Why is Stupidity so Hard to Bear?

No mind, however loving, could bear to see plainly into all the recess of another mind. - Thomas A. Benett

Thank god for smart people. Even though I haven’t dealt with any for a while, for what seems like a really long time. I’ve been surrounded by or bumped into rare idiots that by now not as much as annoy but rather amuse me with their level of stupidity. It’s bad to be judgmental and we should all practice forgiveness, be lenient on others weaknesses and shortcomings. But stupidity in high concentration can throw anyone off balance especially since in most cases it tags arrogance along. If you deal with people who lack brain power you cannot remain calm, or play along, or descend to their level – the annoyance in you will keep building up till it explodes. No amount of training can prepare you enough to deal with stupidity. It will always take you off guard and bring the most impulsive negative reaction.

You can try to shut them out, ignore them entirely, turn them into your enemy so that hostility is always present to protect you from direct involvement. But those stupid comments will find a way to sneak to your head and get stuck there because you’ll keep coming back to the place they hit, as if hypnotized by the mere fact such non-sense is possible.

I look at my life in disbelief – where are you, smart people, why all of a sudden you evade me? What have I done to scare away Lady Wisdom and attract the under-thinking rabble? Why am I being forced to fence off their “genius” ideas before they contaminated my already-deteriorating mindset and turned me into an equally arrogant fool? Maybe it’s time to hear some smart people talk – to restore resilience and fight the stupidity virus off.

Deep Waters

Day-to-day activities. Small whirlpools that keep spinning fast yet barely leave any traces behind. Once the water dries - it’s like the spot was never wet. But we often let ourselves get caught up in these daily routines, award them more meaning than they are or deserve. We forget what’s important, pushing it back in our consciousness, confident that the day will come when things will slow down and we’ll have time to ponder. But on slow days we feel uncomfortable without the addictive routine to fill up space and time. When all this postponed thinking comes crashing – we panic. Too much to process, life that is too big to comprehend. It’s easier to shut the mind and keep all the noise out. Small life, small deeds, small thoughts…

Some days I succumb to the comfort of non-thinking, give myself completely to the busyness of the modern world. I push my limits and find myself on new levels: I think I evolve by letting the ever-evolving stream of life suck me in and push me forward. But there’s THE meaning that is above it all, the eternal truth that has nothing to do with where I am today or where I will be tomorrow. I always find it when I make an effort to stop. Because it’s always there, right in front of us, readily available whenever we cease playing games and drop all pretense.

It’s usually the big events that bring us back to truth: we unlearn to ignore it and open our eyes to see it, to face it. But once the emotions calm down, the catharsis is over, - we avoid the “eye-contact” again. We look but don’t really see, think but make no conclusions. I remind myself to pause and reconnect with my true inner-self, then I forget my own reminders and stay in shallow waters for months, avoiding depth. I forget that I can look with dignity, proceed with determination and speak with honesty and meaning: I forget to be myself...all the way...