Quotes about stupidity
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“Fortune favors the brave," I told her. It also kills the stupid, but I decided to keep that fact to myself.”

Ilona Andrews American husband-and-wife novelist duo

Source: Magic Breaks

“Avoidable human misery is more often caused not so much by stupidity as by ignorance, particularly our ignorance about ourselves.”

Carl Sagan book The Demon-Haunted World

Source: The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

“As he fell toward the highway, a horrible scenario flashed through his mind: his body smashing against an SUV's windshield, some annoyed commuter trying to push him off with the wipers. "Stupid 16-year-old kid falling from the sky! I'm late!”

Rick Riordan book The Son of Neptune

Source: The Son of Neptune

“Universal education has created an immense class of what I may call the New Stupid, hungering for certainty yet unable to find it in the traditional myths and their rationalizations.”

Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) English writer

Hunger, Education, Universe

“Maybe we were all destined to just keep doing the same stupid things, over and over again, never really learning a single thing.”

Sarah Dessen book Along for the Ride

Source: Along for the Ride

Learning

“Power is okay, and stupidity is usually harmless. Power and stupidity together are dangerous".”

Patrick Rothfuss book The Name of the Wind

Source: The Name of the Wind

“It’s absolutely stupid that we live without an ozone layer. We have men, we’ve got rockets, we’ve got saran wrap – FIX IT!!!”

Lewis Black (1948) American stand-up comedian, author, playwright, social critic and actor

Men

“Hey!" I screamed, waving the jacket, running to one side of the monster. "Hey, stupid! Ground beef!”

Rick Riordan book The Lightning Thief

Source: The Lightning Thief

“Simon-"From now on I will only adress people by nodding at them." Clary-"That's stupid why would you do that?" Simon-"Because it says that 'I am a badass, and I recognive that you too, are a badass”

Cassandra Clare book City of Glass

Source: City of Glass

People

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel must be intolerably stupid”

Jane Austen book Northanger Abbey

Variant: The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel must be intolerably stupid
Source: "Northanger Abbey" (1817)

Pleasure, Personality

“Fifty dorcas they’re setting up an ambush near my ship. (Nykyrian)
No bet. I know they are. They’re too stupid to not be obvious and predictable. Gah, I hate abiding by the law. Too bad you can’t slaughter them where they stand. (Syn)”

Sherrilyn Kenyon (1965) Novelist

Source: Born of the Night

Hate, Law

“When men can hate without risk, their stupidity is easily convinced, the motives supply themselves.”

Louis-ferdinand Céline book Journey to the End of the Night

Source: Journey to the End of the Night

Men, Hate, Motivation

“I had become a perfect fake human, saying the stupid and pointless things that humans say to each other all day long.”

Jeff Lindsay book Dearly Devoted Dexter

Source: Dearly Devoted Dexter

Perfection

“Don't do anything stupid.”

Jeffrey R. Holland (1940) Mormon leader

“But what they called him isn’t fit for mixed company and doesn’t bear repeating. Stupid fuckheads. (Hauk)”

Sherrilyn Kenyon (1965) Novelist

Source: Born of the Night

“Honestly, do these people have nothing better to do than engage in stupid mindless speculation about people they don't know?”

Sophie Kinsella book Can You Keep a Secret?

Source: Can You Keep a Secret?

People

“How could they let me grow up like that—happy and pink and stupid?”

Karen Marie Moning (1964) author

Happiness

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

Terry Brooks The Wishsong of Shannara

Source: The Wishsong of Shannara

“A rational man never distorts or corrupts his own standards and judgment in order to appeal to the irrationality, stupidity, or dishonesty of others.”

Ayn Rand (1905–1982) Russian-American novelist and philosopher

“When you're surrounded by stupidity, self-preservation isn't a sin.”

Meljean Brook (1977)

Source: Riveted

“Love is never any better than the lover. Wicked people love wickedly, violent people love violently, weak people love weakly, stupid people love stupidly, but the love a free man is never safe.”

Toni Morrison book The Bluest Eye

Source: The Bluest Eye

Love, People, Lovers

“Huge organizations and me don't get along. They're too inflexible, waste too much time, and have too many stupid people.”

Haruki Murakami book Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

Source: Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

People, Time

“Only the young and stupid are confident about sex and romance.”

Elizabeth Gilbert book Eat, Pray, Love

Source: Eat, Pray, Love

Sex, Confidence

“Don’t be stupid, Katra. Never speak in anger and never try to force your will onto someone else. You’ll never find peace in that. (Acheron)”

Sherrilyn Kenyon (1965) Novelist

Source: Devil May Cry

Peace, Anger

“To be stupid, and selfish, and to have good health are the three requirements for happiness - though if stupidity is lacking, the others are useless.”

Julian Barnes book Flaubert's Parrot

Source: Flaubert's Parrot

Happiness, Health, Selfishness

“It's only because of their stupidity that they're able to be so sure of themselves.”

Franz Kafka book The Trial

Variant: It is only because of their stupidity that they are able to be so sure of themselves.
Source: The Trial

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye.”

Jim Henson (1936–1990) American puppeteer

Beauty, Time, Beauty

“There comes a day when, for someone who has persecuted us, we feel only indifference, a weariness at his stupidity. Then we forgive him.”

Cesare Pavese (1908–1950) Italian poet, novelist, literary critic, and translator

This Business of Living (1935-1950)
Source: Il mestiere di vivere: Diario 1935-1950

Feeling, Forgiveness, Indifference

“Another dream. Another long-distance call on my phantom party line. No wonder i had steadfastly refused to have dreams for most of my life. So stupid; such pointless, obvious symbols. Totally uncontrollable anxiety soup, hateful, blatant nonsense.”

Jeff Lindsay book Darkly Dreaming Dexter

Source: Darkly Dreaming Dexter

Life, Hate, Dreams

“Anyone who says that women do not have influence in men's decisions makes a vast and stupid mistake.”

Lisa See book Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Source: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Women, Men, Decision

“when your time came, it came, and that was that. You might say something smart on your way out, but you might just as easily say something stupid.”

Mitch Albom book The Five People You Meet in Heaven

Source: The Five People You Meet in Heaven

Way, Time

“She's not stupid. She just never lets her mind out.”

Diana Wynne Jones House of Many Ways

Source: House of Many Ways

“It is so pleasant to come across people more stupid than ourselves. We love them at once for being so.”

Jerome K. Jerome book Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow

Source: Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow

Love, People

“I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it.”

Edith Sitwell (1887–1964) British poet

Source: The Last Years of a Rebel (1967), p. 24

“The only stupid thing about words is the spelling of them.”

Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867–1957) American children's writer, diarist, and journalist

“Nobody likes to see a stupid guy wise up.”

Stephen King book The Stand

Source: The Stand

Guy

“I’m blushing at my own stupid, nonsensical, meaningless thought process, which, by the way, nobody knows about except me.”

Sophie Kinsella book I've Got Your Number

Source: I've Got Your Number

Way

“She looked at nice young men as if she could smell their stupidity.”

Flannery O’Connor (1925–1964) American novelist, short story writer

Men

“People are not stupid. They believe things for reasons. The last way for skeptics to get the attention of bright, curious, intelligent people is to belittle or condescend or to show arrogance toward their beliefs.”

Carl Sagan (1934–1996) American astrophysicist, cosmologist, author and science educator

People, Way, Intelligence

“I may be stupid, as you say, to believe in honour and friendship and loyalty without price. But these are virtues to be cherished, for without them we are no more than beasts roaming the land.”

David Gemmell (1948–2006) British author of heroic fantasy

Source: Shield of Thunder

Friendship, Loyalty

“I like 'em big. And stupid. Don't tell my husband.”

Meg Cabot (1967) Novelist

Source: Insatiable

“sometimes i wish i'd been an englishman; american life is so damned dumb and stupid and healthy”

F. Scott Fitzgerald book This Side of Paradise

Source: This Side of Paradise

Life

“When life gives you lemons… choke on them and die… you stupid lemon eater.”

Scott Adams (1957) cartoonist, writer

Life

“Intelligent men are cruel. Stupid men are monstrously cruel.”

Jack London book The Star Rover

The Star Rover
Variant: Intelligent men are cruel. Stupid men are monstrously cruel

Men, Intelligence

“The difference between stupid and intelligent people – and this is true whether or not they are well-educated – is that intelligent people can handle subtlety.”

Neal Stephenson (1959) American science fiction writer

Source: The Diamond Age: or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer

People, Education, Intelligence

“All the history of human life has been a struggle between wisdom and stupidity.”

Philip Pullman book The Amber Spyglass

Source: The Amber Spyglass

Life, Wisdom, History

“Sometimes a man wants to be stupid if it lets him do a thing his cleverness forbids.”

John Steinbeck book East of Eden

Source: East of Eden

Deep

“Happy birthday. And next time? Eat the stupid cupcake.”

Rachel Caine (1962) American writer

Source: Let Them Eat Cake

Happiness, Birthday, Time, Birthday

“I’m going. But before I do, let me congratulate all of you on your stupidity. (Fury)”

Sherrilyn Kenyon (1965) Novelist

Source: Dead After Dark

“The entire world of grown-ups is corrupt and stupid.”

Matt Groening (1954) American cartoonist

World

“You want me to do what? What part of stupid crawled up your sphincter and died?” – Caleb”

Sherrilyn Kenyon (1965) Novelist

Source: Invincible

Parting

“Early to bed and early to rise," Mazer intoned, "makes a man stupid and blind in the eyes.”

Orson Scott Card book Ender's Game

Source: Ender's Game

“You simply cannot tell other people they are stupid, even if they really are stupid.”

Temple Grandin (1947) USA-american doctor of animal science, author, and autism activist

Source: The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism & Asperger's

People

“Babies, babies, babies. Why did God make so many babies? But no, God didn't make them. Stupid people made them.”

Margaret Mitchell book Vom Winde verweht (1937 German edition)

Source: Gone with the Wind

God, People, Baby

“To the stupidity of men, " Dakota said, raising a glass. "And my brother, who is their king.”

Susan Mallery (1950) American author

Source: Almost Perfect

Men

“I need a new friend. I need a friend, period. Not a true friend, nothing close or share clothes or sleepover giggle giggle yak yak. Just a pseudo-friend, disposable friend. Friend as accessory. Just so I don't feel or look so stupid.”

Laurie Halse Anderson Speak

Source: Speak

Feeling, Clothes

“I looked at Rachel. "You're not going to do anything stupid, are you? I mean…. you talked to Chiron, right?"
She managed a faint smile. "You're worried aboutdoing something stupid?”

Rick Riordan book The Last Olympian

Source: The Last Olympian

Smile

“Human: That's stupid. Isn't there grass on both sides?”

Orson Scott Card (1951) American science fiction novelist

Grass

“That's the most stupid expression in the world. 'I fell in love'—as if you had no choice. There's a moment, there's always a moment; I can do this, I can give in to this or I can resist it. I don't know when your moment was but I bet there was one.”

Patrick Marber Closer

Source: Closer

Love, World

“This is the stupidest plan I have ever in my career participated in," Xenophon said.
"I love stupid plans," said Eugenides.”

Megan Whalen Turner The Queen of Attolia

Source: The Queen of Attolia

Love

“… the greatest weapon against big stupid men was a sharp mind.”

Melina Marchetta (1965) Australian teen writer

Source: Froi of the Exiles

Men

“people who say its a long story, mean it's a stupid short one that they are too embarrassed and couldn't be bothered to tell”

Cecelia Ahern book Love, Rosie

Source: Love, Rosie

People

“Government! Three fourths parasitic and the other fourth Stupid fumbling.”

Robert A. Heinlein book Stranger in a Strange Land

Source: Stranger in a Strange Land

“How stupid lovers can be! But if they were not, there would be no story.”

Eleanor Hibbert (1906–1993) English novelist

Source: The Courts of Love

Lovers

“It is absolutely safe to say that if you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid or insane (or wicked, but I'd rather not consider that).”

Richard Dawkins (1941) English ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author

Source: Reviewing Blueprints: Solving the Mystery of Evolution (1989) by Maitland A. Edey and Donald C. Johanson

Source: Last sentence expanded upon in "Ignorance is No Crime" (2001) (see below)
Context: So to the book's provocation, the statement that nearly half the people in the United States don't believe in evolution. Not just any people but powerful people, people who should know better, people with too much influence over educational policy. We are not talking about Darwin's particular theory of natural selection. It is still (just) possible for a biologist to doubt its importance, and a few claim to. No, we are here talking about the fact of evolution itself, a fact that is proved utterly beyond reasonable doubt. To claim equal time for creation science in biology classes is about as sensible as to claim equal time for the flat-earth theory in astronomy classes. Or, as someone has pointed out, you might as well claim equal time in sex education classes for the stork theory. It is absolutely safe to say that if you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid or insane (or wicked, but I'd rather not consider that).

If that gives you offence, I'm sorry. You are probably not stupid, insane or wicked; and ignorance is no crime in a country with strong local traditions of interference in the freedom of biology educators to teach the central theorem of their subject.

Personality

“Only stupid men trying to seem smart need to be with dumb women. Only weak men trying to look strong are attracted to compliant women.”

Orson Scott Card Ender's Game hexalogy

Page 96
Ender's Game series, First Meetings in the Enderverse (2003), Teacher's Pest
Source: First Meetings in Ender's Universe

Women, Men, Strong

“When people look you in the eye and call you stupid, dont look away, but tell them that half of the world is stupid and they are one of them because they are dening their own stupidity.”

Meg Cabot (1967) Novelist

People, World