It's possible that some individuals embrace stupidity because they're
afraid of being alone. Idiocy loves company more than misery does.
When I taught school, I often remarked on the touching inclusiveness
of the druggie segment of the student population. Looks, grades, and
athletic prowess were of no account; the only requirement was that you
do dope.... In contrast, thoughtfulness can be a lonely choice,
especially when accompanied by courage.
[Dietrich Bonhoeffer says] that although a stupid person is usually
stubborn, his stubbornness shouldn't be mistaken for independence. "In
conversation with him, one virtually feels that one is dealing not at
all with him as a person, but with slogans, catchwords, and the like
that have taken possession of him."
...The opposite of stupidity is not intelligence, much less knowledge
or information. The opposite of stupidity is faith. Not necessarily
religious faith, which in the common parlance of "belief" is not even
faith in the ancient Hebraic sense. In Hebrew, faith (
emunah) is
something you live, often against stupefying odds. At first glance,
faith might look like stupidity, because it too seeks a kind of
transcendence, but through engaging with reality rather than denying
it.