You Aren’t Stupid, But Other People Are

Before we slide fully into the season of thankfulness, hope, peace, and joy, I have a rant to share. Mid-November feels like the right time. I’ll get it out of my system so I can have a healthy heart for a wonderful season.

So here it is: I’m thinking about writing a book titled You Aren’t Stupid, But Other People Are.

Admit it—you’d click on that link just to see what it’s about. Maybe even buy it.

The title sums up the way we do life right now. We don’t want nuance, or reflection, or self-awareness.

Here’s what’s funny: I almost wrote, “Most of us don’t want nuance…” But even that sentence divides us. It creates a “most of us” group—the unaware—and a smaller group of those who get it, which, of course, includes ourselves.

It’s tribalism with a side of smug. And man, do we eat it up.

Our society has anointed outrage and snark. Headlines are written for clicks, not clarity. Entire platforms are built on rage, ridicule, and retweets. Sadly, being offensive isn’t a bug—it’s a feature.

Forget the Beatitudes. They’ve been replaced with something like, “Blessed are the outraged, for they shall inherit the algorithm.”

The secret sauce of my title idea is that it gives you instant membership in the “enlightened” club. You’re not dumb—you’re the one who gets it. Everyone else? Oh, they’re the problem. And don’t we just love a good villain?

Nothing unites people faster than having someone else to ridicule.

The title is just edgy enough to make some people sputter and others smirk. And in the attention economy, sputtering and smirking both equal cash.

Why cash? Because clicks are currency. Outrage is fuel. Ridiculous headlines aren’t designed to inform you—they are meant to outrage you. And you’ll click, because you can’t resist seeing what those idiots said now.

And yes, I’m well aware I’m expressing outrage about a system that deifies outrage. See how insidious this all is?

Now here’s where I risk ruining the joke: the truth is, deep down, I’m often stupid. Sadly, so are you. So is everybody. That’s what makes us human. The minute we forget that, we become delusional.

My suggestion: ignore the peddlers of outrage, admit the absurdity, keep your humility, and for heaven’s sake don’t take yourself too seriously.

Because if you think you aren’t stupid?

Congratulations. You just proved the book title right.

Okay, rant over. Thanks for being patient with me.