this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2026
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Why is it wrong to be the smartest person?
Because I know how much of a dumbass I am. If Iโm the smartest, the room is full of complete fucking idiots.
I would be rather smart than being an idiot.
Because you'll be unable to learn anything. You'll eventually get dumber.
I don't think so. A smart person can still learn while being the smartest in the room. People don't get dumber, just because they are the smartest of all in the room. In fact you might be able to help others, or be the only one who can solve the problem. Then you are the right person in the room.
On the other hand, being dumb or an idiot does not mean you will learn... most likely you will not (that's why its called an idiot). Smart people can be an asshole or you cannot keep up with them and just be a burden.
Think that through. You are in a room with only people dumber than you. How are you learning anything? They don't have anything good to teach you. If you try to bring new knowledge into the room, they will likely not reward you for it, and quite possibly actively attack you for it. How long do you think you could maintain your intelligent view of anything when everyone around you is dragging you down with every interaction? You try to discuss science, they call you a nerd and tear up your textbooks to roll blunts. You try spending time ignoring them to study the construction of the walls of the room, but eventually you need some company. No one can survive in complete isolation. They tell you you're the idiot for trying so hard, for caring about these things that no one else in your world cares about. And you hate to admit it, but they're kind of right. You can study everything you want. You can write down findings for the rest of your life about the room, but when you're gone, they're just going to roll them into blunts. Even if you resist at first, they'll outlast you because you need people to maintain your sanity. They'll wear down your values as they, without even thinking about it, use operand conditioning to get you to use their slang, play their games, value what they value, disregard what they disregard. It happens all the time.
You come up with a contrived scenario and very specific situation just to justify being an idiot. No. Knowledge is not the same as being intelligent, idiot is not the same as dumb. Its incredible how you guys come up with stories just to justify being the dumbest or only idiot in the room. An idiot means its not able to learn anything. Also why is the focus on learning something so high in these replies here? And who says I'm trapped in this room forever?
An intelligent person can learn from the failures of idiots. That's why he is intelligent. An idiot can not learn. That's why he is an idiot.
I see you are among those who are incapable of reasoning by analog.
The hypothetical is all there is when discussing a hypothetical. The metaphorical room is eternal and all encompassing because once you leave the 'room' you are outside the hypothetical. So, yes, you are 'trapped in the room' if you are going to engage in the OP's hypothetical. If you want to deny the premise, you are trying to pretend you are playing the game but ignoring the rules of the game. In other words, you are lying, whether to us or to yourself. Don't get pissy when people call out your ignorance of how to play, willful or otherwise.
Your derived situation was made up AFTER the post and our discussion, just to justify your position wanting to be an idiot. It was a free form hypothetical situation without further rules. You yourself imposed the rules on you and others, just so you can be right. And now you start attacking people who do not agree with you. Maybe you are the idiot in the room right now, but you probably feel safe knowing nothing and trying to learn how to carve a stone. No my friend, I'm not an idiot who wants to be an idiot under any circumstances. Idiots don't learn. Intelligent person learns from mistakes of idiots.
OK then, read on. Let's say you are an intelligent person with lots of knowledge. Let's say a score of 150 of intelligent knowledge, a hypothetical metric. But you want to learn something new, so what you do? Off course you go to a fairy and wish you were an idiot / dumb. Now your score is 45. That means you lost all of that, just to try to learn something new and to get a position where everyone is. And because you are an idiot, its really really hard to learn anything, and it takes ages to get a score of 90. If you didn't wish that, you would be at 150 and maybe you learn a bit and get 160 and you are scratching highest score what is even possible.
Don't get pissy when people call out your ignorance how to play, willful or otherwise. Accept your defeat.
Teaching others is one of the best ways to learn. There are levels of hell though. E.g. try teaching MAGA anything about the scientific method.