5 ms·

After the last decade, I now believe the "everyone is winging it all the time" theory more than ever. I used to think people in power really had their shit tog

After the last decade, I now believe the "everyone is winging it all the time" theory more than ever. I used to think people in power really had their shit together (CEOs, judges, doctors, politicians, etc.) but it turns out that it's just regular dumbasses everywhere. Hell, just look at the testimony from the January 6th hearings. These people were running the most powerful organization in human history and they were absolutely batshit stupid. Crazy yes, but also just plain stupid. Totally incapable of assembling a coherent worldview. Sure there are experts, but they became experts by focusing their energies on their discipline. They don't have time for political machinations. The people _running_ everything are by and large just bullshitting their way to the top.

mmmmmmno 4y ago
syl_sau 4y ago
I'm not sure what you're referring to with the Jan 6th hearings (I don't really follow US news), but in my opinion it's certainly the case that politics, media and administration are the privileged domains for which the phrase "everyone is winging it all the time" makes the most sense. It's infuriating but I gather it's unlikely to be true for most other things in life which require, as the parent comment pointed out, actual expertise. When I think of all my models, whether directors, writers, painters or engineers, they've always struck me as especially smart, and this feeling seems to always correlate with how humble they are and how old the interview I am watching is. I guess they mostly talk about the thing they do for a living. Also, I've noticed a decrease in global intelligence, and that probably makes people look much more stupid in comparison. In fact, I don't believe expertise makes you brilliant on all fronts -- arguably, it may signify the exact opposite. Take an artist, e.g. an actor or a painter, that is someone who spends most of their time learning their own specific craft, why should we listen to their takes on things unrelated to their activities more than the average person? It makes no sense, but sometimes we hear musicians, actors, etc. give their undue opinions on various matters. And so we stumble upon the fact that they have, like most of us, no clue on most things in life, just like us. And that's okay I guess.
- ipiz0618 4y ago
  Reminds me of the brilliant Ricky Gervais quote: "So if you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech. You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg."
- spacechild1 4y ago
  > why should we listen to their takes on things unrelated to their activities more than the average person? Also applies to HN :-)
- dumpsterlid 4y ago
  "Also, I've noticed a decrease in global intelligence, and that probably makes people look much more stupid in comparison." Serious citation needed here??
oifjsidjf 4y ago
True. As long as a person has a few very specific tendencies, or perhaps a lack of certain resistances/indoctrinations/beliefs he can push forward much more than the average person and thus he can become a CEO etc... and still be fallible, but he will also succeed merely due to the state of his mind.
brnt 4y ago
> The people _running_ everything are by and large just bullshitting their way to the top. There were never on the stand. All you've seen are footsoldiers, and one way of organizing an army is to design it for dumb soldiers. Read Dark Money by Jane Mayer to get an idea of the kind of people who're running that show.
perilunar 4y ago
As Bertrand Russell said: "The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt." The worse is that other stupid people see confidence as a signal of competence (and give confident people power), when it's actually a negative signal. Truly smart people are usually pretty humble.

mmmmmmno 4y ago

syl_sau 4y ago

I'm not sure what you're referring to with the Jan 6th hearings (I don't really follow US news), but in my opinion it's certainly the case that politics, media and administration are the privileged domains for which the phrase "everyone is winging it all the time" makes the most sense. It's infuriating but I gather it's unlikely to be true for most other things in life which require, as the parent comment pointed out, actual expertise. When I think of all my models, whether directors, writers, painters or engineers, they've always struck me as especially smart, and this feeling seems to always correlate with how humble they are and how old the interview I am watching is. I guess they mostly talk about the thing they do for a living. Also, I've noticed a decrease in global intelligence, and that probably makes people look much more stupid in comparison. In fact, I don't believe expertise makes you brilliant on all fronts -- arguably, it may signify the exact opposite. Take an artist, e.g. an actor or a painter, that is someone who spends most of their time learning their own specific craft, why should we listen to their takes on things unrelated to their activities more than the average person? It makes no sense, but sometimes we hear musicians, actors, etc. give their undue opinions on various matters. And so we stumble upon the fact that they have, like most of us, no clue on most things in life, just like us. And that's okay I guess.

ipiz0618 4y ago
Reminds me of the brilliant Ricky Gervais quote: "So if you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech. You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg."
spacechild1 4y ago
> why should we listen to their takes on things unrelated to their activities more than the average person? Also applies to HN :-)
dumpsterlid 4y ago
"Also, I've noticed a decrease in global intelligence, and that probably makes people look much more stupid in comparison." Serious citation needed here??

oifjsidjf 4y ago

True. As long as a person has a few very specific tendencies, or perhaps a lack of certain resistances/indoctrinations/beliefs he can push forward much more than the average person and thus he can become a CEO etc... and still be fallible, but he will also succeed merely due to the state of his mind.

brnt 4y ago

> The people _running_ everything are by and large just bullshitting their way to the top. There were never on the stand. All you've seen are footsoldiers, and one way of organizing an army is to design it for dumb soldiers. Read Dark Money by Jane Mayer to get an idea of the kind of people who're running that show.

perilunar 4y ago

As Bertrand Russell said: "The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt." The worse is that other stupid people see confidence as a signal of competence (and give confident people power), when it's actually a negative signal. Truly smart people are usually pretty humble.