“Think about how stupid the average person is, then reflect on the fact that half the population is dumber than that.” —George Carlin
“Shermer’s Law: Smart people believe weird things because they are skilled at defending beliefs they arrived at for non-smart reasons.” —Michael Shermer, founder of the Skeptic Society, Why People Believe Weird Things (2002)
There is a very sad parallel to this strip: The local fire department foamed a football field for the kids to play in; and a teenager who dove in is now living as a complete quadriplegic.
It may be better to say “prudence” instead of “intelligence” – supposedly, if you get into college, you are more intelligent than a large segment of the population, and yet how many stories are there about foolish actions performed by college students?Now it is true that colleges have lowered their standards for decades (does “Bonehead English” ring a bell?), but that’s the theory.
allen@home over 4 years ago
Yep a lot of dumb people in the world.
mddshubby2005 over 4 years ago
You’re not as dumb as the guy who dove headfirst into it.
whahoppened over 4 years ago
Hey, we need ’em to buy stuff we would otherwise have to throw away.
flyertom over 4 years ago
Anyone that attempts to slide down a stairway handrail on a skateboard deserves a “Densa” award.
Concretionist over 4 years ago
My mom told us that comparisons are invidious. Then we had to look up “invidious”.
It’s better, imo, to accept that even really smart people pull dumb stunts. The distinction is what you learn from it.
sandpiper over 4 years ago
Living to be aware of one’s mistakes is the path to knowledge.
Richard S Russell Premium Member over 4 years ago
A couple of pertinent quotations spring to mind:
“Think about how stupid the average person is, then reflect on the fact that half the population is dumber than that.” —George Carlin
“Shermer’s Law: Smart people believe weird things because they are skilled at defending beliefs they arrived at for non-smart reasons.” —Michael Shermer, founder of the Skeptic Society, Why People Believe Weird Things (2002)
Geophyzz over 4 years ago
There is a very sad parallel to this strip: The local fire department foamed a football field for the kids to play in; and a teenager who dove in is now living as a complete quadriplegic.
Not the Smartest Man On the Planet -- Maybe Close Premium Member over 4 years ago
Okay, the kid fell on his ass and it hurts. Can we move on?
Stephen Gilberg over 4 years ago
“I’m not dumb?” “Sure you are. Just not the dumbest.”
braindead Premium Member over 4 years ago
“I love the poorly educated.”
Nick Danger over 4 years ago
It may be better to say “prudence” instead of “intelligence” – supposedly, if you get into college, you are more intelligent than a large segment of the population, and yet how many stories are there about foolish actions performed by college students?Now it is true that colleges have lowered their standards for decades (does “Bonehead English” ring a bell?), but that’s the theory.