From: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly ...
In the mid-1940s, while sitting in a Nazi prison cell, theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrestled with a terrifying question: How could one of the most educated, "civilized" nations on Earth—Germany—succumb to the collective madness of National Socialism?
His conclusion was not that the people were "evil," but something far more dangerous: they were stupid.
By Religion: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
1. The Core Thesis: Stupidity as a Moral Failing
Bonhoeffer argued that stupidity is not an intellectual defect, but a sociological and moral one. He observed that people can be intellectually brilliant (scientists, philosophers, engineers) and yet be "stupid" in their inability to perceive reality or moral truth.
* The Power Trap: Bonhoeffer noted that stupidity is birthed by power. When a political or religious movement gains immense power, it "infects" the population. To belong to the movement, individuals surrender their inner independence.
* The "Mannequin" Effect: The stupid person isn't an individual; they are a vessel for slogans. When you talk to them, you aren't talking to a person, but to a script.
* Immunity to Logic: Because stupidity is a social "spell," facts and logic are useless. If a fact contradicts the dogma, it is ignored or dismissed as a "trivial exception."
2. Why Stupidity is More Dangerous Than Evil
This is Bonhoeffer’s most biting insight. You can fight evil. Evil is recognizable, it creates an internal unease even in the perpetrator, and it can be resisted by force.
* Self-Satisfaction: The stupid person is utterly self-satisfied. They believe they are righteous. They don't feel "evil," so they have no internal check on their behavior.
* The Attack: When the "stupid" are irritated by contradictory facts, they become volatile and dangerous. They are the "unthinking tools" that evil people use to do their dirty work.
3. Relevance in 2026: The Digital Echo Chamber
4.
Bonhoeffer’s theory explains the modern world with chilling accuracy, particularly in the age of social media and extreme polarization.
4. The Only Cure: Liberation, Not Instruction
Bonhoeffer was cynical about education as a solution. You cannot "reason" someone out of a position they didn't reason themselves into.
* External Liberation: He believed the "internal" liberation (thinking for oneself) usually only happens after an "external" liberation (the collapse of the power structure that made them stupid).
* Personal Responsibility: The only defense is a fierce, stubborn insistence on one's own intellectual autonomy—the refusal to let a group, a party, or a "god" think for you.
Bonhoeffer was eventually executed by the Nazis just weeks before the war ended. His theory remains a warning: the moment you stop questioning your own side's slogans, you have entered the territory of the "stupid"—and in that state, you are capable of anything.
Sources
The primary source for Bonhoeffer's analysis of stupidity is his own collection of writings from Tegel Prison.
* Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Letters and Papers from Prison. (See specifically the section "After Ten Years," written in 1943).
> "Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice... Against stupidity we are defenseless. Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears."
Idea from Tavis Dowhaniuk