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Idiocy (pg. 2)
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| Slylee |
| quote: | Originally posted by SYSTEM-J
I believe idiocy is a temporary state, although how long it can last is not limited. I probably call myself an idiot more than any other person. It's possible to be very intelligent in many areas and still act like an idiot in others, sometimes simultaneously. I define someone as an idiot whenever they make an oversight or an unwise decision or when they completely fail to comprehend something logical. I call people idiots regularly, but that doesn't necessarily mean I think they're consistently idiotic.
In many ways I define intelligence as consistently not being an idiot. Even the smartest people do stupid things, but it's all about consistency. |
*thumbs up*
couldn't have said it better myself. |
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| nefardec |
idiocy is ignorance, which comes from being unaware or close-minded.
additionally, the greek 'idios' means 'one's own', which also implies further close-mindedness or living in a bubble. |
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| Lira |
| quote: | Originally posted by nefardec
idiocy is ignorance, which comes from being unaware or close-minded.
additionally, the greek 'idios' means 'one's own', which also implies further close-mindedness or living in a bubble. |
The problem with etymology as a way of explaining a word is that it tells us more about its meaning when it was coined that what it is supposed to mean now.
Cretin, for example, was a term coined by Christians that meant... Christian. I don't think they thought of themselves as cretins :p The word silly went through a similar semantic drift, and even atoms now seem to be divisible into smaller units.
| quote: | Originally posted by Capitalizt
Some people can be true idiots.. If people maintain certain views when presented with factual evidence that contradicts those views, if they don't change their mindset or evolve their thoughts on the subject, I think it's fair to call them idiots. There can be an objective definition for the word idiot..not just "someone who disagrees with me".. |
That's the kind of view I can't agree with, and reason why I deflated the meaning of the word idiot. When you teach someone something, and they can't understand, the communication is to blame. That's what the Brazilian author I mentioned (God, I wish I could remember his name) was getting at. Either your idea isn't as convincing as you take it to be (which has nothing to do with being true) or, you just fail to take in consideration the hearer's epistemic background, and you're trying to bridge gaps that are way too wide.
| quote: | Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN
sorry lira, but i think this is bollocks. idiot is a term for someone with a particular IQ range isn't it? so if that is how an idiot is defined, there must be idiots ;) |
Well, there were quite reliable instructions about what kind of person was supposed to be a witch, not long ago. Must there be witches?
Regardless of that, the whole IQ measuring enterprise is poorly understood by the general population. It's not supposed to show how "intelligent" you are, but how you're doing academically in average when compared to other people your age. That's why people in Amazon score so poorly compared to number crunching freaks in Seoul. |
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| Slylee |
| quote: | Originally posted by nefardec
idiocy is ignorance, which comes from being unaware or close-minded.
additionally, the greek 'idios' means 'one's own', which also implies further close-mindedness or living in a bubble. |
ok so are you so above humans and human nature that you've never had a "moment":rolleyes:
we all have moments...everyone needs to quit ing judging. |
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| nefardec |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lira
The problem with etymology as a way of explaining a word is that it tells us more about its meaning when it was coined that what it is supposed to mean now.
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that's assuming it does mean something different?
anyways it's just something to think about. meanings can have vectors |
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| nefardec |
| quote: | Originally posted by Slylee
ok so are you so above humans and human nature that you've never had a "moment":rolleyes:
we all have moments...everyone needs to quit ing judging. |
lol wut?
sounds like you're the one judging here? i was just talking about the origin of the word..
i think we have a perfect example of an 'idiot moment' :p (jk) |
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| Slylee |
i quoted the wrong person...lol sorry.
pkc whatever... |
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| Cpt.Cocaine |
| I've found it to be somewhat of a constant, even sometimes (although rarely) within the academic world, that people cling to very binary understandings, where things have to be done in a very arbitrarily specific manner, or they're done wrong, and whoever is doing them wrong is an idiot/bad person/lazy/whatever catchy term people like to use nowadays. |
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| Trouble |
| "Its got what plants Crave, its got electrolytes!" |
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| sensorium |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lira
Do you believe in idiocy? What, to you, makes a person an idiot? Would you be hurt if someone called you an idiot? What if you thought this person was an idiot as well?
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I would only use the term idiot to refer to a person who intentionally or unintentionally lowers his/her IQ.
When it is intentional and is excusable, like acting like an idiot to get out of a undesirable situation (like I have done on a few occasions), it is acceptable, even to be applauded. To some it can be even humorous.
The unintentional idiocy often results in embarrassing situations. A lot of people can act like idiots and not be aware of it. That can be self-damaging and those people are the ones one would usually want to avoid. For their sake, I would hope, idiocy is just a temporary state, an act. If it isn't, one is better off w/o them. |
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| pkcRAISTLIN |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lira
Regardless of that, the whole IQ measuring enterprise is poorly understood by the general population. It's not supposed to show how "intelligent" you are, but how you're doing academically in average when compared to other people your age. That's why people in Amazon score so poorly compared to number crunching freaks in Seoul. |
be that is it may, that doesn't mean that categories as defined by the IQ system are incorrect, merely dynamic or transitory.
anyway, there are clearly idiots who display wanton idiocy, and this has absolutely nothing to do with my supposed inability to really grasp what they're dribbling ;) |
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