The 90% Rule. Ponder This.

[Chang]

Something to ponder.  A simple rule of thumb which I have found to hold true for any given group, society or population.

In any given population, large or small you will find that the following holds true.

80% of the people will be idiots.

10% of the people will be assholes.

 

10% of the people will be more or less alright.

 

This can be applied to all area’s of life but let us look at politics.

 

In a democracy the 80% of idiots will vote for the 10% of assholes who will gain power. The 10% of the more or less alright will be powerless to alter this situation.

 

In a tyranny the 10% of assholes will already be in power, the 80% of idiots will just let things go there merry way and the 10% of the more or less alright will again be powerless to alter the situation.

 

You may argue that this is simply not true and cite the breakdown of communism in Russia or the Arab Spring to show how society has thrown off the yoke of tyranny. But in reality it has simply been a case of removing one set of assholes to replace them with another.

 

In the case of democracy no argument is necessary to prove the rule.

 

 

[nestentrie]

I think 80% of your post is rubbish.

[CloudHands]

It's not related to stupidity but rather docility. A huge society needs people that accept and carry on a project they did not think about too much. See ant... or rats ! In the rat hierarchy they have leaders, exploited and autonomous. That's the form their lifestyle took to survive better.

 

Imagine if in your country anyone had a strong opinion about how things do or should work and try on a tireless stubborn mode to convince others/impose it ? It could be incredibly interesting a maybe end up in great solutions at small scales but at larger scales it can't be very practical.

Anarchist villages generally don't live long because saying I am right is more a matter of Ego than reason. You can be true on a practical yes/no problem but at the moment the discussion implies personal or cultural values (what defines us ?) it's no more about what's the best thing to do but who am I ? Who are we ?

 

95% of the people considers others are idiots.

Lao Zi considered himself idiot.

[Stonehouse]

Thumbs are helpful when measuring fabric or wood. 

Less helpful when measuring people. 

[qicat]

 

[Stosh]

Having the choice to call everyone else, or ones self , the idiot ,, whichever one chooses will be correct. 

[thelerner]

I feel a bit kinder and sympathetic towards people.  I don't think 80% are idiots.  I think most people are busy. 

 

IMO, much of the worlds problems stem from automatically considering anyone who disagrees with you is an idiot. 

[Gerard]

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Edited August 1, 2017 by Gerard