above average. Also, I think you're hardly qualified to be passing judgement on who's stupid etc. when you're barely in the 9th grade...
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On August 02 2008 11:35 NatsuTerran wrote:Show nested quote +On August 02 2008 07:11 UmmTheHobo wrote:On August 02 2008 06:56 travis wrote:
Who gives a shit about knowledge I care about understanding. Information means nothing, just collections of labels and classifications.
And people are "stupid" primarily due to a lack of curiosity, most likely caused by their environment. though obviously physical limitations have a large role in cognitive ability, as well. People being stupid due to lack of curiosity is what I like to think to, now I just have to find a way to make them curious! Meh. I have little curiosity for anything or anyone, and most everyone around me thinks that I'm the "smart guy", or at least above average. Also, I think you're hardly qualified to be passing judgement on who's stupid etc. when you're barely in the 9th grade...
Well, he could judge his peers...on their intelligence.
But don't let that interfere with your relationship with them. And don't let others around you know that you judge people.
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On August 02 2008 06:35 UmmTheHobo wrote:Show nested quote +On August 02 2008 06:32 HeavOnEarth wrote:um this might sound strange but can u elaborate more; i have this weird thirst for knowledge and i dont completely understand the OP~ + Show Spoiler +j/k but me too ~ , minus the ... stupid people part i prefer to disassociate myself from* them I don't like stupid people that much either, but, they are so easy to experiment on!
true dat!!! Another pastime of mine is to laugh at their stupidities and correct their errors!!! lol lol lol!!!
On August 02 2008 06:56 travis wrote:
Who gives a shit about knowledge I care about understanding. Information means nothing, just collections of labels and classifications.
And people are "stupid" primarily due to a lack of curiosity, most likely caused by their environment. though obviously physical limitations have a large role in cognitive ability, as well.
With knowledge comes understanding.
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On August 02 2008 07:21 geometryb wrote:
people just going into high school aren't ambitious enough.
yeah we really aren't i'm trying really hard as of late though got couple AP tests down and CALC / physic/chem 2 and AP classes im trying to ACE
hopefully i won't burn out lol ; i find in order to have ambition u need some incentive/ inspiration , and i don't mean to turn this into some sappy love fest but 
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also sorry if i sounded judgmental D:
besides everyone judges by post count, age only applies to those <1000 posts
~9th grader ~1000+ post still considered smart
+ Show Spoiler +
i could've sworn the op had more than 300 posts
well there goes that piece of logic
*backs away trepidatiously*
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I always want to learn more about various things in a whole bunch of different areas, no matter how connected to my hobbies.
I get frustrated at friends who dont
friend: Hey whats ______________
me: wikipedia.org/________
friend: thats too long
and then I have to explain it
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To the OP, I would ask, what makes a person stupid? Why do you think everyone around you is stupid?
You define stupidity as - and I paraphrase - "not a genius in any area - someone has to work very hard to do well in any area" (correct me if I have you wrong here). The first part of this definition is nonsense, since it translates to "a stupid person is someone who is not smart." What does that mean? Then you go on to say "someone who has to work hard to do well in any area." Most so called geniuses have to work very hard in their field. The apparent effortlessness is a product of years of effort.
So what are you talking about exactly?
Is stupidity a constant? In other words, is there a singular definition of stupidity? Slithe already called this idea into question, saying that intelligence can be conceptualized in very different ways. What is intelligence? How do you know?
Can a person will themselves to be intelligent? Is a person fully responsible for themselves? Is the intelligence you claim to have purely the result of your own effort, or is there something else beyond your control at least partly responsible for putting you on the path to intelligence?
Your thinking seems simplistic to me. Be careful about labeling people. Maybe your peers are stupid. Maybe you label them as stupid so that you can feel smart. Maybe none of you are stupid or smart, and you insist on differentiating yourself from them for the sake of your self-esteem. Maybe there can be many kinds of intelligence. Etc.
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On August 02 2008 13:59 nA.Inky wrote:
To the OP, I would ask, what makes a person stupid? Why do you think everyone around you is stupid?
You define stupidity as - and I paraphrase - "not a genius in any area - someone has to work very hard to do well in any area" (correct me if I have you wrong here). The first part of this definition is nonsense, since it translates to "a stupid person is someone who is not smart." What does that mean? Then you go on to say "someone who has to work hard to do well in any area." Most so called geniuses have to work very hard in their field. The apparent effortlessness is a product of years of effort.
So what are you talking about exactly?
Is stupidity a constant? In other words, is there a singular definition of stupidity? Slithe already called this idea into question, saying that intelligence can be conceptualized in very different ways. What is intelligence? How do you know?
Can a person will themselves to be intelligent? Is a person fully responsible for themselves? Is the intelligence you claim to have purely the result of your own effort, or is there something else beyond your control at least partly responsible for putting you on the path to intelligence?
Your thinking seems simplistic to me. Be careful about labeling people. Maybe your peers are stupid. Maybe you label them as stupid so that you can feel smart. Maybe none of you are stupid or smart, and you insist on differentiating yourself from them for the sake of your self-esteem. Maybe there can be many kinds of intelligence. Etc.
I don't think I have any self esteem problems -_-
Time to think before I type!
Clarification starts now!
I do not view people who are less smart than me stupid. I view people as stupid when, it is hard for them to solve the simplest of problems. Tell them to scale a wall impossible to scale without boxes lying around (that are lying around) and they are stumped. Another example would be: They are taking a test about china, on a multiple choice question they answer something like "Egypt". Why the fuck would they be asking you about Egypt on a test about China?
EDIT: to fusionsdf, your friends are just lazy or they would rather hear it from a human being, not a webpage.
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Now, I'm not a smart person at all, but calling people stupid because they simply don't strive to be intelligent and or get knowledge about something is just not right.
Another example would be: They are taking a test about china, on a multiple choice question they answer something like "Egypt". Why the fuck would they be asking you about Egypt on a test about China?
I think they refer to a person that does this as mentally retarded, and in all honesty they get off the hook because of it.
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This is a terrible, condescending way of defining "stupidity."
I used to think that people who were not interested in what I viewed as "important subjects" - foreign policy, politics, linguistics, "academics" - were "stupid," but I realized that this was not fair at all. They are not stupid. They merely lack the same ambition or interests that I have, which is not to say that they don't enjoy their lives as thoroughly or engross themselves in other subjects unique to their lifestyles.
I envy mentally handicapped people ("stupid" people, by your definition) because for the most part they are parsecs ahead of me in their ability to enjoy life and be happy. Ignorance is bliss.
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Hehe, I'm similar to OP. Getting curious about all kinds of things. Something pops in my head -> wiki or google (or http://www.howstuffworks.com/) and reading...
I don't care about stupid people... But i REALLY hate narrow-minded people. Those people, who assume things and don't even try to research what they are talking about...
For example, I had a roommate from India (muslim), and there was this girl from USA in one of his classes. One day my roommate comes back totally pissed off. I ask what happened? He says today that girl asked him "are you a terrorist?"... I would punch her right in the face, good thing my roommate is a gentleman
Also, people talking shit about weed, like users get addicted, get hallucinations and stuff.
And, what we all know very well, people never taking e-sports seriously, like "how can a computer game be a sport? You don't need muscles for that!"
So, yeah. Narrow-minded people are the worst, and sadly they are the big majority...
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On August 03 2008 03:40 HighTimes wrote:Hehe, I'm similar to OP. Getting curious about all kinds of things. Something pops in my head -> wiki or google (or http://www.howstuffworks.com/) and reading... I don't care about stupid people... But i REALLY hate narrow-minded people. Those people, who assume things and don't even try to research what they are talking about... For example, I had a roommate from India (muslim), and there was this girl from USA in one of his classes. One day my roommate comes back totally pissed off. I ask what happened? He says today that girl asked him "are you a terrorist?"... I would punch her right in the face, good thing my roommate is a gentleman Also, people talking shit about weed, like users get addicted, get hallucinations and stuff. And, what we all know very well, people never taking e-sports seriously, like "how can a computer game be a sport? You don't need muscles for that!" So, yeah. Narrow-minded people are the worst, and sadly they are the big majority...
I definitely agree with being intolerable of narrow-minded people.
I can't that girl actually asked him that. That's so typical of a young, rude American girl.
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EPT
