Bandits (bottom right), who pursue their own self-interest even when doing so poses a net detriment to societal welfare.

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Carlo M. Cipolla

11

The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity

This explores the controversial subject of stupidity. Stupid people are seen as a group, more powerful by far than major organizations such as the Mafia and the industrial complex, which without regulations, leaders or manifesto nonetheless manages to operate to great effect and with incredible coordination. by Carlo M. Cipolla

Stupidity

People

Smart

Human behaviour

Get

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Law #1 Always and inevitably everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation.

Carlo M. Cipolla

Law #2 The probability that a certain person (will) be stupid is independent of any other characteristic of that person.

Carlo M. Cipolla

Law #3 A stupid person is a person who causes losses to another person or to a group of persons while himself deriving no gain and even possibly incurring losses.

Carlo M. Cipolla

Law #4 Non-stupid people always underestimate the damaging power of stupid individuals. In particular non-stupid people constantly forget that at all times and places and under any circumstances to deal and/or associate with stupid people always turns out to be a costly mistake.

Carlo M. Cipolla

Law #5 A stupid person is the most dangerous type of person.

Carlo M. Cipolla

A stupid person is more dangerous than a pillager.

Carlo M. Cipolla

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Two factors are important to consider when exploring human behaviour: Benefits and losses that an individual causes to: 1. him or herself and 2. to others.

Torsten Caspar

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Intelligent people (top right), who contribute to society and who leverage their contributions into reciprocal benefits.

Carlo M. Cipolla

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Helpless people (top left), who contribute to society but are taken advantage of by it (and especially by the "bandit" sector of it); note, however, that extreme altruists and pacifists may willingly and consciously (rather than helplessly) accept a place in this category for moral or ethical reasons.

Carlo M. Cipolla

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Stupid people (bottom left), whose efforts are counterproductive to both their and others' interests.

Carlo M. Cipolla

I'm crazy, and I don't pretend to be anything else.

Calvin Klein

I didn't feel so great when I was a teenager, but who does?

Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Things are changing. I've been training since I was 9 years old to stretch my wings as an actor dramatically, but have never really been afforded the opportunity to show that.

Anthony Anderson

Like many students, I found the drudgery of real experiments and the slowness of progress a complete shock, and at my low points I contemplated other alternative careers including study of the philosophy or sociology of science.

Paul Nurse

I think it's awesome to see people of all different ages from all kinds of backgrounds come together for the love of music.

Miranda Lambert

There is more to life than beer alone but beer makes those other things even better.

Stephen Morris

Pacifism is a nice idea but it can get you killed. We're not there yet. Evolution is slow, small pox is fast.

George Carlin

Songs are like movies to me, and so you put yourself in the movie. You become a character in the movie.

Trisha Yearwood

Israel needs to change direction, and this is not just political. We're becoming more closed-in, more isolated, more scared. Those who talk tough are making the State of Israel very weak, very isolated - very Jewish, in the Diaspora-sense, in that 'everyone is against us.' We need to get out of this.

Tzipi Livni

I just try to do my best every at-bat. That's what I plan to do.

Asdrubal Cabrera

And I've got some screenplays and plays ready to dip into when I need to.

Neil LaBute

Dont compromise your self youre all you got.

Janis Joplin

I think artists who are attracted to working on the Net will adjust their work to the capabilities of a very small screen.

Laurie Anderson

I am so lazy. I really don't have a regimen. When I was younger I used to be into cardio and taebo and step-orobics and hiking. Lately, I haven't done anything at all. I'd like to get into yoga, but I've been really bad.

Bianca Lawson

The rite of passage of learning to build a fire that will burn all night with one match is not an insignificant one in my husbands family and I grew up camping and backpacking. I love to camp.

Sarah Wayne Callies

Artificial intelligence is the science of making machines do things that would require intelligence if done by men.

Marvin Minsky

For consumers to benefit from technology, there has to be fair and open competition. Fair and open competition is the only course we know that can lead to meaningful innovation.

Hector Ruiz

Boys used to call me Soda in school days. Soda means 'serving officers daughters association.' I miss those days when I had a very protected life: one could get close and bond with other army people that they gradually would become your extended family.

Anushka Sharma

Everyday I tell myself I need to get over you, But every night I find myself thinking about how much I want you back.

Hussein Nishah

Change yourself and fortune will change.

Portuguese

I've never seen the devil create music.

Little Richard

The reason I stop playing songs is usually because I get sick of them, and then they find themselves back into the set list at some point.

Ben Folds

It’s too bad we’re not all teddy bears. More stuffing would only make us cuter and cuddlier.

Richelle E. Goodrich

I love watching reality shows - I'm up to date with 'America's Next Top Model' and I love 'Project Runway.' But the shows where they're just sitting in a house aren't as fun to me!

Emma Bunton