Patient Zero: The Birth of Dumb

No one knows who started it. Maybe it began when someone ate laundry detergent for internet fame. Or when a reality TV star became a political scientist overnight. But once stupidity got a platform, it thrived because stupidity, unlike intelligence, doesn’t require effort. It’s quick, emotional, and comes in meme format.

It turns out, being wrong loudly is more profitable than being right quietly. And thus, an industry was born.

How Stupidity Spreads

1. Through Social Media (The Dumbest Laboratory Ever Built)

Every retweet, like, and share adds another strand to the web of idiocy. Algorithms reward engagement, not accuracy so if it outrages, it outranks. Truth moves at a snail’s pace but stupidity has a jetpack and a sponsorship deal.

2. Via Influencers and Experts Who Aren’t

We live in the golden age of fake expertise. There’s a “financial coach” who’s never paid a bill on time, a “nutritionist” who survives on energy drinks, and a “relationship guru” on his fifth divorce. Credentials are out and charisma is in.

3. Through Echo Chambers

The rule of echo chambers; say something stupid enough times and it starts to sound smart  especially if your followers agree in the comments. It’s intellectual inbreeding, and it produces offspring like “birds aren’t real” and “the Earth is hollow.”

Symptoms of Stupidity

If you or someone you love exhibits the following symptoms, please seek immediate mental hydration:

• Frequent use of “I did my own research,” especially when that “research” was a 3-minute TikTok.
• A deep distrust of experts paired with blind faith in influencers.
• Believing that facts are “just opinions with attitude.”
• Calling any news you dislike “fake.”
• Typing “your stupid” unironically.

Severe cases may involve refusing vaccines, eating horse dewormer, or thinking 5G towers cause weather.

The Evolution of the Species: Homo Idioticus

Scientists (the real kind) suggest we’re witnessing an evolutionary shift. The new human subspecies, Homo Idioticus, doesn’t adapt by learning. It adapts by doubling down.

When confronted with facts, Homo Idioticus enters a defensive posture known as “The Denial Squint.” Symptoms include eye-rolling, sentence fragments, and shouting “That’s just your opinion!” while clutching a Monster Energy drink.

The Role of Technology: Wi-Fi, Low IQ

In the early 2000s, the internet was supposed to connect humanity. Instead, it became the world’s largest group project where half the class didn’t read the instructions. We now have AI, but still can’t agree that the moon landing happened.

Social platforms turned stupidity into a subscription service:

• TikTok: for short-form stupidity.
• Facebook: for long-form stupidity.
• X (Twitter): for performative, high-octane stupidity with a blue checkmark.

The Economic Impact of Dumb

The stupidity economy is booming. People are monetizing nonsense at a record pace by selling detox teas, conspiracy podcasts, and courses on how to “escape the matrix.” The dumber the idea, the better it sells. Critical thinking doesn’t go viral but outrage does.

It’s hard to sell intelligence because it requires effort but you can sell stupidity to anyone who wants to feel smart without the homework.

Can You Catch Stupidity?

Unfortunately, yes. Stupidity is airborne and transmitted through memes, misinformation, and emotionally charged hot takes. The more time you spend online without a filter, the higher your exposure risk.

Luckily, some people have some natural immunity called common sense, though it’s weakening with each new social platform launch.

The Cure: Critical Thinking

There is a vaccine and it’s called education. Not the overpriced kind, but the free one that comes from reading, questioning, and shutting up long enough to listen.

• Fact-check before sharing.
• Read beyond the headline.
• Avoid arguments with people who say “Do your own research.”
• Remember: confidence ≠ competence.

The more we think critically, the less stupid we collectively become though the internet may never fully recover.

Final thoughts on if Stupidity is Contagious.

Is stupidity contagious? Absolutely. But so is reason, empathy, and curiosity but they just take longer to spread.

So be part of the cure is to think before you share and read before you rant. If all else fails, remember that it’s better to stay silent and be thought a fool than to tweet and remove all doubt.