I voted yes, even though none of my friends is really stupid. But I need some “stupid” friends to laugh at my “stupid” jokes.
I do, and I call them friends rather than acquaintances because I do love them, and they love me, and I’d be there if they needed me, and that’s mutual. I don’t choose to associate too closely though, but that’s got very little to do with their intelligence, and more to do with my own introversion and general abhorrence of people.
One of my best friends was left with brain damage. There are ways in which he is stupid now, and ways in which he is just his usual, intelligent self. It’s really difficult to quantify or explain the way he is now. Partially it’s social, or emotional intelligence that suffered: he asks incessant, bizarre and annoying questions, he expects you to do things for him and complains when you don’t, he is rude. It’s also general incompetence or dependence: he can’t live independently anymore, he can’t find his way alone, he can’t manage to get stuff done unless you help.
On the other hand, he still makes music and still makes the best recommendations. You can still have interesting conversations with him, even intellectual conversations. He is still his kind, caring self (yes, besides the rudeness and the questions!)
We are still friends, but it is a different sort of friendship. It’s not equal like it used to be, and there is a certain amount of “putting up with him”. I don’t think if we met now we would become friends. Mostly because we just aren’t equals. Hanging out with him means you are also responsible for him, to an extent. In fact, just being friends is a responsibility now. If I’m not on his case shit doesn’t get done, and if I’m not advocating for his care things also don’t go well.
He’s still a great guy. And who knows what stupid is, anyway. He’s not stupid, more like… exasperating-at-times.
I had a coworker that I’d consider stupid*.
A stray cat had found her way to my house and delivered a litter of kittens under my deck. The coworker had mentioned several times that she was looking for another cat (she had an older one that was about to kick the bucket). I told her about the kittens and her and her teenage daughters came out to take a look. They chose one kitten, solid black female, and, when she was weaned, took her home.
For the next two years I got to hear about how annoying the cat’s yowling was when she was in heat. :rolleyes: I told her agian and again to get the cat spayed, I gave her the website for a low cost clinic that would do it for around $60. She hemmed and hawed about her lack of money (funny how many packs of beer and cigerettes she could afford in that time period:smack:). She did finally get the cat fixed, but only after it had kittens. :mad: I’ve lost contact with her after she got fired for falsifying how many hours she worked.
*My definition of stupid is someone with average IQ and cognative abilities who is too stubborn, selfish or lacks common sense.