Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)
The characters/ideograms mean, “Stupidity; idiocy; blockhead; idiot; dimwit; mediocrity.” The first character means, “Basin; lantern festival; tray,” the second character means, “darkness; disappear; shade; informal; grow dark; be blinded.”
Let me begin by saying that I am always amused by the definitions of those characters/ideograms that make up a term or phrase. The two above don’t seem to have any relevance to the overall definition of stupidity, etc. but what the hey, that is how this stuff works - right?
Anyway, I decided to find a term in Japanese to write an article about, “Stupidity.” We, as a species, often are pretty darn stupid about certain things such as, “Our rights,” as well as “Our Abilities,” and other such things. Stupidity is the one where someone deliberately walks into a dark and secluded area late at night, say around 1 or 2 am, by themselves while assuming they are safe and that no one would dare do anything to them.
When I have mentioned this scenario to self-defense students almost all say, “I have the right to go where I want, when I want and I have the right to do so unmolested!” They often preach this with extreme vehemence as if it is some unwritten law somewhere that they should have the unalienable right to do what ever regardless. Now, this is extreme bon-kura - STUPIDITY!
I often wonder if stupidity is a lesson taught in any educational circle let alone in self-fense. Yes, you have rights (but, those rights are not what you think) and you SHOULD be able to go where you want and whenever you want regardless. Yet, intelligence tells us there are predatory people out there just looking for an excuse to make you their victim, to provide them with either a resource or satisfy a process that they want. Yea, there are folks out there and guess what, “They can give a shit about your rights and privileges!”
Don’t be stupid, your well-being and health are often the stakes when you do things that are not smart. This is where awareness comes in, knowing what is out there and the dangers involved so that you can make an, “Informed Decision” as to how you will act and what you will do - your life even depends on it.
We, as a species, are special in that we have a brain, a mind, that can think in a variety of ways. First, emotionally for survival instincts with the caveat that through knowledge, understanding and awareness it is a mature emotional state of mind. Second, we have the deep mind, the instinctual mind, that provides us the spidey sense that helps us in survival but that one needs tweaking for the more complex modern environment we live in today. Then the more recent evolutionary outgrowth of human existence has provided us the third mind, the logical mind. Yes, it is the slowest of the minds but the most critical necessary for analysis and synthesis when circumstances allow, i.e., when time allows us before grave bodily harm or death rear their ugly heads. This is the time where one has a moment to deliberate and decide to act by avoidance or making for proper communications toward a goal of deescalation.
Being stupid is allowing our emotionally immature monkey brains to hold control and sway over what we do, say and how that affects others in actions where conflict and violence are present.
In a nutshell, don’t be stupid for stupid is as stupid does says one very smart mentally deficient dude.
Bibliography (Click the link)
“In order for any life to matter, we all have to matter.” - Marcus Luttrell, Navy Seal (ret)
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