remember that wealth
is not … NOT … directly linked
to intelligence

Taking an easy way out to fill a few of my blog, I am presenting some of Arwa Mahdawi’s five golden rules for spotting an idiot this week.

Building on the theme, If you want to be successful in this world, you have to develop your own idiot detection system,” raised by the governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, recently in a commencement address to the Northwestern University Class of 2023, Guardian Columnist, Arwa Mahdawi put together her own list of five foolproof red flags to help identify idiots.

Ms. Mahdawi writes: So how do you spot an idiot? Well, says Pritzker, it’s not always easy. “I wish there was a foolproof way to spot idiots, but counterintuitively, some idiots are very smart. They can dazzle you with words and misdirection. They can get promoted above you at work,” Pritzker said. “They can even get elected president.”

“… it’s a shame, I think, that Pritzker didn’t elaborate further. I think we could all do with a bit more of a comprehensive guide, don’t you? So I’ve helpfully put together the beginnings of one.

Behold, five golden rules for spotting an idiot.”

3. Remember that wealth isn’t directly linked to intelligence

I think most folks without money would agree with this.

I think most folks with a lot of money would not agree with this.

And I think we can round and round on this forever.

This rule is good but is much for cautionary that they first two rules of spotting an idiot.

Can we agree that it someone told us to jump off a roof we would say nope!

But if a rich person told us to jump off a roof and you will get $1,000,000 … would we at least consider it?

We don’t like the rich.

We disdain wealth.

But who wants to be poor?

In the end thought, its the rich people that have the money or as Robin Hood said in the movie Time Bandits, “Have you met the poor? Oh you must meet them. I’m sure you’ll like them. Of course they haven’t got two pennies to rub together … but that’s because they’re poor.“

Making a lot of money doesn’t mean you are smart.

Having a lot of money doesn’t mean you have smart.

What is does mean is that you will have a lot more confidence.

Condfident that what you say in a meeting won’t be laughed at.

Confident that your clothes won’t be laughed at.

Confident that what shoes you put on in gym class won’t be laughed at.

Confident that what you unpack for your lunch won’t be laughed at.

Confident that what your car or lack of a car won’t be laughed at.

Confident that where you live won’t be laughed at.

Money can’t buy happiness but it can buy confidence.

Ms. Mahdawi writes: A lot of people had a hard time believing that someone so powerful could be so … idiotic. Instead, they convinced themselves he must be some sort of strategic genius. Turns out, no, he wasn’t.

Not saying who she is writing about but as the proof grows that the feller in questions is not so smart, nothing is changing this feller’s confidence that he IS the smartest person in the room.

As Mr. Hemmingway said to Mr. Fitzgerald, “The rich are different from you and me.”

As Mr. Fitzgerald said to Mr. Hemmingway, “Yes, they have more money.”

avoid anyone
thinks every book should have been
six-paragraph post

Taking an easy way out to fill a few days of my blog, I am presenting some of Arwa Mahdawi’s five golden rules for spotting an idiot this week.

Building on the theme, If you want to be successful in this world, you have to develop your own idiot detection system,” raised by the governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, recently in a commencement address to the Northwestern University Class of 2023, Guardian Columnist, Arwa Mahdawi put together her own list of five foolproof red flags to help identify idiots.

Ms. Mahdawi writes: So how do you spot an idiot? Well, says Pritzker, it’s not always easy. “I wish there was a foolproof way to spot idiots, but counterintuitively, some idiots are very smart. They can dazzle you with words and misdirection. They can get promoted above you at work,” Pritzker said. “They can even get elected president.”

“… it’s a shame, I think, that Pritzker didn’t elaborate further. I think we could all do with a bit more of a comprehensive guide, don’t you? So I’ve helpfully put together the beginnings of one.

Behold, five golden rules for spotting an idiot.”

Similarly, avoid anyone who thinks that every book should have been a six-paragraph blog post

Sadly, Ye is far from alone in having a proud disdain for books. Over the past decade, the world has worshipped at the altar of Stem. We’ve fetishized data and technology and devalued the humanities. The result is a generation of policymakers and tech bros who think that books are useless and everything can be understood through a purely technical lens.

Take Sam Bankman-Fried, for example. Last year, back when the disgraced FTX founder was still being feted as a genius, SBF told the journalist Adam Fisher that he thought books were a massive waste of time. “I would never read a book,” SBF proclaimed. “I’m very skeptical of books. I don’t want to say no book is ever worth reading, but I actually do believe something pretty close to that. I think, if you wrote a book, you f***** up, and it should have been a six-paragraph blog post.”

Bankman-Fried, who is being investigated for allegedly misappropriating billions of dollars in customer funds, certainly knows a lot about f****** up.

This Bankman feller really said ‘I don’t want to say no book is ever worth reading, but I actually do believe something pretty close to that?’

I am reminded of the old TV Show, Yes, Minister.

A massive report is prepared for submission and someone asks if an executive summary has been prepared.

“The Dick and Jane version? Of course!” is the reply.

And when the report is presented to the Minister, he takes one look and says, “Tell me there is an executive summary?“

I can understand that, but the rest?

I would never read a book.

I’m very skeptical of books.

Without question.

Without a doubt.

Anyone I that I might hear saying anything like that I would avoid and immediately label and idiot.

Thinking of the Governor of Illinois, and wanting to be successful in this world and understanding that I have to develop my own idiot detection system, I can endorse this 2nd rule even with a certain of incredulity that these people are out there.

But they are.

People who are very skeptical of books.

How can you argue with such folks?

I know they are out there and I know they think that, but I still find it hard to grasp.

I think of that other old TV show, Happy Days.

Howard Cunningham and Fonzie are arguing.

Howard makes a point referencing the movie High Noon.

Fonzie dismisses the point saying if he had been Gary Cooper, he would have punched Grace Kelly.

Howard throws up his hands and walks out saying, “How can you argue with a man who would punch Grace Kelly?”

beware anyone
who describes themselves as proud
non-reader of books

Did this really need to said?

YES IT DID!

Building on theme, If you want to be successful in this world, you have to develop your own idiot detection system,” raised by the governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, recently in a commencement address to the Northwestern University Class of 2023, Guardian Columnist, Arwa Mahdawi put together her own list of five foolproof red flags to help identify idiots.

Ms. Mahdawi writes: So how do you spot an idiot? Well, says Pritzker, it’s not always easy. “I wish there was a foolproof way to spot idiots, but counterintuitively, some idiots are very smart. They can dazzle you with words and misdirection. They can get promoted above you at work,” Pritzker said. “They can even get elected president.”

“… it’s a shame, I think, that Pritzker didn’t elaborate further. I think we could all do with a bit more of a comprehensive guide, don’t you? So I’ve helpfully put together the beginnings of one.

Behold, five golden rules for spotting an idiot.”

Taking an easy way to fill a few days of my blog, I will highlight some of her five rules this week.

Rule Number 1: Beware of anyone who describes themselves as a “proud non-reader of books”
If someone boasts about being too smart for books, it’s a tell-tale sign they’re an idiot.

Exhibit one: Kanye West, who now goes by Ye.

“I am not a fan of books,” the rapper told an interviewer in 2009 as he did the press tour for his own book.

(Well, calling it a book is a stretch: it was a 52-page collection of his thoughts called Thank You and You’re Welcome.

Some of the pages were intentionally left blank and others just had a single “Kanye-ism” on it like: “I hate the word hate!” or “Get used to being used.”)

The problem with books, Ye went on, is that they’re generally too wordy.

“I am a proud non-reader of books,” he added.

Which goes a long way to explaining Ye’s recent descent into an antisemitic and white-nationalist rabbit hole.

I, for one have always loved books.

I, for one have always been sensitive to those who don’t.

Those who don’t and feel bad about it.

I worked for years in bookstores and libraries and there where those people who would come in and say, ‘Look, I don’t read. Can you help me.‘

And my heart went out to them.

When I managed a mall bookstore, I would caution my staff at Christmas that this was the time when we would be getting customers who would be shopping for someone else otherwise they would never be in a bookstore and that these folks might be anywhere from embarrassed to downright uncomfortable in a bookstore.

But there are those people I have met.

Those people with a disdain for reading.

Never read a book, never plan to read a book and never missed anything by not reading any book and, sad to say, proud of it.

I feel sorry for them.

I feel sorry for Mr. Ye.

One thing to be ignorant.

Quite another to be proud of being ignorant.

Non so blind I guess, as those who WILL not see.

As Garrison Keillor said, “… they didn’t learn much until the day they died. But they learned a whole lot the next day.”

I have been lucky.

And smart enough to be appreciate my luck.

I grew up in a family that read and in a house filled with books.

I am reminded of a time at the library where I was working when a Dad came in with his kid to get some information for a school report.

I don’t know what the Dad did for a living, but from his shoes, his hands and his dress, whatever he did for a living was hard work.

His son was being whiney as I helped them and set several books they had requested on their table where they were working.

As I walked away I heard the Dad say, ‘You can do the work with the books now, or you can do the work with your back later.’

The kid looked down for a bit.

Then he pulled at the pile of books and the Dad and his kid went to work together.