Stupidity and conservatism
There is a famous John Stuart Mill quote on conservatism and stupidity:
I never meant to say that the Conservatives are generally stupid. I meant to say that stupid people are generally Conservative. I believe that is so obviously and universally admitted a principle that I hardly think any gentleman will deny it.
If you are of low intelligence, will it be easier or harder for you to cope with change? With "new rules of the game"?
Fairly clearly harder. So it is generally rational for people of low intelligence to be conservative.
So they may be dumb but, in fact, they are not stupid.
Nor, of course, silly.
I never meant to say that the Conservatives are generally stupid. I meant to say that stupid people are generally Conservative. I believe that is so obviously and universally admitted a principle that I hardly think any gentleman will deny it.
If you are of low intelligence, will it be easier or harder for you to cope with change? With "new rules of the game"?
Fairly clearly harder. So it is generally rational for people of low intelligence to be conservative.
So they may be dumb but, in fact, they are not stupid.
Nor, of course, silly.