4 ms·

Yes, except that they’ve mostly learned to not act drunk except when they are in fact drunk. Otherwise, yes. I just figured realizing that (and, not unrelated

Yes, except that they’ve mostly learned to not act drunk except when they are in fact drunk. Otherwise, yes. I just figured realizing that (and, not unrelatedly, that at least 95% of people in prestigious and powerful positions, in society, business, or politics, are a lot less remarkably-capable than one might expect… or hope… and are surprisingly often outright idiots) was a common experience for those who’ve been “adults” for a while. The whole thing, top to bottom, is mostly large kids doing dumb shit with things they present as understanding but super don’t. It’s a big fuckin’ game of play-pretend that actually kills people pretty often.

wat10000 2y ago
A lot of things make much more sense (with some accompanying loss of hope) when you realize that humanity is about as dumb as it’s possible for a species to be and still develop a sophisticated technological civilization. We’re right on the ragged edge of what our species’ biology allows. This follows from the simple fact that evolution happens on much longer timelines than human history. We’re pretty much the same animals as we were before the invention of agriculture. Once we had enough brain, we almost instantly went from flint arrowheads to inventing computers and hydrogen bombs and mortgage-backed securities. Of course we’re just barely mentally hanging on trying to handle all of it.
- vundercind 2y ago
  I think this is where you get a lot of stuff about how actually some dumb shit a rich or powerful person keeps doing must be part of some master plan, or working toward some purpose we don't know about. [EDIT] Where you get people coming up with this is their resistance to accepting that the folks with all the power mostly aren't terribly exceptional in the ways one might expect or hope, I mean. "Surely that's not how the world works... right? There has to be another explanation." Maybe, but most of the time they're just a hell of a lot dumber than one might suppose. And maybe a bit mentally ill. And, even odds, have a drug problem ("Winners don't do drugs" and "cheaters never prosper"—grand lies of our childhoods, both are hilariously false)

wat10000 2y ago

A lot of things make much more sense (with some accompanying loss of hope) when you realize that humanity is about as dumb as it’s possible for a species to be and still develop a sophisticated technological civilization. We’re right on the ragged edge of what our species’ biology allows. This follows from the simple fact that evolution happens on much longer timelines than human history. We’re pretty much the same animals as we were before the invention of agriculture. Once we had enough brain, we almost instantly went from flint arrowheads to inventing computers and hydrogen bombs and mortgage-backed securities. Of course we’re just barely mentally hanging on trying to handle all of it.

vundercind 2y ago
I think this is where you get a lot of stuff about how actually some dumb shit a rich or powerful person keeps doing must be part of some master plan, or working toward some purpose we don't know about. [EDIT] Where you get people coming up with this is their resistance to accepting that the folks with all the power mostly aren't terribly exceptional in the ways one might expect or hope, I mean. "Surely that's not how the world works... right? There has to be another explanation." Maybe, but most of the time they're just a hell of a lot dumber than one might suppose. And maybe a bit mentally ill. And, even odds, have a drug problem ("Winners don't do drugs" and "cheaters never prosper"—grand lies of our childhoods, both are hilariously false)