#1 Brutally Honest
Have you ever wondered how a certain politician could manage to get elected when you know in your heart that they’re an absolute idiot? And how often do you pass a car in traffic that is moving like the driver has only one brain cell? It’s kind to give others the benefit of the doubt in most situations, but sometimes, we have to accept that there are some stupid people out there.
As for why some people online appear to be lacking any intelligence, well, Evan Francen has some theories. First, he notes that social media and the internet certainly haven’t done us any favors. Sure, they’ve given us access to all the information in the world, but that means that we don’t actually have to know anything. And we’ve become so used to being in constant contact with others that we often forget to think before we speak (or type).
Francen also pointed out that convenience is ruining people’s critical thinking. We don’t have to learn directions because an app will always tell us when to turn. We don’t have to learn how to spell because our phones will fix it for us. We don’t have to think because we can be constantly stimulated by our phones and just regurgitate what we hear on social media.
Along with that, many people have completely lost their problem-solving skills. Take bean soup theory, for example, or “what about me-ism.” This was created after someone commented on a TikTok of a recipe for bean soup, “What if I don’t like beans?” Instead of scrolling along and finding a different recipe, the person couldn’t comprehend that not everything is for them. Their problem could have easily been solved by looking for a pea soup or chicken noodle soup recipe instead.
Something else that’s particularly prevalent online (though this happens in real-life too) is clueless people being extremely confident. Whether it’s espousing conspiracy theories or claiming everyone else is wrong, people who have no idea what they’re talking about tend to be the loudest people in the room. Meanwhile, thousands of others will silently see their insane comments and just keep scrolling. So it’s easy to get the impression that everyone online is an idiot when the most intelligent people tend to keep their mouths shut.
Now, many people believe that the internet is making humans stupider. And while that’s not necessarily true, it is undoubtedly rewiring our brains. Concordia University explains that the internet is shortening our attention spans, worsening our ability to recall memories, and taking a significant toll on many people’s empathy muscles and social skills. Someone cannot blame the internet for not being able to read or for not knowing how to accomplish basic tasks around the house, but it might explain why they struggle so much with thinking outside the box.
The funny thing about feeling like you’re surrounded by idiots is that the majority of people believe that they’re smarter than the average person. Which, statistically, cannot be true, of course. But if you’re one of the rare people who is worried about being stupid, the BBC has some advice. First, they note that you must be able to recognize your blind spots. Nobody knows everything, and the smartest people can recognize what they don’t know.
If you don’t want to be the stupidest person in the room, you also have to be willing to eat humble pie. There will be moments when you accidentally say something incorrectly or make a mistake. Don’t double down and claim that you were correct. Just admit that you have some learning to do, and move on. It’s a much more mature way of approaching the situation, and it won’t get you cyberbullied for being an idiot online.
