Why do smart people do stupid things?

If you're reading this, you're probably a smart person and you've probably done some mortifyingly stupid things.  I'm not merely pandering to your narcissism by suggesting you're smart: stupid people don't study to gain information because they think they already know everything they need to know to make sound decisions - that's what keeps them stupid.

Neither should it be taken as an insult that I assume you have done some mortifyingly stupid things, because you have, and so have I, and so has everyone.  It's inevitable.   If you think you've never done anything stupid, then you're wrong, and you're probably very stupid, and I take back the bit about you're being a smart person.


Dumb or Stupid

Before investigating the reasons smart people do stupid things, it's necessary to draw a distinction between dumbness and stupidity.   While the words are used interchangeably, the difference is quite substantial:

• Dumb - Having a lack of information or insight.   You do something dumb because you don't know better.
• Stupid - Having a lack of wisdom or common sense.  You do something stupid when you knew better, but did it anyway.

Dumbness is forgivable, because making a dumb decision means we acted on the best information we had at the time, and did not recognize until afterward that had we known more, we would have made a different decision.   Dumb is easily remedied by information, and per my earlier point a smart person studies to gain the information he needs to not be dumb, to the best of his ability - but it is inevitable that we will make dumb mistakes because however much we know, there is always a great deal we don't.

Stupidity, on the other hand, is inexcusable, because making a stupid decision means that we made a conscious choice to ignore information that was available to us.  We clung stubbornly to a bad idea in the face of clear evidence, and proceeded expecting that things would work out in spite of the evidence.   Stupid isn't easily cured - and some people have to make a great many stupid mistakes before they develop the patience and humility to accept that their first idea isn't always flawless and that they must invest adequate time in exploring alternatives.

The reason we do dumb things is self-evident: we don't know better, and that should suffice.  The reasons we do stupid things is harder to pin down, because it defies all reason that a person should undertake a course of action he knows to be likely to fail.   I don't think I have all the answers to that, but in the remainder of this article I propose NUMBER of the most likely causes.


We Haven't the Resources

One common reason for making a stupid mistake, and the one that's likely easiest to accept, is that we make stupid decisions because we did not have the resources to do something smart so we did the best that we could with what we had available to us.  And that seems honorable.

"Resources" could pertain to the materials, equipment, and capital necessary to implement a better solution, but it could also pertain to the amount of time we were given to come to a decision and then to implement it.

Lacking the resources is very common, and it also seems easy to accept because resource constraints are external - we had to count on someone else to provide what was really needed, and the fact that we didn't get it is their fault rather than our own.

But I'll leave you with this: how hard did you argue with that person to get the resources that were necessary?   Did they insist on resource constraints after you conveyed to them that the outcome would be compromised, or did you simply assume they would be inflexible?


We Haven't the Patience

Patience is another common cause of stupid mistakes - it is similar to lacking the resource of time, but the key difference is that impatience is not something imposed externally, but that arises internally.   We wish to "do something" - and do it fast - rather than insisting on investing the time to do something smart and effective.

Part of this is related to neuroscience: the human brain is wired for efficiency and resists expending more effort than is necessary on a mental task.   For that reason we form a hypothesis quickly, based on knowledge and experience, and are inclined to act on it immediately so that we can focus our minds on something else.

Smart people are particularly prone to this form of stupidity precisely because they are smart, and very often their knee-jerk reaction is sufficient to accomplish their goals.  Stupidity arises because they act quickly and do not pause to consider that "very often" is not "always," and further explore the idiosyncrasies of the present issue that make it significantly different than challenges we have successfully overcome in the past.


We Haven't the Humility

Arrogance is another cause of stupid mistakes, and another one to which smart people are highly susceptible.   A smart person tends to make good decisions, which work out well, and their experience leads them to generalize, and to think that any idea that occurs to them is a smart idea simply because they are a smart person.

A smart person is quick-witted and can devise a solution in a very little time.  The problem arises when they cling to that initial decision in the face of all evidence to the contrary: if facts arise that disagree with our conclusion, then there must be something wrong with those facts because we take it for granted that our initial conclusion was right.

But this is not intelligence - it is arrogance, and precisely the kind of arrogance that gets us into serious trouble because we fail to consider, and even pointedly ignore, evidence that not only contradicts our assumptions, but that would lead us in a better direction if only we were willing to alter, or perhaps abandon, our plans.

It is much easier to see this in other people than it is to see in ourselves, because we can readily recognize when someone else is ignoring important details or seeking to avoid the embarrassment of admitting their knee-jerk reaction was dead wrong.  There is no easy way to turn that perception inward, and realize when we are the ones who are being arrogant and stubborn.   The best I can offer is to be aware of your own level of aggressiveness - the harder you are fighting for a conclusion, the greater the chances are that it's an acutely stupid one.


We Think Other People are Stupider

Next of kin to arrogance is a lack of confidence and respect for others.  The subtle but significant difference is that arrogance comes from within, spawned from an ego that has become all-consuming, whereas dismissiveness comes from without, from the premature or poor assessment we have made of other people.

Rationally, we recognize that significant decisions are made by groups rather than individuals because they bring a broader array of information and experience to bear, overcoming individual weakness with collective strength.  Unfortunately, we are quicker to recognize when another person is weaker than ourselves than we are to recognize when they are stronger.

This, too, arises from the brain's attempt to be efficient: to make an assessment once and apply it consistently thereafter rather than having to reassess something every time.   If Jake has said something stupid in the past, then he is a stupid person, and then anything he has to say in future will also be stupid - and we shouldn't pay his ideas any serious attention.

It's likely fair to say that we make the same mistake even when we think of someone as being smart.  If Jake has made smart decisions in the past, he is a smart person, and we should consider anything he has to say in future as being smart - without pausing to consider that it might not be so.


Becoming Less Stupid

If the four problems I have identified be the cause of much stupidity, then the way to become less stupid seem clear:

1. To recognize constraints, openly discuss their consequences, and argue for their removal.
2. To invest sufficient time in exploring alternatives, recognizing that a good decision is better than a fast one in most instances
3. To resist the urge to fall in love with our first idea, in spite of our track record of success, ad explore options objectively
4. To focus on the merit of an idea regardless of who suggested it, realizing that stupid people can have smart ideas and vice-versa

Each of these things seems straightforward enough, but is difficult to do in the heat of the moment, when we are focused on making a prompt decision.

More importantly, these four points are not a comprehensive list of all the reasons that smart people make stupid mistakes.  I have the sense that they cover a large majority of the problem - but to take my own advice, I must recognize that it's what's occurred to me at the moment: it's likely necessary not to fall in love with my first idea, to invest more time exploring alternatives, and listen to other perspectives on the problem, all in order to arrive at a better conclusion.