Humans are stupid. Yes, including me, of course!

When wrapping up the discussions, I remarked to the class that I remain convinced that we humans are remarkably stupid.  One of those very rare occasions when I might have said something in class that was correct!

The cartoon editor of the New Yorker (what a fun job that is--I am bloody jealous of his him and his creativity!) provides this visual in his blog, which is perhaps a graphic that I should use in the first meeting of every course I teach:

Many a true word spoken in jest, indeed.

I do not mean stupid in the sense of IQ and being Eisnteins.  But, stupidity when it comes to our inability to recognize that a human is a human and no different from you and me.  The stupidity that makes us want to kill and ill-treat fellow-humans because of the differences in terms of skin complexion, the differences in the languages we speak, the differences in the gods that we appeal to, the differences in the way we think, ...

Often, I have wondered whether we are merely one small little event away from a complete and total annihilation. Because, hey, people are stupid, remember?

To some extent, perhaps working with a deep conviction that we humans are stupid is better than being convinced that we have bunch of smart people doing things.  I suspect that "we are stupid" will provide us with a lot more humility when we approach the complexities of our individual existence and the issues that we face as groups in neighborhoods, communities, countries, and the world.

So, pause for a moment every morning. And consciously remind yourself, when you have that cup of coffee to wake up to the day, that you read somewhere that people are stupid.  You will start the day on the correct path ;)