A much bigger problem than stupid people are the stupid ideas of smart people. As the American psychologist Martin Seligman writes, even stupid people are very often subject to stupid mistakes. Even very intelligent people sometimes fail to switch from fast to slow thinking, get swept away by their surroundings, use faulty logic, etc. High IQ only helps where we use the brain in a mode where its benefits can be seen. Extensive knowledge only helps where we know how to sort through it and how to navigate it.

When a stupid mistake is made by a stupid person, it doesn’t do too much damage. When a highly intelligent person is in error, whose views are taken up by other people, and who has sufficient ability to get what he wants through, then it can cause enormous damage.

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