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littlemissmartypants

(35,389 posts)
Sun Jun 21, 2026, 11:17 PM 12 hrs ago

Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity



Dietrich Bonhoeffer argued that stupid people are more dangerous than evil ones. This is because while we can protest against or fight evil people, against stupid ones we are defenseless — reasons fall on dead ears. Bonhoeffer's famous text, which we slightly edited for this video, serves any free society as a warning of what can happen when certain people gain too much power.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer explored how a civilized society can succumb to collective stupidity during times of extreme political power. Sprouts examines his insights from prison regarding why malicious actions are often less dangerous than a mindless adherence to slogans and authority.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (German: [ˈdiːtʁɪç ˈbɔnhøːfɐ] ⓘ; 4 February 1906 – 9 April 1945) was a German Lutheran pastor, neo-orthodox theologian and anti-Nazi dissident who was a key founding member of the Confessing Church. His writings on Christianity's role in the secular world have become widely influential; his 1937 book The Cost of Discipleship is described as a modern classic.[1] Apart from his theological writings, Bonhoeffer was known for his staunch resistance to the Nazi dictatorship, including vocal opposition to Nazi euthanasia program and genocidal persecution of Jews.[2] He was arrested in April 1943 by the Gestapo and imprisoned at Tegel Prison for a year and a half. Later, he was transferred to Flossenbürg concentration camp.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_Bonhoeffer
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Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity (Original Post) littlemissmartypants 12 hrs ago OP
That says it all. zanana1 1 hr ago #1
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