Of course you have.
Maybe you tried to walk through a door that wasn’t open, or maybe you decided not to stop for a bathroom break before a job interview. Perhaps, just now, you googled the phrase “am I stupid?” clicked on our link in the results, and then started reading… and well, here you are.
If this is the case, have no fear. We are truly pleased to share with you some very special, very important news:
You are not stupid.
In fact, nobody is. The idea that someone can be “stupid” – in the sense that they were born that way – is entirely made up. Natural stupidity is not a real thing. Seriously.
How is this possible, you ask?
Considering all of the stupid things we see every day, all of the stupid people on reality TV shows, all of the morons not covering their mouths when they are coughing, and all of the absent-minded psychos sending text messages while driving, how could stupidity possibly be just a figment of our imagination? Well, it is. As controversial as it sounds, stupidity is a myth. And here’s why:
Being “Stupid” Is A Choice
As people, we all have one thing in common. Our lives as human beings consist of the time that we spend living in the universe, and whether you define “living” in the physical or spiritual sense is up to you.
The fact is, if you spend all of your time on useless activities like watching reality TV shows, playing video games, and eating french fries, your scope of understanding is only going to amount to MTV trivia, virtual zombie-killing strategies, and knowing which fast-food chains use the most salt.
Do you have the freedom to live this kind of life? Of course you do. But doing so is a choice, not an unavoidable outcome, and the idea of “stupidity” as a trait that people are born with should never be used as an excuse or justification for anything.
So, if nobody really is stupid, why do so many people feel and act stupid?
This is a tricky question to answer, because there are many possible answers. Sometimes people are told by others that they are stupid, and after being told over and over again, they come to believe it themselves, and can even begin acting stupid all the time as a result.
Sometimes people spend their entire lives in the company of other people who never stop acting stupid, and learn to behave stupidly themselves as a result.
There is no limit to the number of reasons why people would feel or behave like idiots, but there is also no limit to the number of opportunities everyone has.
As it turns out, asking yourself “am I stupid?” is a productive endeavor, because the obvious answer is “no.” If you stop to consider your potential, you will recognize that every passing moment is an opportunity. The question is not so much “how smart am I?,” but “how smart can I be?”
Life is a constant stream of opportunity, but it requires taking action to convert opportunity into success. And whether “success” means having a lot of knowledge, having financial stability, having good friends, or helping to improve the world you live in, everyone has the power to achieve it for themselves.