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1Lower your standards. This one is tough, but very important. Part of the reason that you may find yourself constantly frustrated by the stupidity in the world is because you expect everyone to be as smart as you, your closest friends, or the people you respect the most. However, as the saying goes, "It takes all kinds of people to make the world" -- and that includes stupid ones! Remind yourself that the "average" person isn't going to meet your high expectations of how a person should think and act, and lower your standards accordingly.- If you don't expect people to be sharp, respectful people, then you'll be pleasantly surprised when they are -- instead of being constantly disappointed when they don't meet your expectations.
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2Understand that they may not have had the advantages you had, genetically or environmentally. Intelligence is largely determined by genetics, but opportunities can make a difference to overall "smarts." One of the reasons you may be oh-so-smart is because you came from a loving home, got or are getting a good education, and that you haven't been stuck having to take care of family members, working a part-time job in high school, or taking on other responsibilities that kept you from spending so much time becoming a smarty pants. When a stupid person frustrates you, just ask yourself if the person had all of the opportunities you did -- chances are, you'll see that this is not the case.- Intelligence is not determined by education or family or wealth or love . However, development of skills and knowledge can be influenced by one's life experiences and opportunities.
- Reminding yourself to take each person on a case-by-case basis will make you less frustrated, because you'll stop constantly asking yourself why this person isn't acting just like you are.
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3Understand that you won't be able to change their minds. This is another important point to get before you get yourself mixed up with stupid people. You may think that reason or sheer facts will win out every time, and that a stupid person will walk away thinking, "Wow, I never thought of it that way..." after you've given him or her a double-dose of logic. However, this is unlikely to happen; if a person is dumb, then he or she is also likely to be set in his or her ways.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.- If you realize that, while you may have very valid and reasonable opinions, you won't be able to convince a stupid person of your point of view very easily, then you will stop trying. And if you stop trying to make a stupid person see your point, then you will be much less likely to get frustrated.
- Remember that your goal is not to make the stupid person agree with you; it's to make yourself stay calm and sane while dealing with him or her.
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4Don't judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree. As Albert Einstein once said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” This means that you should consider the fact that the person you're dealing with isn't really dumb, though he or she may be dumb in the one or two areas where you expect him to be smart. The person next to you in your math class who can't add may be a wonderful poet; the person who can't get your latte order right may be a killer musician. Stop thinking that there's only one way to be smart or dumb and you'll start to see that people are capable of more than you think.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.- Think about it: if people can be only smart or dumb in one regard, then there may be people out there who don't think YOU are very smart. And that can't be true, can it?
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You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.5Try to see any situation from their perspective. Another way to change your approach to dumb people is to consider the situation from their points of view. Sure, you may think that there's only one way to view gun control, or that you just have to be right about being a vegetarian, but before you get set in your ways, make sure you have a reasonable grasp of the argument from the other side, and try to see that there really may be another side of the story.- Also, seeing where the person is coming from can help you understand his or her world view -- if he grew up in a very conservative area while you grew up in Berkeley, then yeah, you're not going to see eye-to-eye on all of the issues.
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6Arm yourself with knowledge. Knowledge is power. Especially when you're dealing with people who don't have any. If you want to deal with dumb people to the best of your ability, then you should get your facts straight. Read as much as you can, listen to informative podcasts, watch and read the news, and make sure you have a firm grasp of a concept before you start arguing about it. The more facts, statistics, and talking points you know, the easier you'll be able to shut a stupid person down.- Though your goal shouldn't necessarily be to prove that you're right when you're talking to a dumb person (what's the point, anyway?), the more the person sees that you've done your research, the less likely he'll be to engage with you.
