Fresh&Thick

Exploring Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Theory of Stupidity in the age of social media

“Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.”― George Carlin

I was scrolling on Instagram the other day when I came across a video of a content creator out on the streets of London, asking a guy, “What continent is Europe in?”

Nervously laughing as the cogs in his brain tried to come up with an answer, the guy replied, "Hmm, I'm not sure."

I couldn't help but chuckle after watching the video. I’m sure you all have someone you think of as a bit dim. I don’t expect everyone to know everything, but I'm talking about people who are just that extra bit special. Occasionally we slip up too, and it can lead to some good-natured teasing. Most of the time, we laugh it off. After all, stupidity can be funny.

But stupidity does have a dark side to it. Especially on the internet, or more specifically, social media. (I know from the most recent post I sound like a social media hater, but it's more of a like/hate relationship).

There’s an internet adage that goes, “Debating an idiot is like trying to play chess with a pigeon – it knocks the pieces over, shits on the board, and flies back to its flock to claim victory.” I want peace in my life. Because of this, I avoid internet drama and think not twice but thrice before engaging in any kind of shitposting with an idiot. Funny and astute advice, as the adage is, it also leaves a bit of a cynical taste in your mouth - We let idiots get away with things.

Yet, the theologian and anti-nazi dissident Deitrich Bonhoeffer’s argued that a stupid person is often more dangerous than an evil person.

The Slippery Opponent

I recently watched 007: No Time To Die. In these action films, it’s pretty clear who the villain is – Lyutsifer Safin (played by Rami Malek). Personally, I find these movies boring. They present such a neat interpretation of life – A clear battle between good and evil. But in reality, a lot of life is grey. Sure, we have obvious villains – Kim Jong Un, dictators, violent criminals and so on. As evil as they are, they’re not the biggest threat since they’re known. When something evil arises, humanity’s good nature rallies together to fight back.

Bonhoeffer writes, “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.”

However, because life isn't so clear-cut, stupidity becomes a different problem altogether.

It's harder to fight against for two reasons.

First, we are collectively more tolerant towards it. Unlike evil, we don’t take stupidity as seriously. We laugh it off. And we don’t lambast people for their ignorance.

Second, stupid people are slippery opponents. They won’t discuss and debate in good faith or be open to good reason. Sticking to circular arguments. And if you present facts that refute their beliefs – they begin to lash out. So it’s easier to avoid them.

Bonhoeffer writes:

“Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply need not be believed — in such moments the stupid person even becomes critical — and when facts are irrefutable, they are just pushed aside as inconsequential, as incidental. In all this the stupid person, in contrast to the malicious one, is utterly self-satisfied and, being easily irritated, becomes dangerous by going on the attack.”

With Great Followers Comes Great Stupidity

So long as stupidity, like evil, has no power, it is no threat. We can laugh at the harmless things – such as people on Instagram failing to know what continent Europe is in. They won’t cause any harm.

But the problem with stupidity is that it often goes hand in hand with power. The psychology of power requires people to surrender their thinking and outsource it to those in power – relinquishing control of independence, critical thinking and reflection.

Bonhoeffer writes, “Upon closer observation, it becomes apparent that every strong upsurge of power in the public sphere, be it of a political or of a religious nature, infects a large part of humankind with stupidity.”

With the rise of social media and influencer culture, stupidity has become more prevalent. And I see a current idiotic trend taking over young men's minds: The masculinity pushback against fourth-wave feminism. (For the purpose of brevity, I will have to speak in generalities. I will address this all in a different essay).

I’m sure you've heard of some of the main characters leading the charge: Andrew Tate, Myron Gaines, Jordan Peterson, Sneako and so on. They all fall under the collective umbrella known as the Red Pill Manosphere. There are different subgroups, such as Pick Up Artist, Men Going Their Own Way (MGTOW), Incel, Black Pill, etc.

Not all of red pill is bad. There is some value in its beliefs: take responsibility for your life. Work hard. Strive to be your best self. Don’t put women on a pedestal and treat them like normal human beings. Good respectable adulting principles. That kind of thing.

But where I have to draw the line is the irrational hate towards women and acting like they’re ours to own. Women aren’t a piece of meat waiting on their knees for us to come home from work, ready to pleasure us and cook dinner. For goodness sake, it’s 2023, not fucking 1953.

The problem with these Red Pill (RP) Influencers – in this case, Myron Gaines from Fresh&Fit – is they go out of their way to pick the most ratchet degenerate group of girls who have cheated, admitted they’re gold diggers or have come from broken homes (which is a small percentage of women) and apply this unsavoury view to all women.

Another problem is that when an RP influencer says, “All women are hoes. Here’s how to get them into bed,” he’s giving you advice that works only on those kinds of women. Any great, healthy and emotionally stable woman can see your tactics for what it is. This all becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The tactics you use pigeonhole you into attracting women you hate. Thereby reinforcing your beliefs that women are toxic.

There’s plenty of red pill content that talks about being a gentleman and treating women with respect. Unfortunately, this type of content doesn’t work so well on social media. What does better is controversy and rage bait: “We hate women.” “How to be an asshole and have women fall in love with you.” “Insert any other degenerate women bashing headline.”

Sadly, I know of a few people who have gone and developed too much of a red pill addiction. They’ve claimed that women in southeast Asia are better than those in the west because they’re meek and gentle (clearly, you’ve not met my mother). Women can easily sleep with a man and take all their money. A high-value man is someone who slays pussy 25/8.

These are just a few examples the mouth-breathing imbeciles have voiced about women. Each day, they enter the house of TikTok. Worship at the altar of Myron Gaines and Andrew Tate. Whilst chanting “Al-pha, Al-pha, Al-pha” like a Gregorian choir.

I’m sure there are terrible beliefs that come from fourth-wave feminism too. But here’s the thing: when people blindly ascribe to an ideology, they outsource their thinking to those with supposed authority. And those with the power drain intelligence from an individual, leaving them akin to a parrot – mimicking sound bites without thinking things through.

Closing Thoughts

Bonhoeffer’s argument is that stupidity is worse than evil, as it has greater potential to damage our lives. An evil person can only inflict so much damage on their own unless they have stupid people to do their work. Like a sheep in a field, a good puppet master can guide an idiot to do any number of things.

It’s too easy to find content that confirms what we want to be true. Everything you consume online has been "optimised” to make you addicted to it. Content is designed to trap and capture you. Blogs are out to steal your attention. Myself included.

As a general rule of thumb, the more content feels like it’s true, the more sceptical you should be. Take the time to think for yourself. If you don’t, someone will do the thinking for you.

As Mark Twain once said, “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”