Philosopher Igor Sibaldi has identified 12 distinct forms of stupidity that can affect anyone, regardless of their intelligence or education. In his book How Not To Be Stupid, Sibaldi explains that stupidity, derived from the Latin word stupidus, does not mean ignorance or foolishness but rather a failure to react effectively to straightforward situations, leading to unfulfilled potential and unhappiness.
What Stupidity Really Means
According to Sibaldi, a stupid person is often kind-hearted, affectionate, honest, and well-educated. Their flaw is that they sometimes stand still because they do not know how to react to situations that appear simple to others. This prevents them from achieving or thinking at their full potential. Sibaldi told Metro: "When we use it accurately, it becomes a really useful tool for reflecting on ourselves and on others."
The 12 Types of Stupidity
Using Jungian psychology as a base, Sibaldi's concept explores the ego and its four key functions: thinking, feeling, sensation, and intuition. The 12 areas where stupidity can emerge are:
- Communication: Failing to express what you know or want to know makes you stupidus.
- Self-defence: Lacking courage due to fear of defending yourself leads to stupiditas.
- External direction: Inability to find your bearings stops you from finding your way in life.
- Internal direction: Not making good use of your internal cognitive system.
- Authority: Obeying too much or too little, or forcing yourself on others inappropriately.
- Wealth: Being afraid of abundance in time, ideas, sensations, memories, wishes, doubts, and mistakes.
- The past: Knowing only your own era limits plans and aspirations.
- Your past: Forgetting what you loved and wanted as a child robs you of energy.
- Outsider function: Conformism, or only thinking what others think.
- Sense of obstacles: Not seeing obstacles means you have stopped growing.
- Overcoming obstacles: Seeing obstacles but not enjoying overcoming them.
- Attention: Lack of curiosity about yourself and how you view the world.
The Role of Fear
Sibaldi emphasizes that fear is the common element across all 12 forms of stupidity. He notes: "It's not just about fear itself: there is also a more subtle and harmful fear — the fear of being afraid, which is a disastrous way of trying to feel safe." However, he believes these fears are easy to understand and overcome, as everyone is the world's leading expert on themselves.
How to Recognize and Overcome Stupidity
To recognize stupidity in oneself, Sibaldi says one needs "a good amount of honesty and personal courage," as what stops us is resignation, guilt, and the fear of success. He suggests that a bad mood can be a helpful indicator: "A bad mood is like an angel that shows up every now and then and asks, 'What haven't you managed to do, to have, or to become yet?' If you answer, the bad-mood angel congratulates you and leaves: its mission accomplished. And suddenly, you have new goals, new ways of not being stupid."
