The other S word

It's too bad that stupidity isn't painful.
~ Anton LaVey

When we're young, most of us learned that "stupid" is a rude word to use in pretty much every context. I remember reading a story in my classroom that used "stupid", which prompted a collective gasp from my students...Did my teacher really just say that? As adults, I think we can probably all agree that there is definitely a time and a place for this word to be used, and there certainly are people who can't possibly be described as any other than stupid.

A few weeks ago, I attended a wedding shower/bachelorette party which included a trip to a local night club. This particular club was inhabited by countless drunk college-aged individuals. As I looked around, I began to notice some particularly stupid behavior. Call me old-fashioned, but I would say it's pretty stupid to stand on the top of a bar while wearing high heels and swaying from drunkenness. I guess I just don't see the point of becoming so inebriated that you have to be carried out the door by three stumbling friends. Stupid.


This evening, JC, my mom and I were returning home from dinner when a car accelerated through a red light, hitting an on-coming vehicle. If that weren't enough, the car proceeded to speed off, obviously fleeing the scene of the crime. So stupid. First of all, if you're going to blatantly run a red light, you'd better be prepared to face the consequences. Secondly, if you've been involved in a serious accident, regardless of fault, driving away is probably the stupidest thing you can do. Who knows what kind of futher damage you may do to yourself or others. To top it off, how far do you really think you're going to get in a totalled car? Mega stupid. I just don't understand how anyone would think that might possibly be a good decision.

I do have to admit, I may have done some things that would put me into the category of stupid. One thing that stands out in my mind happens to involve my sister, our black lab, and a posthole digger. We had discovered our dog enjoyed jumping over things, so we set up an obstacle course using various gardening tools, patio furniture, and pretty much whatever else we could find. One thing lead to another, and my sister ended up tripping and falling, her forehead landing on the posthole digger. She ended up with some stitches, and I reflect on our choice as stupid.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of excuses that can "justify" stupidity. In my first example, some may argue that drinking alcohol inhibits your ability to think clearly, and you're bound to make decisions you wouldn't normally make when sober. So, does that cancel out your stupidity? The hit-and-run idiot may have been in an emergency situation and unable to stop. But does that mean he isn't stupid for running the light and subsequentially driving off? My sister and I were very young at the time of our dog-jumping escapades. I think I was probably 5 or 6 and clearly not worldly-wise. Is being a child give you a free pass to make poor choices?

It may not be a poliet word to use, but there are certain situations that seem to warrant nothing other than STUPID.