Have you ever heard of Bonhoeffer's concept of stupidity?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a pastor in Nazi Germany who publicly opposed the Holocaust against Jews. He was imprisoned and wrote letters to his parents, which were later compiled into a book and published. One of the topics he addressed in his letters was stupidity. The most essential points of his thoughts about it are quite interesting:
1. Stupid individuals are the most dangerous because they are unable to reason.
2. It is more likely to become stupid in groups than in solidarity, and when following directions rather than exploring.
Reading about it makes me think about how public education system is producing exactly these types of people.
1. The teaching content is provided in the form of instructions.
2. Exploration and questioning, which make individuals smart, are prohibited, so pupils graduate from high school without knowing how to think.
The most obedient countries are those where education is compulsory, such as Germany. The majority of Germans are incapable of free thought and never question the government. The truth is that the Nazi dictatorship is no longer in place, but it has been implemented in school systems all across the world. Creating ignorant, easy-to-control people must begin as early as possible, and what better place to proceed than school. The intended purpose was to assist people from low-income families in providing their children with important tools for success in life, such as the ability to read, write, and solve simple math equations. However, this degenerated into full indoctrination.
There is another issue with ignorant people that Bonhoeffer addresses. A stupid crowd can quickly be radicalized and transformed into a violent mob. We can see it in policemen attacking ladies and older men for peacefully protesting while doing nothing to truly dangerous criminals. They are trained to obey meaningless orders. For them, the danger is anybody they are told to, regardless of how harmless that person is.
Considering all of this, we should be able to develop a strategy to avoid and reverse it. Preventing is considerably easier now that children in most nations can be homeschooled. In places where homeschooling is prohibited, parents should push to make it a reality.
Is it possible to change a radicalized mind?
I already offered some suggestions in a previous writing, and I'll emphasize what's most important again: finding common ground with them and putting the "worm" of question.
Here are some suggestions for how to approach the radicalized stupid on heated topics:
1. Now it is trendy to support humanitarian projects and work together.
What does that mean, exactly? Ask how working for the greater good won't take away your right to choose what's best for you?
2. Gender ideology is another touchy subject.
If doctors don't know the gender of the patient, how do they decide on the appropriate treatment for diseases that are shown to develop differently in men and women?
Do they believe it is safe for their female relatives to use the women's toilets and changing rooms with a person who has a penis?
3. What about the politics?
If government officials accept money from companies and adopt policies that favor those corporations, they are not working for us. Should we put our trust in them to make decisions for us?
Why is it acceptable to sanction Russia when it will make ordinary people poorer and possibly even cause them to starve to death or die from cold while having no effect on politicians?
It will not be easy to change today's clearly anti-human system, but it is achievable. Changing one mindset per day could be a good place to begin.
Letters and Papers from Prison by Dietrich Bonhoeffer is worth reading not only because it is relevant to the educational system, but also to the system in general. He died because he was opposed to that system, but he left behind wisdom that would ultimately destroy it one day. Read it via this link https://www.pdfdrive.com/dietrich-bonhoeffers-letters-and-papers-from-prison-a-biography-e185104508.html
In case you are interested here is a list of homeschooling organizations and support groups from all over the world https://www.home-school.com/groups/?fbclid=IwAR2QWQJxZF03nSzXnLmXtp3sB7vLJBQDC36ElcfcPsYCm4_Mzbkfbf_bu3g
Take a look at this excellent article about school system in America (in the rest of the world isn’t much different). https://pjmedia.com/columns/paula-bolyard/2022/04/01/at-what-point-should-it-be-considered-parental-malpractice-if-you-keep-your-kids-in-public-school-n1585671
With a paid subscription or a donation via my blog, you help support my independent science and citizen journalism work. It's the only way to keep my works available to those who can't afford to pay for it.
This Sprouts video explaining Bonhoeffer’s Theory of Stupidity is a great introduction for those unfamiliar with it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww47bR86wSc
As for the “worm” of question, that is a tactic I employ frequently when attempting (and generally failing) to awaken the sleeping.
I actually just published a (paid) post (https://margaretannaalice.substack.com/p/behind-the-scenes-is-it-logical-and) demonstrating this very technique in action at a Facebook exchange I had today (https://www.facebook.com/margaretanna.alice/posts/289673696657753).
Covidians by their very nature would rather remain cocooned in their propaganda bubbles than grapple with facts that threaten their faith, but my hope is that the questions will take root in what’s left of their minds and perhaps eventually sprout into meaningful engagement with truths they’ve been too frightened to confront.