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Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity Chirps

An Overview of Bonhoeffer’s Theory of Stupidity

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (4 February 1906 – 9 April 1945) was a German theologian during the Nazi period of German history. In examining the causes for the rise and rule of Nazism he proposed, in a short letter “After Ten Years: An Account at the Turn of the Year 1942–1943”, that stupidity was the basic cause, and that stupidity is more dangerous than evil. He argued that while evil can be identified and fought against, stupidity is harder to combat because it often goes hand-in-hand with power and can be manipulated by those with malicious intent.

Professor Carlo M. Cipolla  (15 August 1922 – 5 September 2000) was an Italian economic historian.He was a member of both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. In an essay, "The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity" he explores the subject of stupidity. In this essay, he outlined five laws regarding stupidity and the factors to consider when exploring human behavior.

Key Principles

Definition of Stupidity:

• Stupidity vs. Ignorance: Stupidity is a willful resistance to knowledge, while ignorance is simply a lack of knowledge. Stupid individuals often refuse to accept facts that contradict their beliefs.
• Moral Failure: Stupidity is a moral failure, where individuals surrender their critical thinking to groupthink, leading to a loss of intellectual autonomy.

Characteristics of Stupid Individuals:

• Manipulability: Stupid people can be easily influenced and used by those in power, making them dangerous.
• Self-Satisfaction: Stupid people often remain unaware of their stupidity and can become aggressive when challenged.

The Anatomy of Stupidity

Bonhoeffer wasn't referring to a simple lack of intellect. Instead, he saw stupidity as a psychological and moral condition. Here's how he broke it down:

• A Surrender of Independence: The core of stupidity is a voluntary abdication of one's own critical thinking, a willingness to surrender one's inner freedom.
• Group Conformity: This surrender is often driven by a desire to belong, to conform to a group, ideology, or leader.
• Resistance to Facts: The stupid person actively resists facts and arguments that contradict their pre-conceived notions. They are immune to reason.

Cipolla's Laws of Stupidity

1. Everyone underestimates the number of stupid people.
2. The probability of a person being stupid is independent of other characteristics.
3. A stupid person causes losses to others without any benefit to themselves. The factors to consider when evaluating benefits and losses are:
   • Benefits and losses that individuals cause to themselves.
   • Benefits and losses that individuals cause to others.
4. Non-stupid people underestimate the damaging power of stupid individuals.
5. A stupid person is the most dangerous type of person in society.

Stupidity vs. Evil: A Crucial Distinction

We often equate evil with malice – a conscious desire to inflict harm. But Bonhoeffer argued that stupidity is a far more potent and dangerous foe. Why? Because evil, at least, understands itself. It knows what it's doing. Stupidity, on the other hand, is often blind, self-satisfied, and utterly impervious to reason. It's not a lack of intelligence; it's a moral failing. A Philosopheasy webpage, “Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Terrifying Theory of Stupidity”, elaborates on this distinction.

Implications of Stupidity

Bonhoeffer's theory suggests that societies with a high proportion of stupid individuals may struggle to progress. The ability to counteract the negative effects of stupidity depends on the presence of intelligent individuals who can mitigate the losses caused by the stupid. However, there is no guarantee that intelligent individuals can mitigate the harmful impacts of a large number of Bonhoeffer stupid people in a society if they become a potent political force.

Consequences of Stupidity

As Bonhoeffer notes, stupid people consider themselves always right and morally superior. They have no difficulty suppressing the Natural Rights of those who disagree with them, believing they are doing so for the “Greater Good” of society. In their zeal, they also believe it is morally permissible to use violence against their opponents and to impose their will on others through government action.

Conclusion

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was arrested and executed for his actions during the rise and rule of Nazism. He was hanged two weeks before the Allies liberated the concentration camp where he was imprisoned. The Bonhoeffer Stupid German people were only liberated with their destruction as a result of World War II. For when Bonhoeffer Stupidity grips a society, it often leads to the destruction of that society.

The following are my Chirps on Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity:

11/19/25 Critical Thinking

“You can silence fifty scholars with one fact, but you cannot silence an idiot with fifty facts.”

This anonymous line stings because it’s true. In our world today, where information travels at the speed of light across the internet, and there is much more misinformation than information on the internet, it often feels like ignorance can shout louder than a thousand truths. Mark Twain once said that a lie will fly around the whole world while the truth is getting its boots on, and that statement is proven every day on the internet. And one viral lie, one repeated falsehood, or one loud opinion can outweigh careful reasoning, scholarship, or decades of knowledge.

But here’s the thing: while misinformation can drown out the facts and truths temporarily, it cannot erase reality. Facts and truths are patient, resilient, and ownerless. They wait, quietly, until reality resurfaces—and when it does, it cannot be ignored, and reality eventually bites back. This is why critical thinking is so important: reality bites back, and acceptance of unreality leads you astray and results in poor decision-making. To think critically requires that you always keep in mind that:

"Just because you 'believe' something to be true or false does not mean that you 'know' something is true or false, and just because someone says it is true or false does not make it true or false."
  - Mark Dawson

Thus, when presented with “facts” and “truths”, it is important that you think critically about what is presented to determine if they are indeed facts and truths. Look and listen to opposing “facts” and “truths”, and attempt to obtain as much unbiased information as possible. In this critical thinking and forming an unbiased opinion, you should also remember The Law of Unintended Consequences before reaching a conclusion and deciding on a course of action. Otherwise, your opinion and conclusion can have negative repercussions. And remember:

“A scholar, no matter how learned, is trained to respect truth. When confronted with a solid fact, he will weigh it, test it, and if it holds the truth, accept it. That is the beauty of wisdom: it thrives on clarity, humility, and the pursuit of truth.

But an ignorant person is a different challenge altogether. Present him with forty facts, he will dismiss them. Show him evidence, he will twist it. Prove him wrong, and he will raise his voice instead of his reasoning. An ignorant mind does not seek truth, it seeks comfort, validation, and the illusion of being right.”
 - Aatif Sayed

The YouTube channel PhiloNautica has three videos on Critical Thinking that all people should view:

• How We Ended Up Raising the Stupidest Generation
  In this video, we explore why critical thinking is dying and how collective stupidity is rising in today’s world. Starting from the roots of philosophy with Socrates, Plato, and Kant, the script traces how critical thought once shaped science, democracy, and progress. Yet in our time, it is collapsing under the weight of information overload, echo chambers, and sensationalist media. We examine how Google, social media algorithms, and nonstop headlines are reshaping minds—making us reactive, tribal, and intellectually lazy. But the decline is not inevitable. By practicing curiosity, slowing down, questioning assumptions, escaping echo chambers, and reforming how we learn and lead, we can revive the lost art of reasoning. This is a wake-up call for a distracted generation: to think for yourself, seek truth beyond noise, and resist the comfort of blind opinion. Because without critical thinking, the cost is not just ignorance—it is the rise of collective stupidity.
• Why The World is Getting STUPIDER| The Stupidity Pandemic
  In recent years, the world has experienced a troubling decline in critical thinking and intellectual humility, giving rise to what some call a "stupidity epidemic." This isn’t a sudden drop in intelligence, but rather a gradual erosion of our ability to think independently, reason logically, and question what we’re told. One major factor driving this decline is blind tribalism. Another force is the rise of digital echo chambers and engineered distraction. Compounding the problem is the Dunning–Kruger Effect — a psychological bias where the least knowledgeable people are the most confident in their opinions. Finally, the normalization of misinformation has led to a post-truth era, where emotional appeal often matters more than evidence. Altogether, these forces weaken our collective "cognitive immune system," making stupidity not just a personal issue but a systemic danger.
• Why STUPID People Are a Greater Threat to Society Than Criminals
  Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian and anti-Nazi resistance fighter, identified stupidity as a greater threat than evil itself. Unlike malice, which can be confronted, stupidity is immune to logic, resistant to reason, and dangerously convinced of its own rightness. Bonhoeffer observed how Nazi Germany transformed intelligent individuals into blind followers, illustrating how stupidity spreads in society when people surrender their independent thought for conformity. This video explores Bonhoeffer’s insights into stupidity as a socio-psychological phenomenon, showing how it enables authoritarianism, propaganda, and mass manipulation. It also provides practical steps to resist stupidity, such as maintaining critical thinking, avoiding groupthink, recognizing manipulation tactics, and embracing intellectual independence. In a world filled with misinformation and blind loyalty, Bonhoeffer’s warning remains more relevant than ever. To combat stupidity, we must stay critical, stay aware, and refuse to be ruled by ignorance.

If you ever wondered how and why many in the modern world are uncritical in their thinking, these videos will explain the forces and the consequences that have given rise to stupidity in our modern world.

Uncritically thinking people are like a pestilence, as they sow discord and often wreak havoc in their wake. Thinking critically stems this pestilence, but only if you act upon what your critical thinking leads you to believe. But as the American sage Benjamin Franklin has said:

"Doubt a little of your own infallibility"

"For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged by better information, or fuller consideration, to change opinions even on important subjects, which I once thought right, but found to be otherwise.”

“It is therefore that the older I grow, the more apt I am to doubt my own judgment, and to pay more respect to the judgment of others."

Consequently, critical thinking is crucial to the proper functioning of society, and uncritical thinking leads to the detriment of society.

11/20/25 Smart or Stupid, or Both

In my articles on Bonhoeffer on Stupidity and A Special Kind of Stupid, I write about the great German anti-Nazi martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s ideas on stupidity, and of Carlo M. Cipolla’s The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (4 February 1906 – 9 April 1945) was a German Lutheran pastor during the time of Nazism, and he used all his intellectual prowess to protest and resist Nazism, to no avail. After he was arrested by the Gestapo and awaited his trial and execution, he reflected on his efforts. He realized that his intellectual efforts were doomed to failure, as it was not a lack of intellect of the German people that allowed Nazism to arise and thrive, but a descent into stupidity by the German people. The YouTube channel The Mindful Gaze has a video, The Theory of SOCIETAL STUPIDITY | By Dietrich Bonhoeffer, which explains Bonhoeffer’s journey, and how and why smart people become stupid, and how to avoid becoming stupid. Dietrich Bonhoeffer recognized stupidity as a psychological defense mechanism, a willful abandonment of critical thinking to avoid the burden of moral responsibility. As for Dietrich Bonhoeffer's core ideas of stupidity, he wrote:

“If we want to know how to get the better of stupidity, we must seek to understand its nature. This much is certain, that it is in essence not an intellectual defect but a human one. There are human beings who are of remarkably agile intellect yet stupid, and others who are intellectually quite dull yet anything but stupid.”
 - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Also:

“Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force. Evil always carries within itself the germ of its own subversion in that it leaves behind in human beings at least a sense of unease. Against stupidity we are defenseless.”
 - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Carlo M. Cipolla (15 August 1922 – 5 September 2000) was an Italian economic historian. He was a member of both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. As for Carlo M. Cipolla, he postulated five fundamental laws of stupidity:

1. Always and inevitably, everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation.
2. The probability that a certain person will be stupid is independent of any other characteristic of that person.
3. A stupid person is a person who causes losses to another person or to a group of persons while himself deriving no gain and even possibly incurring losses.
4. Non-stupid people always underestimate the damaging power of stupid individuals. In particular, non-stupid people constantly forget that at all times and places, and under any circumstances, to deal and/or associate with stupid people always turns out to be a costly mistake.
5. A stupid person is the most dangerous type of person.

On a webpage in Philosopheasy, “Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Terrifying Theory of Stupidity”, they state:

Stupidity vs. Evil: A Crucial Distinction

We often equate evil with malice – a conscious desire to inflict harm. But Bonhoeffer argued that stupidity is a far more potent and dangerous foe. Why? Because evil, at least, understands itself. It knows what it's doing. Stupidity, on the other hand, is often blind, self-satisfied, and utterly impervious to reason. It's not about a lack of intelligence; it's a moral failing.

The Anatomy of Stupidity

Bonhoeffer wasn't referring to a simple lack of intellect. Instead, he saw stupidity as a psychological and moral condition. Here's how he broke it down:

• A Surrender of Independence: The core of stupidity is a voluntary abdication of one's own critical thinking, a willingness to surrender one's inner freedom.
• Group Conformity: This surrender is often driven by a desire to belong, to conform to a group, ideology, or leader.
• Resistance to Facts: The stupid person actively resists facts and arguments that contradict their pre-conceived notions. They are immune to reason.

And stupidness rarely recognizes its own stupidity. It is immune to facts and reasoning, or self-reflection, as they believe that they are always right and moral, and those who oppose them are always wrong and evil. As I have written in my Chirp on “11/19/25 Critical Thinking”, “You can silence fifty scholars with one fact, but you cannot silence an idiot with fifty facts.”, so you cannot reason with stupid people, as they are not exercising critical thinking, nor do they respond to critical thinking.

Alas, in modern America, we have seen Progressives/Leftists and the Democrat Party become the stupid people, as they exist in their own bubble, impenetrable by anyone else’s contrary words and deeds. And this stupidity is most apparent in their Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS). Their words and deeds are the anatomy of stupidity and the ultimate in groupthink that rejects anything or anyone who would disagree with them. They even disavow and shun those within their ranks who would disagree with any particular aspect of their stupidity.

Consequently, they are impervious to any intellectual reasoning and must be opposed by exposing their stupidity. This is one of the major reasons that they hate President Trump and his supporters, as he and his supporters mock and ridicule their stupidity, thus defanging them and exposing them for the danger to society that they are.

11/22/25 The Usefulness of Stupidity

Most politicians love stupidity. With the stupidity of the public, they can use prevarications, sophistry, shenanigans, and bamboozlement to persuade the electorate to vote for them and to support their political goals and policy agendas. They rely on a lack of critical thinking by the electorate, as I have Chirped on “11/19/25 Critical Thinking”, to persuade the public to support and vote for them. And many of their supporters are smart but stupid, as I have examined in my Chirp on “11/20/25 Smart or Stupid, or Both”. These smart but stupid people have become collectively stupid, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran minister during the time of Nazism postulated. Those people who so vote surrender their independence, engage in group conformity, and are resistant to facts. They have become useful idiots for crafty politicians. For more of Bonhoeffer's thoughts on collective stupidity, I would direct you to the YouTube videos “Are You A Part Of Them? - Theory Of Stupidity” and “Bonhoeffer‘s Theory of Stupidity”. Also, while using the search assist of my web browser I encounter the following while searching for ‘Theory of Stupidity’, which I have found to be helpful in thinking about Bonhoeffer's Stupidity Theory:

"Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian, proposed that stupidity is more dangerous than evil. He argued that while evil can be identified and fought against, stupidity is harder to combat because it often goes hand-in-hand with power and can be manipulated by those with malicious intent.

Key Concepts

Definition of Stupidity

• Stupidity vs. Ignorance: Stupidity is a willful resistance to knowledge, while ignorance is simply a lack of knowledge. Stupid individuals often refuse to accept facts that contradict their beliefs.
• Moral Failure: Bonhoeffer viewed stupidity as a moral failure, where individuals surrender their critical thinking to groupthink, leading to a loss of intellectual autonomy."

Characteristics of Stupid Individuals

• Manipulability: Stupid people can be easily influenced and used by those in power, making them dangerous.
• Self-Satisfaction: They often remain unaware of their stupidity and can become aggressive when challenged.

These smart but stupid people are like pestilence (a pernicious and malign influence that is hard to get rid of), as they sow discord and often wreak havoc in their wake. Thinking critically stems this pestilence, but only if you act upon what your critical thinking leads you to believe. But critical thinking requires much time and effort in gathering the facts and reasoning to achieve a proper conclusion. The time and effort that most Americans do not have in their pursuit of their daily activities are lacking. Therefore, the American public must have another means to determine the veracity of a politician’s statements and claims.

A good guidepost is to examine the veracity of their previous statements and claims, and to determine the factuality and implications of their previous statements and claims. The most important criterion for this examination is to determine if they have lied, as a liar can be discounted in their current statements and claims. In my Chirp on “11/21/25 They Lied”, I examined the lies of the Democrat Party Leaders and Progressives/Leftists over the last decade. As such, you can expect that they are relying on the stupidity of the American public to obtain their political goals and policy agendas.

Accordingly, the Democrat Party Leaders and Progressives/Leftists rely on the stupidity of the American public, and they should not be elected or reelected as they are facilitators of pestilential stupidity in our society.

11/23/25 The Perils of Pestilential Stupidity

In my article on A Special Kind of Stupid, and my Chirps on “11/20/25 Smart or Stupid, or Both”, “11/21/25 They Lied”, and “11/22/25 The Usefulness of Stupidity”, I have bemoaned the slide into stupidity of the American people from the lack of critical thinking, as I explained in my Chirp on “11/19/25 Critical Thinking”. And, as I have mentioned in these Chirps, these stupid people are a pestilence on society.

Pestilential stupidity in society is a pernicious and malign influence that is hard to get rid of, and it is all too common in the acceptance and advancement of Marxism, Communism, Socialism, Democratic Socialism, Social Democracy, and Labor Parties. The most destructive form of pestilential stupidity was Communism, Nazism, and Fascism, which led to the deaths of hundreds of millions of people and the destruction of their societies. In other societies, pestilential stupidity leads to societal civil discord and paralysis as a we against them mentality emerges. This is evident in the slide into stupidity of Great Britain and Western European societies.

Today, in America, we have seen the rise of stupidity in our society. On a webpage in Philosopheasy, “Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Terrifying Theory of Stupidity”, they state some of the reasons for the rise in this modern stupidity:

The Modern Relevance: A Warning for Today

Bonhoeffer's theory resonates with chilling accuracy in our modern, hyper-connected world. Social media algorithms, echo chambers, and the constant barrage of information have created fertile ground for the cultivation of stupidity. We're constantly bombarded with curated realities, reinforcing our existing biases and making us even less likely to question the narratives we consume.

Consider the following:

1. The spread of misinformation and propaganda.
2. The polarization of political discourse.
3. The rise of tribalism and groupthink.

These are all symptoms of a society struggling against the tide of Bonhoeffer's "stupidity."

And that is where we are in today’s American society. While many on the right side of the political spectrum in America have exhibited Bonhoeffer’s definition of stupidity, they are in the minority and have little influence on the Republican Party. Alas, a majority on the left side of the political spectrum has exhibited Bonhoeffer’s definition of stupidity, and they are in the majority within the Democrat Party and have much influence in directing its political goals and policy agendas.

Democrat Party Leaders and Progressives/Leftists believe that, as they are more intelligent, better educated, and morally superior, they are, of course, always correct, and that their opponents should be ignored and debased. In their beliefs, they are immune to any intellectual reasoning that challenges their beliefs, and, thus, they have become Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s definition of stupidity. If they cannot be persuaded out of their stupidity, then they, too, will bring about the destruction of American society, as has happened to the societies that descend into stupidity. And such societies often end through social strife, leading to repression and possible civil warfare. Either way, America as we know it, and as our Founding Fathers constructed it to be, cannot stand against pestilential stupidity. Accordingly, it is necessary to defeat this pestilential stupidity, or America will further descend into stupidity and cease to exist as the last best hope of mankind.

11/28/25 Poisoning Weak, Twisted, or Stupid Minds

With the two assassination attempts on Donald Trump, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the physical violence against Federal agents enforcing immigration laws, and now the shooting of two National Guardsmen (and which now has left Sarah Beckstrom dead), the poisoning of minds that the Progressives/Leftists and Democrat Party Leaders through their Divisiveness in America, their pro-Islamist and Anti-Semitic rhetoric, and their lies (as I have Chirped on “11/21/25 They Lied”), is coming to fruition.

This fruition is because of weak or twisted minds, or uncritical persons that are in the clutches of Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity, who cannot control their emotional response to what they feel is the evilness of their opponents. The hyperbole and invectiveness of Progressives/Leftists and Democrat Party Leaders over the last ten years have poisoned their minds, and it has led to this violence.

Despite the warnings of many that this rhetoric and lies are dangerous, they have continued to spew this rhetoric and continued lies, as they have no other means to motivate voters to support them. Rather than having political goals and policy agendas that the majority of the American people can support, they have to Demonize, Denigrate, and Disparage their opponents. Thus, the hatred of their supporters grew, and it has now overwhelmed them into supporting or engaging in violence.

If these Progressives/Leftists and Democrat Party Leaders believe their own words, then they are in the clutches of Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity, and such people should never be leaders of a people dedicated to Liberties and Freedoms, as they will destroy liberty and freedom, as history has so often demonstrated. If America should descend into Nazism, Fascism, or Socialism, it will not be because of what President Trump and his supporters have said or done, but because of the words and deeds of Progressives/Leftists and Democrat Party Leaders in poisoning the minds of their supporters, and in attracting new supporters with their rhetoric and lies.

12/02/25 Send in the Clowns

“And where are the clowns?
Quick, send in the clowns.
Don't bother, they're here.”
 - Stephen Sondheim in the 1973 musical "A Little Night Music"

A "clown show" figuratively refers to a chaotic situation or a disorganized mess. It often describes events or scenarios that are poorly managed or ridiculous. And the Democrat Party has become a clown show, more interested in theatrics than in governance. Their whole behavior shows a party more committed to drama than solutions. And it is bad drama, as no thoughtful person is taking them seriously.

With their loss of political power, they have lost control of the show. Consequently, they have resorted to histrionics to denigrate their opponents, rather than formulate public policy that the electorate can support. Their only electoral advantage is in the enthusiasm of their supporters and the reflexive vote of many lifelong Democrats. This voting bloc, coupled with less enthusiastic Republican and Independent voters, can result in some election victories. But these victories are hollow, as they are often localized in deep blue States and cities, and, thus, they are insufficient to have a major impact on the rest of America.

They have become a party of Progressives/Leftists orthodoxy, and anyone who deviates from this orthodoxy is excommunicated from the party. They will also continue to support their candidates even when damaging information is uncovered about them. And they choose their candidates based on their presentability and electability, with little regard for their ability to govern.

In their theatrics, they will say outrageous things about their opponents, lie about their opponents’ words, deeds, and records, and even slander and libel their opponents. More dangerously, we have seen a rise in their support for physical confrontation by their supporters against their opponents. This is a party that feels no compunction about using The Weaponization of Government and  Lawfare against their opponents. This is a party that believes we have the liberty to do with what they agree with, and the freedom to act within what they believe is acceptable. Consequently, all Liberties and Freedoms must be subsumed within their constraints.

They are also a party in civil strife. The old guard leaders are old and ineffective, and they have become anathema to the left wing of their party. Their new wannabe leaders have big government and socialistic agendas that most Americans find objectionable. And every one of these wannabes is jockeying to be the leaders of the Democrat Party, and, as such, they are rudderless and without a unified direction.

This is a party that has become A Special Kind of Stupid and the personification of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s ideas on stupidity. This is a party descending into chaos, and they seem to be unconcerned that they are dragging America into chaos. God forbid if they regain power, as who knows how they will exercise their power, or what they will do or say to retain their power.

12/04/25 Propagandists, Not Journalists

Modern Journalism has adopted a mantra of "Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, and See No Evil" when it comes to Progressives/Leftists and Democrat Party Leaders' words and deeds. Indeed, the opposite is true for those who would oppose Progressives/Leftists in that they, "Hear All Evil, Speak All Evil, and See All Evil", of those in opposition to Progressives/Leftist or Democratic Party leaders. Perhaps we should stop calling them 'Journalists' and hereafter refer to them as 'Propagandists', which would be a more accurate term for what they are practicing.

And today, modern journalism has been infected by Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) and Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity. An infection that tilts all reporting and commentary against President Trump and his supporters. An infection that skewers the political landscape in favor of Democrat Party leaders and candidates. The misreporting, or lack of reporting of the Democrat Lies (as I have Chirped on “11/21/25 They Lied”), are the most egregious examples of their being Propagandists. And this propaganda can sway elections, and it certainly sways polling. It also reinforces those in the clutches of Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity to continue in their stupidity.

The good news is that many Americans have become aware of their propaganda and discount their reporting and commentary. The bad news is that there are enough Americans who are unaware of their propaganda and vote based on their propaganda, which can sway an election by ill-informed voters.

Alas, the Freedom of the Press allows them freedom to misreport or not report anything that they choose. But the Freedom of Speech allows Americans to label them as Propagandists to illuminate their predilections to counter their propaganda. As Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis' famous statement that “sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants” is a truism, so should thoughtful Americans throw sunshine upon them to disinfect these Press Propagandists.

01/14/26 The Cure for Bonhoeffer Stupidity

Stupidity is immune to logic, blind to reason, and deaf to truth. One is not born stupid; one becomes stupid. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian, proposed that stupidity is more dangerous than evil. He argued that while evil can be identified and fought against, stupidity is harder to combat because it often goes hand-in-hand with power and can be manipulated by those with malicious intent. He believed that while evil can be identified and opposed, stupidity is insidious and often goes unchallenged. Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity posits that stupidity is more dangerous than evil because it is often blind and self-satisfied, making it resistant to reason and facts. He argued that when individuals surrender their critical thinking to conform to groups or ideologies, they become susceptible to manipulation and can unwittingly support harmful actions.

I have examined Bonhoeffer's theory of stupidity in my collected Chirps on "Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity". What I have not examined is what we can do about Bonhoeffer stupidity. If Bonhoeffer stupidity is such a dangerous enemy, is there a cure? Bonhoeffer believed there was, but it demanded a radical commitment. It involved cultivating and fiercely protecting one's inner independence. This requires a willingness of the individual to:

• Question Everything: Challenge your own assumptions and beliefs.
• Seek the Truth: Actively seek out diverse perspectives and evidence.
• Use Your Intelligence: Feeling something is proper and correct leads you astray. Always think through an issue, based on facts and truths, before reaching a conclusion.
• Embrace Dialogue: Engage in respectful debate, even with those who disagree.

This is a lifelong battle, a constant exercise in critical thinking, and an unwavering commitment to intellectual honesty. However, it is the only way to resist the seductive allure of Bonhoeffer stupidity and the potential for great harm that Bonhoeffer stupidity inflicts upon yourself and America.

However, when Bonhoeffer stupidity affects many people in society, society must take steps to reduce and eliminate this stupidity. In America today, we have seen the Progressives/Leftists and the Democrat Party Leaders drift—and now quickly fall—into Bonhoeffer stupidity. Therefore, we must take societal action to prevent the dangers and possible evils that could occur if they succeed in gaining governmental power. Some of these societal actions include:

• Protect Independent Media: Modern Journalism has become aligned in its reporting with the advocacy of groups on the Progressive/Leftist political spectrum, often interviewing and reporting on individuals' or groups' Bonhoeffer stupid words and actions without challenge. We must support journalism that prioritizes investigation and nuance over clickbait and sensationalism, and prevent the Mainstream Media from dominating the news.
• Reform Education: Modern K-12 and college/university education has shifted from being about learning to being about indoctrination, as I have written in my article on Indoctrination versus Education. We should withhold funding and support from K-12 schools, colleges, and universities that do not promote critical thinking and allow diverse opinions on their campuses. Until they reform themselves, they will continue to produce Bonhoeffer stupid young people.
• Fight Nonsense: Concepts like Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), Critical Race Theory (CRT), Environmental, Social, and corporate Governance (ESG), and Intersectionality, are a cancer that spreads Bonhoeffer stupidity. The notion of Wokeness and the confusion between Equity and Equality lead to stupidity, as this idea and confusion originate from Bonhoeffer stupidity.
• Speak Truth to Power: Be confident in your facts and truths, and speak out whenever you encounter Bonhoeffer stupidity. Don't be intimidated into silence by Bonhoeffer stupid people (as they are wont to do), since many people interpret silence as agreement.
• Mock the Leadership: Ridicule and scorn those leaders who would lead others into Bonhoeffer-like stupidity. Expose their Bonhoeffer-inspired foolishness and the damage they could do to our American values and principles if they gain political power.
• Beware of Experts: Since many experts come from colleges and universities, where they have been indoctrinated with Bonhoeffer stupidity, their expertise is questionable and likely influenced by Bonhoeffer stupidity. Therefore, we should all be cautious of expert opinions, as they may be corrupted by Bonhoeffer stupidity, along with other issues I discussed in my article on Expert Opinions.
• Avoid the Cultural Elitists: Many people in the Mainstream Cultural Media reflexively spout Bonhoeffer nonsense without thinking through the consequences or by trying to gain social acceptance in their circles. Avoid these individuals in your activities; don't watch or listen to anything they are involved in, ignore their sales pitches for products or services, and be cautious of their appeals for charitable donations, as these organizations often engage in Bonhoeffer stupidity words and actions.
• Encourage Laughter: Those affected by Bonhoeffer stupidity often lack a sense of humor or understanding of satire. Use and promote humor and satire, including reductio ad absurdum, to highlight the foolishness and flaws in their Bonhoeffer stupidity.

Many afflicted with Bonhoeffer stupidity use "Torturous and Convoluted Reasoning", "Obfuscation, Smoke, and Mirrors",  "Euphemisms, Doublespeak, and Disingenuousness", and "The Perversion of the English Language" to attract others into their stupidity and achieve their goals. Beware of anyone who utilizes these techniques, as they are often caught in Bonhoeffer stupidity.

While some of these societal actions go against my Pearls of Wisdom of Always Be Polite and Respectful, the threat posed by Bonhoeffer's foolish individuals is much worse than breaking this rule. Moreover, treating Bonhoeffer's foolish individuals with respect elevates them in their own eyes as responsible people with valid viewpoints.

Given that Bonhoeffer's stupidity has been occurring and growing in America for many years, if not decades, and its percentage of the American public is significant, these actions may take many years to end Bonhoeffer's stupidity in America. However, if we do not end Bonhoeffer stupidity then America will be torn asunder, and we will lose our American Ideals and Ideas and our Freedoms, Liberties, Equalities, and Equal Justice for All.

05/02/26 On Bonhoeffer’s and Cipolla’s Theories of Stupidity

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (4 February 1906 – 9 April 1945) was a German theologian during the Nazi period of German history. In examining the causes for the rise and rule of Nazism he proposed, in a short letter “After Ten Years: An Account at the Turn of the Year 1942–1943”, that stupidity was the basic cause, and that stupidity is more dangerous than evil. He argued that while evil can be identified and fought against, stupidity is harder to combat because it often goes hand-in-hand with power and can be manipulated by those with malicious intent.

Professor Carlo M. Cipolla  (15 August 1922 – 5 September 2000) was an Italian economic historian. He was a member of both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. In an essay, "The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity" he explores the subject of stupidity. In this essay, he outlined five laws regarding stupidity and the factors to consider when exploring human behavior.

Key Principles

Definition of Stupidity:

• Stupidity vs. Ignorance: Stupidity is a willful resistance to knowledge, while ignorance is simply a lack of knowledge. Stupid individuals often refuse to accept facts that contradict their beliefs.
• Moral Failure: Stupidity is a moral failure, where individuals surrender their critical thinking to groupthink, leading to a loss of intellectual autonomy.

Characteristics of Stupid Individuals:

• Manipulability: Stupid people can be easily influenced and used by those in power, making them dangerous.
• Self-Satisfaction: Stupid people often remain unaware of their stupidity and can become aggressive when challenged.

The Anatomy of Stupidity

Bonhoeffer wasn't referring to a simple lack of intellect. Instead, he saw stupidity as a psychological and moral condition. Here's how he broke it down:

• A Surrender of Independence: The core of stupidity is a voluntary abdication of one's own critical thinking, a willingness to surrender one's inner freedom.
• Group Conformity: This surrender is often driven by a desire to belong, to conform to a group, ideology, or leader.
• Resistance to Facts: The stupid person actively resists facts and arguments that contradict their pre-conceived notions. They are immune to reason.

Cipolla's Laws of Stupidity

1. Everyone underestimates the number of stupid people.
2. The probability of a person being stupid is independent of other characteristics.
3. A stupid person causes losses to others without any benefit to themselves. The factors to consider when evaluating benefits and losses are:

• Benefits and losses that individuals cause to themselves.
• Benefits and losses that individuals cause to others.

1. Non-stupid people underestimate the damaging power of stupid individuals.
2. A stupid person is the most dangerous type of person in society.

Stupidity vs. Evil: A Crucial Distinction

We often equate evil with malice – a conscious desire to inflict harm. But Bonhoeffer argued that stupidity is a far more potent and dangerous foe. Why? Because evil, at least, understands itself. It knows what it's doing. Stupidity, on the other hand, is often blind, self-satisfied, and utterly impervious to reason. It's not a lack of intelligence; it's a moral failing. A Philosopheasy webpage, “Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Terrifying Theory of Stupidity”, elaborates on this distinction.

Implications of Stupidity

Bonhoeffer's theory suggests that societies with a high proportion of stupid individuals may struggle to progress. The ability to counteract the negative effects of stupidity depends on the presence of intelligent individuals who can mitigate the losses caused by the stupid. However, there is no guarantee that intelligent individuals can mitigate the harmful impacts of a large number of Bonhoeffer stupid people in a society if they become a potent political force.

Consequences of Stupidity

As Bonhoeffer notes, stupid people consider themselves always right and morally superior. They have no difficulty suppressing the Natural Rights of those who disagree with them, believing they are doing so for the “Greater Good” of society. In their zeal, they also believe it is morally permissible to use violence against their opponents and to impose their will on others through government action.

Conclusion

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was arrested and executed for his actions during the rise and rule of Nazism. He was hanged two weeks before the Allies liberated the concentration camp where he was imprisoned. The Bonhoeffer Stupid German people were only liberated with their destruction as a result of World War II. For when Bonhoeffer Stupidity grips a society, it often leads to the destruction of that society. My collected Chirps on "Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity" examines the rise and impacts of Bonhoeffer Stupidity in modern America.

05/26/26 Bonhoeffer Stupidity in Today's World

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (4 February 1906 – 9 April 1945) was a German theologian during the Nazi period of German history. In examining the causes for the rise and rule of Nazism he proposed, in a short letter “After Ten Years: An Account at the Turn of the Year 1942–1943”, that stupidity was the basic cause, and that stupidity is more dangerous than evil. He argued that while evil can be identified and fought against, stupidity is harder to combat because it often goes hand-in-hand with power and can be manipulated by those with malicious intent.

In a longish but captivating YouTube video, “The Chilling Truth About Stupidity You’re Not Meant to Know — Dietrich Bonhoeffer”, examines that the greatest threat to modern society isn’t evil, but something far more subtle—and terrifying! In this eye-opening video, they dive deep into Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s chilling theory of stupidity. A warning that’s rarely spoken but essential to understand, for Bonhoeffer reveals how ignorance and blind conformity can be more dangerous than malice itself.

This video explores how this unsettling idea still applies today—and why recognizing it is key to building a wiser, more conscious world. Whether you’re interested in philosophy, history, or personal growth, this video will challenge how you think about intelligence, responsibility, and the power of awareness.

I have previously written about Bonhoeffer Stupidity in the following articles:

• Bonhoeffer on Stupidity
• Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity Outline
• My collected Chirps on Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity

Additionally, I have added a new article, Bonhoeffer Stupidity in Today's World, about others' thoughts on how Bonhoeffer Stupidity is inflicting our Modern World. My next two Chirps on “05/nn/26 The Cause of Bonhoeffer Stupidity in Modern America” and “05/nn/26 The Cure for Bonhoeffer Stupidity in Modern America” will further explore the cause and cures for Bonhoeffer Stupidity in Modern America.

In all these Articles and Chirps, I caution that Bonhoeffer Stupidity is the looming danger to America that needs to be addressed. When Bonhoeffer Stupidity grips a society, it often leads to that society’s destruction. In modern America, it appears that Bonhoeffer Stupidity is on the rise, a trend that will continue to tear us apart unless corrected. If we do not do otherwise, as President Lincoln said in his concluding remarks of his 1862 State of the Union Address, “We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth.”

05/27/26 The Cause of Bonhoeffer Stupidity in Modern America

As I have written in my collected Chirps on "Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity", Bonhoeffer Stupidity is on the rise in modern America. There are two questions one must ask about this rise: What are its causes, and what can be done about it?

As for its causes, I have recently read two books by Gad Saad, Suicidal Empathy: Dying to Be Kind and Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense, which may help explain the cause of Bonhoeffer Stupidity in America.

As the book's publisher's review of Suicidal Empathy states:

“What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected.

And the book's publisher's review of Parasitic Mind states:

“There's a war against truth... and if we don't win it, intellectual freedom will be a casualty.

The West’s commitment to freedom, reason, and true liberalism has never been more seriously threatened than it is today by the stifling forces of political correctness.”

The cover illustration of Suicidal Empathy and Parasitic Mind is illuminative of these issues:

   

A sheep bearing a sign to let loose its mortal enemy is a form of insanity. A mind that allows itself to be infected by another person is also insane. An insanity that afflicts the Bonhoeffer Stupid people in America.

In both of these books, Dr. Gaad examines the mindset and motivations of those who, in their zeal to do good, often harm themselves and others. This harm stems from failing to consider the real-world consequences of their speech and actions, or from The Law of Unintended Consequences. Indeed, they often claim that their intentions were good after their actions caused harm, and they expect to be forgiven for the harm they caused because their intentions were good. This mindset and these motivations are those of the stupid people in America who are afflicted by Bonhoeffer Stupidity. In particular, Chapter 1 of Suicidal Empathy has two subsections, “Pathways to Suicidal Empathy—Nature versus Nurture and Internal versus External Locus of Control” and “Narcissism and Existential Guilt Drive Suicidal Empathy”,  which succinctly describe the mindset and motivations of Progressives/Leftists that lead them into Bonhoeffer Stupidity.

In the classic 1995 book, “The Vision of the Anointed: Self-Congratulation as a Basis for Social Policy”, Thomas Sowell explained how the intelligentsia espouse policies that make them feel virtuous in their unlimited compassion while being fully decoupled from the negative consequences of said policies, which in many instances are borne by those whom they are supposed to help (i.e., marginalized communities). Many of these members of the intelligentsia live and work in enclaves or gated communities/institutions, where they are shielded from the problems they have caused. And many of them are not regularly exposed to the vagrants, the homeless, the mentally disturbed, addicts, thieves, property destruction, as well as violent criminal acts that their policies have incurred.

On the front page of the book Suicidal Empathy, Dr. Saad states:

“Suicidal empathy is a tragic manifestation,
at the civilization level, of the well-known proverb
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
- Gad Saad

My next Chirp on, “05/28/26 The Cure for Bonhoeffer Stupidity in Modern America”, will examine how to cure Bonhoeffer Stupidity. But as I have cautioned, Bonhoeffer Stupidity is the looming danger to America that needs to be addressed. When Bonhoeffer Stupidity grips a society, it often leads to that society’s destruction. In modern America, it appears that Bonhoeffer Stupidity is on the rise, a trend that will continue to tear us apart unless corrected. If we do not do otherwise, as President Lincoln said in his concluding remarks of his 1862 State of the Union Address, “We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth.”

05/28/26 The Cure for Bonhoeffer Stupidity in Modern America

As I have written in my collected Chirps on "Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity", Bonhoeffer Stupidity is on the rise in modern America. There are two questions one must ask about this rise: What are its causes, and what can be done about it? My previous Chirp on “05/nn/26 The Cause of Bonhoeffer Stupidity in Modern America” examines the causes for Bonhoeffer Stupidity, while this Chirp examines the cures.

Bonhoeffer Stupidity behaves like a kind of emotional contagion. It spreads through ready-made phrases, oversimplified ideas, hollow certainties, and slogans that bypass any real analysis. And once it's taken root, it feeds on habit, repetition, and the laziness to think. The individual stops being critical and becomes merely a repeater of whatever the group accepts as truth. What's even more disturbing is that stupidity doesn't need hatred to do damage. It can be calm, smiling, even well-meaning. All it takes for it to succeed is for someone to stop thinking for themselves and start accepting everything automatically.

As for its cure, the question is not whether there is one, but whether you can get a Bonhoeffer Stupid person to admit they are behaving stupidly and need a cure. The cure for Bonhoeffer Stupidity is for those afflicted to think and reason for themselves. Unfortunately, Bonhoeffer-stupid people have given up thinking in favor of conformity of thought, a conformity they pursue with religious avidity. They also believe that if you disagree with them, then you are obviously wrong or evil, and they need not listen to you, your facts, or your reasoning. Even people who might think clearly on their own often give in to unthinking and irrational behavior when placed in social contexts marked by pressure, fear, or conformity. And even intelligent people are susceptible to Bonhoeffer Stupidity in their arrogance that they are more knowledgeable, intelligent, and wiser than most people, and that they have greater “Good Intentions” than most people. Such intellectual people often believe they are wiser than most, but they do not understand the true nature of wisdom, as I have written in my article on “Knowledgeable – From Information to Wisdom”. This is the key danger, as Bonhoeffer Stupid people close their minds when confronted with contrary facts and truths. Thus, it is almost hopeless to get them to listen to you.

Bonhoeffer Stupid people are easily manipulated by those who wish to obtain and retain power for their own nefarious purposes. While some of these Bonhoeffer Stupid political leaders believe what they espouse, many political leaders rely on ready-made phrases, oversimplified ideas, hollow certainties, and slogans to obtain political power, usually with malicious intent. Thus, it is important for the American voter to recognize these politicians by their use of these tautologies and to vote for another candidate. Mockery, ridicule, lampooning, and absurd parody against these candidates can sometimes give them pause, but not always, as they are often humorless. And sometimes reductio ad absurdum arguments may be effective. At the very least, the aforementioned techniques may give others pause about voting for them, and these techniques can often raise questions and doubts in the minds of the Bonhoeffer Stupid.

Finally, a quality curriculum in Middle and High Schools that includes Civics Education (such as The The Everything American Government Book by Nick Ragone), truthful American History (both the good and the bad, such as Wilfred M. McClay’s Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story), and basic instruction in economics, money, and statistics (such as the Naked Series of books by Charles J. Wheelan) needs to be instituted. A quality education that teaches facts and truths, as well as how to think, will help prevent people from descending into Bonhoeffer Stupidity. And it needs to be taught by non-partisan teachers who believe in America and do not suffer from Bonhoeffer Stupidity (as many teachers are afflicted by Bonhoeffer Stupidity).

Alas, these cures for Bonhoeffer Stupidity are difficult to accomplish and may take considerable time to achieve. But as I have cautioned, Bonhoeffer Stupidity is the looming danger to America that needs to be addressed. When Bonhoeffer Stupidity grips a society, it often leads to that society’s destruction. In modern America, it appears that Bonhoeffer Stupidity is on the rise, a trend that will continue to tear us apart unless corrected. If we do not do otherwise, as President Lincoln said in his concluding remarks of his 1862 State of the Union Address, “We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth.”

05/30/26 The Mindset and Motivations of the Bonhoeffer Stupid

Dr. Gad Saad  is a scholar at the Declaration of Independence Center for the Study of American Freedom at the University of Mississippi. He is also Professor of Marketing at Concordia University (Montreal, Canada), and former holder of the Concordia University Research Chair in Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences and Darwinian Consumption (2008-2018). In 2024-2025, he was a Visiting Professor and Global Ambassador at Northwood University and has previously held Visiting Associate Professorships at Cornell University, Dartmouth College, and the University of California–Irvine. Dr. Saad has received many teaching, research, and media awards in his career. He has also written many books on his expertise, wrote a blog for Psychology Today, and now hosts a podcast titled "The Saad Truth".

Dr. Saad has begun to elaborate on the concept of “Suicidal Empathy”, of which he states in his book on this subject that:

“Imagine for a moment that the West’s intelligentsia, including its elite progressive political class, is infected by a mind parasite that causes its empathy module to misfire in every conceivable manner. Many of the policy decisions that have wreaked havoc  in the West stem from this poor calibration of empathy, resulting in a society that is galloping rapidly toward the abyss of infinite lunacy. Whether when dealing with immigration, the justice system, the homelessness crisis, or transgender rights in women’s sports, outlandish policies are instituted precisely because of suicidal empathy. This results in a wide range of misguided “empathetic” inequalities, . . .”

In the recent past, Dr. Saad has spoken and written a book on the concept of a “Parasitic Mind”, of which he states that:

“When we think of a pandemic, we often conjure images of deadly infectious diseases that spread rapidly across countries causing unimaginable human suffering (like the Black Death, the Spanish Influenza, AIDS, and the ongoing COVID-19 crisis). The West is currently suffering from such a devastating pandemic, a collective malady that destroys people’s ability to think rationally. Unlike other pandemics where biological pathogens are to blame, the current culprit is composed of a collection of bad ideas, spawned on university campuses, that chip away at our edifices of reason, freedom, and individual dignity.”

These two books examine the mindset and motivations of those who, in their zeal to do good, often harm themselves and others. These books, along with a book on his life and experiences, are June’s Book It selection.