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“We Can Use Fewer Idiots In The World”: 40 Cases Of Mass Stupidity That Prove People Are Dumb
Mob mentality — sometimes also called herd or hive mentality — is the inclination that humans have to be part of a large group, neglecting their individual feelings in the process, and adopting the behaviors and actions of the collective.
Interested in how this concept manifests in everyday life, Reddit user AdmirableFlow made a post on the platform, asking everyone: "What's the most severe case of mass stupidity you've ever witnessed?"
As of now, the question has received over 4.1K comments, so compiled those that stood out and invite you to learn more about the challenges of maintaining critical thinking.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
The January 6th Assault on the Capitol was probably the most severe case of mass stupidity I've seen in my lifetime.
Not even talking politically.
There were idiots climbing walls when there were accessible stairs nearby. Most of these idiots thought they wouldn't meet any police resistance.
They acted as if their attempted coup would be met with smiling cops and clapping congresspeople, thanking them for their service or something.
#3
Probably get downvoted to hell for it, but widespread continued use of single-use plastics. It's insane. We know these things end up in the oceans and in the food chain (and therefore inside us) but we keep using them all the same. Future generations are going to hate us for this.
#4
Taking private jets to a conference about climate change.
#5
Any of the hundreds of megachurches across the world.
Brittania Kelli 1 year ago
If a church takes its parishioners money and spends it on fancy buildings and fountains and the preacher is wearing fancy suits instead of putting those donations back into the community I like to imagine sky daddy's thumb coming out the clouds and smooshing that building. In America some of the churches that televise their worship pay professional singers to sing in their choirs. My cousin is an opera singer in LA, that was a good regular income for him. Meanwhile preachers in Africa sell their own holy 'elixirs' they promise cure all ailments out of their churches after their service...
#7
70 million people in the US voted for a completely unqualified person for President - TWICE.
Realistic Optimist 1 year ago (edited)
Politicians just need to be likeable. Elections are literally popularity contest, and that's only on the surface. In the US, it's established that winning the popular vote doesn't determine the presidency. Still go out and vote, but know one of the things you need to vote towards is de-corrupting the US government.
#8
Anti-vaxers dying in hospitals screaming, “Tell me what I’ve got!! Covid doesn’t exist!!”
SheamusFanFrom1987 1 year ago
You have Moron-orrhea. Incurable and there's no treatment for that. Best to live your days far away from society so you don't infect others.
#9
Anti-vaxxers by far. I find it rather ironic that people can discount things like vaccines because vaccines have created a world where kids aren't dying left and right from childhood illnesses. I am not aware of any antivaxxers existing when the Polio vaccine came out because Polio was a horror show.
#10
People wearing a mask, but UNDER the nose. How dumb is that?
SM 1 year ago
What I find absolutely amazing is that now I can go into a place that doesn't require a mask and there will be people wearing a mask like this. It was bad enough that people worn them wrong when required, but wearing them wrong when they aren't required requires "flat Earth" level at stupidity!
#11
During the Canadian trucker freedom rally, watching the mass of people protest and getting mad about their “2nd Amendment rights”. I’m like 90% sure that the Canadian 2nd Amendment is recognizing Manitoba as a province….. not the right to bear arms like our southerly neighbours.
Paul Macdonell 1 year ago
The whole farce would have been laughable had it not been so severe for the downtown Ottawa residents. Never underestimate the potential damage of stupid.
#13
Scientology.
Doright36:
The rich ones at the top are just in for the tax dodge. A lot of the ones below them are in it thinking they can shmooze with the rich ones at the top and become one of them some days. So yea dumb but with a layer of greed involved.
Realistic Optimist 1 year ago
This is literally describing capitalism. Is Scientology just capitalism with aliens?
#14
My generation, raised knowing how absolutely awful smoking is, excessively vaping.
#15
Those public challenges that CLEARLY risk health, i.e., "the tide pod challenge." Next time, just let things sort themselves out of their own. We can use less idiots in the world.
The ice bucket challenge was at least kind of cute and DID give ALS a lot of media attention/awareness and raised a lot of money.
Stephanie Did It 1 year ago
I would agree with the first statement, except that the victims of these "challenges" are mostly naive kids and kids are stupid. We all were. Maybe some were smart enough to know that detergent could hurt or kill you, but not smart enough to understand that cinnamon, despite being 'food," could actually suffocate you if inhaled. The idiots that promoted those challenges should have been prosecuted.
#17
The rise of the anti-vaccine crowd. Or generally the growing anti-science mindset in our culture.
So many people dead...
Lucifer 1 year ago
“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” - Asimov (It's statistically conservative governments that give rise to such movements)
#18
Every time I see a video of someone being beat up, or in some sort of bad/dangerous situation and everyone is just standing around recording instead of helping.
#19
Half the GOP thinking Joe Biden somehow stole an election. And they're still at it!
#20
My local parks playground has a push gate. EVERYDAY I watch grown adults stare at it for like 20 seconds then go "I think it's locked is there another one?" To which I walk up and...... Push the gate open. What annoys me about this is they want to catch an attitude like I'm an ahole for it.
#21
People who ingested bleach because they thought it would keep them safe from Covid.
#22
Someone I knew awhile ago had a theft record a mile long. One time, she went in front of the judge, who told her "You know, every time you've appeared in front of me, you've denied stealing. They have you on camera, clearly walking out of the store with unpaid merchandise. So, here's what we're going to do: you can admit you did it this time, and I'll let you walk out of here today, with probation. If you still deny it, then I'll sentence you to 90 days right here, right now".
Now, her attorney looked at her and said three words: "Take the deal". She said something back, shaking her head. Her attorney then looked at the judge, and said "Your honor, my client maintains her innocence"; BOOM, three months in the county jail, just like that.
It never ceases to amaze me how some people would rather jump off of the Empire State building (or lose their freedom) than simply admit they are wrong.
Bernd Heiligtag 1 year ago
I think it's a mental problem. I'm no psychiatrist but this mental issue screams for help
#23
People who blindly believe any information on the Internet.
#24
In the UK, Brexit. Dishonest rabble rousing politicians lied to a gullible public in a non-binding referendum promoted by a shady conservative PM in order to fix the conflicts within his own party.
We lost a lot and are still feeling the consequences.
Tobias Reaper 1 year ago
they lied basically had big adverts saying we send 350 million to the EU and we can put that back into the NHS they played on peoples fears as well
#25
Religion. Full stop.
BrownTabby 1 year ago (edited)
I’m gonna pîss in some of my fellow atheists’ cornflakes: we have exactly the same capacity to be stupid, selfish, callous or idol-worshipping as religious people do, and I’ll take a humble religious person over the worst-behaved atheists any day.
#26
Maybe not the most severe, but one that everyone here has personally seen at least once in their lives. When at an airport and the gate agent says "We're about to commence boarding. Please remain in your seats until your group has been called.", and then half the people waiting stands up and crowds the gate in a scene of utter chaos. Every time, without fail.
#27
The great toilet paper rush at the start of COVID. There was nothing about COVID that threatened the global toilet paper supply, and yet people just started panic-buying it and artificially creating a huge shortage.
(We would eventually realize that there *was* a small uptick in toilet paper sold for private use, as many people were going to the bathroom at home more than at work, but no one realized that at the time and it had *nothing* to do with the panic - people just started buying more because people were buying more.)
LilliVB 1 year ago
I really didn't get it. I'm not saying TP is not necessary, but in dire times you can find an alternative solution, ie find a way to wash yourself if TP is not available. I would expect more hoarding of food that is not immediately perishable, or medicaments or else, not TP (not that this wouldn't be silly, only less silly)
#28
Whatever the latest conservative outrage/conspiracy fad happens to be. Doesn't matter if it's Trumpism, Satanic Panic, birtherism, Jan 6th Antifa, school shooting "crisis actors," George Soros, Jewish control of media, immigrants "takin our jerbs," 2020 election fraud, Benghazi, Jade Helm, Q-Anon, transphobia, anti-wokeism, border caravans, grooming, anti-vax, elite pedophile rings, Brexit ... the list is almost literally endless. It's always stupid and it's always based on either straight-up fictional nonsense, or a kernel of truth that's been distorted so badly by conspiracist delusion and baldfaced lies that it bears zero resemblance to the actual facts.
#29
Thousands of people during the pandemic thinking the vaccination made their skin magnetic. What in the actual f**k.
#30
Anyone who keeps getting involved in Ponzi or MLM schemes.
For decades the public have been warned on what to watch out for to avoid these schemes, you would assume that the vast majority of people would have learned by now that these schemes are fraudulent and just can't work out. Yet somehow here we with thousands of these companies still up and running and thriving and even more people being taken advantage of by them.
#31
With all the pro-Hamas rallies, the targeting of Jewish-owned businesses, kosher restaurants, firebombing synagogues or Jewish community centers, harassing Jewish students and physically preventing them from attending classes and locking diners in restaurants because they’re mad at the Israeli government. Going after Jews in the Diaspora isn’t going to “free Palestine.”
#32
Cult members who lost it all for their beliefs and almost obsessive adoration for their leaders.
#33
Every single time there's a claim that the end of the world will be on (Insert date here).
#34
Cult 45...
#35
For-profit torture of children to 'fix' them, a few times throughout history.
Straight Incorporated did it to stop kids from ever using dugs. You didn't even have to inject the marijuana, just the fear you might.
More recently it's been used by the likes of WWASPS or Aspen Education's programs to 'cure' depression or anxiety by making you hide symptoms, or 'cure' gay by being tortured into pretending to be straight.
Aspiring Canuck 1 year ago
The latter -- "conversion therapy" -- was made illegal in Canada following a unanimous vote in the House of Commons.
#36
“Prosperity Gospel” church attendees.
DogsCatsKids_helpMe:
This! These people willingly give money to these charlatans and are willfully ignorant of the fact that the only one prospering is the person they’re giving money to. It just blows my mind.
God already gave you the tools to prosper. Your brain, hands, feet… he’s done his job.
#37
People who knew nothing about the Middle East on October 6th chanting “from the river to the sea” on October 7th.
Bored Templar 1 year ago
What Hamas did on the 7th was one of the most horrifying things the world has witnessed. Israel seems to be doubling on that now
#39
Those idiots who paid $500 to $7000 for Taylor Swift tix.
Jeff White 1 year ago
That's not idiotic. It's their money, their choice. If that is what they want to "blow" that much money on, then more power to them. No skin off my nose.
#40
People waiting in Dealey Plaza for JFK Jr. to show up.
What do you think ?
Mike F 1 year ago
For sure, but where's the pitchforks, torches, and flaming windmills that brought relief to the people frightened of Frankenstein's monster.
Load More Replies...
T.O.S.o.R. 1 year ago
Wow, not one single mention of the 5G conspiracies! There's hope for humanity.
Mike F 1 year ago
For sure, but where's the pitchforks, torches, and flaming windmills that brought relief to the people frightened of Frankenstein's monster.
Load More Replies... T.O.S.o.R. 1 year ago
Wow, not one single mention of the 5G conspiracies! There's hope for humanity.
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