Quotes about stupidity

„The stupider one is, the closer one is to reality. The stupider one is, the clearer one is. Stupidity is brief and artless, while intelligence wriggles and hides itself. Intelligence is a knave, but stupidity is honest and straightforward.“

—  Fyodor Dostoyevsky Russian author 1821 - 1881

The Brothers Karamazov (1879–1880)

„Stupid people, people who do not know how to laugh, are always pompous and self-conceited.“

—  William Makepeace Thackeray novelist 1811 - 1863

Sketches and Travels in London; Mr. Brown's Letters to His Nephew: "On Love, Marriage, Men and Women" (1856).

„If you think your boss is stupid, remember: you wouldn't have a job if he was any smarter. “

—  John Gotti American crime boss 1940 - 2002

„A stupid man's report of what a clever man says is never accurate, because he unconsciously translates what he hears into something that he can understand.“

—  Bertrand Russell, book A History of Western Philosophy

Source: 1940s, A History of Western Philosophy (1945)

„It's too bad that stupidity isn't painful.“

—  Anton LaVey Founder of the Church of Satan, author of the Satanic Bible 1930 - 1997

The Nine Satanic Sins (1987)

„The worst illiterate is the political illiterate, he doesn’t hear, doesn’t speak, nor participates in the political events. He doesn’t know the cost of life, the price of the bean, of the fish, of the flour, of the rent, of the shoes and of the medicine, all depends on political decisions. The political illiterate is so stupid that he is proud and swells his chest saying that he hates politics. The imbecile doesn’t know that, from his political ignorance is born the prostitute, the abandoned child, and the worst thieves of all, the bad politician, corrupted and flunky of the national and multinational companies.“

—  Bertolt Brecht German poet, playwright, theatre director 1898 - 1956

First recorded in Terra Nossa: Newsletter of Project Abraço, North Americans in Solidarity with the People of Brazil http://books.google.gr/books?id=iR68AAAAIAAJ&q=, Vols. 1–7, Resource Center for Nonviolence, 1988, p. 42. No citation to a book by Brecht is given.
Disputed

„Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid.“

—  Hedy Lamarr Austrian-American actress and co-inventor of an early technique for spread spectrum communications and frequency hopping 1914 - 2000

As quoted in The Stars (1962) by Richard Schickel

„You shouldn't believe everything you hear you're young, not stupid.“

—  Terry Brooks, The Wishsong of Shannara

Source: The Wishsong of Shannara

„The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naïve forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.“

—  Thomas Szasz Hungarian psychiatrist 1920 - 2012

"Personal Conduct" http://books.google.com/books?id=IYOcAQAAQBAJ&q=%22The+stupid+neither+forgive+nor+forget+the+na%C3%AFve+forgive+and+forget+the+wise+forgive+but+do+not+forget%22&pg=PA177#v=onepage, p. 51. http://openlibrary.org/works/OL15151528W/The_Second_Sin
The Second Sin (1973)

„In view of the fact that God limited the intelligence of man, it seems unfair that he did not also limit his stupidity.“

—  Konrad Adenauer German statesman, Federal Chancellor of Germany, politician (CDU) 1876 - 1967

As quoted in A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House (1965) by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., p. 291 books.google https://books.google.de/books?id=uFhNxX5lrNEC&pg=PA291&dq=stupidity

„We are in danger of destroying ourselves by our greed and stupidity. We cannot remain looking inwards at ourselves on a small and increasingly polluted and overcrowded planet.“

—  Stephen Hawking British theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author 1942 - 2018

„The problem is that everybody treats teenagers like they're stupid.“

—  Johnny Depp American actor, film producer, and musician 1963

„Here's a song I made up while I was watching Xena the Warrior Princess with the sound off. It's a fact. I had a secret crush on Xena. It was a secret to me too. I wouldn't admit it. She's pretty fuckin' tough. She has a good yell… she kills the stupid gladiators with the log-trap. Release the log-trap! She releases the log-trap and they all get… crushed. They'd all wanna be with her if they could, but unfortunately they're not on her side. It's a lot better with the sound off. Really, it is. And the song didn't have anything to do with Xena… but… I was about half a bottle through Jameson's… if that makes any sense.“

—  Elliott Smith American singer-songwriter 1969 - 2003

before playing "Between the Bars" at a concert in 1996. http://www.archive.org/details/esmith2006-09-25..flacf.

„I have sought you out to cure me.'
'To cure you of what?'
'Of this cursed affliction.'
'I cannot cure stupidity.'
Scapegrace frowned.“

—  Derek Landy Irish children's writer 1974

Source: Death Bringer

„Correct." Kekrops sounded bitter, like he regretted his decision. "My people were the original Athenians--the gemini."
"Like your zodiac sign?" Percy asked. "I'm a Leo."
"No, stupid," Leo said. "I'm a Leo. You're a Percy.“

—  Rick Riordan, book The Blood of Olympus

Variant: Correct." Kekrops sounded bitter, like he regretted his decision. "My people were the original Athenians--the gemini."
"Like your zodiac sign?" Percy asked. "I'm a Leo."
"No, stupid. "I'm a Leo. You're a Percy.
Source: The Blood of Olympus

„I shall not commit the fashionable stupidity of regarding everything I cannot explain as a fraud.“

—  C.G. Jung Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist who founded analytical psychology 1875 - 1961

„Stupidity cannot be cured. Stupidity is the only universal capital crime; the sentence is death. There is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.“

—  Robert A. Heinlein American science fiction author 1907 - 1988

„… stupidity is one of the two things we see most clearly in retrospect. The other is missed chances.“

—  Stephen King, book 11/22/63

Source: 11/22/63

„It`s not that I`m stupid. I just don`t think sometimes. “

—  Colin Farrell Irish actor 1976