# For the love all that's holy, being stupid is NOT an accident **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 23, 2013, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118 "2013-05-23T14:03:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zyanthia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Zyanthia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyanthia)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118/21 "2013-05-23T16:16:21Z")
**Little Nemo** is right, I was defining accident more narrowly than others. My apologies for letting my emotions run away and rant. All I could picture while reading the article was my puppy. I know that’s not an excuse to let my emotions run away. (ty **74westy** ) ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118/22 "2013-05-23T16:25:53Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > And for that matter, if I read the article right, I bet things like this happen about as often as someone getting struck and killed by a meteorite. Far more often, for what it’s worth. I hope accidents like this are rare but I’m guessing a few people hang themselves in similar circumstances every now and then, whereas there is no known instance of anyone ever being struck and killed by a meteorite. The occasional mass extinction event would drive the annual average up, but that’s not what we were talking about and you know it. ---
**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118/23 "2013-05-23T16:53:54Z")
Late to the thread. (So what else is new?) Also certainly not wanting to pile onto **Zyanthia** who got a little carried away with the definition. My thinking is about auto accidents, which are usually caused by human error, stupidity and/or circumstances. Or some combination. In most cases, one driver is in the wrong, or at least ‘more wrong’. But we almost never call these anything but accidents. Or stupid accidents. Sympathies go out to the boy’s family and friends. Also to **Zyanthia** for losing a puppy. Anyone that’s had a pet for any length of time has lost one, either to age, illness or accident. That’s never easy, and a sudden accident is sometimes much worse. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118/24 "2013-05-23T17:52:37Z")
> [@Zyanthia](#): > > This [boy](http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/high-school-player-tony-conley-dies-freak-accident-strangled-by-dog-lead-052213) died tragically. But it wasn’t an accident. He didn’t slip and fall through the collar. He didn’t slip and fall off the side. > > Where is the accident? I see stupidity, but being stupid != accident. Why aren’t they calling it a senseless suicide? He **jumped**. He didn’t slip, get nudged, or anything else. > > Are we calling it an accident so his parents won’t have to think about how their son is dead because they couldn’t be bothered explaining to him that you don’t jump from structures with things tied around your neck? > > I was 4 years old when I learned that dog collars + porches + fall= dead puppy :(. > > So yeah, I agree tragic, senseless, but I just cannot grasp the use of the word accident. > > Murder Suspect: Yeah, I pointed the gun at her. Yeah, I pulled the trigger. But it was an accident. I didn’t mean for the bullet to actually kill her! The were [_Ich Lüge_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097493/trivia?ref_=tt_trv_trv) bullets! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118/25 "2013-05-23T20:53:39Z")
I agree with the spirit of the OP. A teenager was recently killed here jaywalking across a street with his iPod blasting in his ears - sure, if you use the strict definition that was an accident, but you know how most of us avoid getting killed this way? By using our brains and figuring out that jaywalking with your ears stopped up is dangerous, or putting leashes around your necks and jumping off balconies is dangerous. We’re so concerned with “don’t blame the victim” these days that we’ve gone too far the other way - sometime the victim _is_ at fault. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118/26 "2013-05-23T21:34:02Z")
> [@Zyanthia](#): > > **For the love all that’s holy, being stupid is NOT an accident** **Of course** it is. The only time it’s not is when it’s clung to stubbornly. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118/27 "2013-05-23T21:48:43Z")
> [@Zyanthia](#): > > Are we calling it an accident so his parents won’t have to think about how their son is dead because they couldn’t be bothered explaining to him that you don’t jump from structures with things tied around your neck? You would not believe how many people end up dead or permanently injured because they attach a lead line with about a 800 pound break strength to a 1200 pound animal, then get the bright idea to tie if off to their own body somewhere. Needless to say, if a 1200 pound animal gets spooked or decides to say “F\* It, I’m Outa Here”… the 200 pound person flopping around behind them only drives them to run even faster and kick even more. AND this is often done by adult people who are experienced around horses, cows, what ever. This was a 16yo kid. Clearly his brain wasn’t formed enough to think through consequences and as a result, Darwin took a swipe at him and won. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118/28 "2013-05-23T22:06:32Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > … sometime the victim _is_ at fault. Sure, people stupidly _cause_ accidents every minute of every day. They are still accidents. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118/29 "2013-05-23T22:12:49Z")
> [@Enkel](#): > > This was a 16yo kid. Clearly his brain wasn’t formed enough to think through consequences and as a result, Darwin took a swipe at him and won. +1. I’ve dealt with a lot of teenagers over the years and this sums it up nicely (for both boys & girls). ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118/30 "2013-05-23T22:21:53Z")
“we call them collisions now” Sorry 😃 **Capt** ---
**Author:** ![Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118/31 "2013-05-23T22:27:39Z")
> [@Battle\_Pope](#): > > +1. I’ve dealt with a lot of teenagers over the years and this sums it up nicely (for both boys & girls). Exactly. I teach 16 year olds. All 16 year old boys make stupid senseless decisions about 100 times a day. Nature does this more than anything else. It turns off key elements of the brain that determine future consequences at that age. It must serve some purpose in human survival, or else it is an evolutionary relic from our past. But even my most intelligent and mature male students are capable of making mind-numbingly stupid decisions on a regular basis. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118/32 "2013-05-24T01:09:05Z")
> [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](#): > > Exactly. I teach 16 year olds. All 16 year old boys make stupid senseless decisions about 100 times a day. Nature does this more than anything else. It turns off key elements of the brain that determine future consequences at that age. It must serve some purpose in human survival, or else it is an evolutionary relic from our past. But even my most intelligent and mature male students are capable of making mind-numbingly stupid decisions on a regular basis. Maybe it ties in to survival of the fittest - if you think doing something stupid is a good idea and you die, you don’t live long enough to procreate (theoretically). The 16 year old next to you who was holding your beer _did_ live long enough. ---
**Author:** ![panaccione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@panaccione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panaccione)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118/33 "2013-05-24T01:13:23Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I agree with the spirit of the OP. A teenager was recently killed here jaywalking across a street with his iPod blasting in his ears - sure, if you use the strict definition that was an accident, but you know how most of us avoid getting killed this way? By using our brains and figuring out that jaywalking with your ears stopped up is dangerous, or putting leashes around your necks and jumping off balconies is dangerous. We’re so concerned with “don’t blame the victim” these days that we’ve gone too far the other way - sometime the victim _is_ at fault. I can agree. I just don’t see how we accomplish anything by calling the kid stupid. Everyone knows it, but they are just being polite. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118/34 "2013-05-24T01:52:51Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Maybe it ties in to survival of the fittest - if you think doing something stupid is a good idea and you die, you don’t live long enough to procreate (theoretically). The 16 year old next to you who was holding your beer _did_ live long enough. And gets an extra beer! ---
**Author:** ![Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118/35 "2013-05-24T03:12:27Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Maybe it ties in to survival of the fittest - if you think doing something stupid is a good idea and you die, you don’t live long enough to procreate (theoretically). The 16 year old next to you who was holding your beer _did_ live long enough. Except nature seems to have selected for stupid teenagers rather than against. I think it means the young males were who willing to take the most risks were those able to procreate the most. It may be a negative in our modern cultures, but we are living with the consequences of our cave man ancestry. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118/36 "2013-05-24T03:21:44Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > So senseless, given the chance surely he would go forth with a new leash on life. I can see you’re all choked up about it. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118/37 "2013-05-24T03:29:53Z")
This is why you always need to follow the rule of “a chair and a spare” whenever you engage in autoerotic asphyxiation. Don’t become a statistic. ---
**Author:** ![panaccione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@panaccione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panaccione)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118/38 "2013-05-24T06:26:12Z")
If someone overdoses on heroin, do we call them an idiot? Or do we just say they overdosed? I see no reason to take issue with this statement. Doing so will only cause problems. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118/39 "2013-05-24T06:36:48Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > This is why you always need to follow the rule of “a chair and a spare” whenever you engage in autoerotic asphyxiation. Don’t become a statistic. [Stewie Griffin]Here I go. Just like that boy from INXS.[/SG] ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118/40 "2013-05-24T12:27:03Z")
> [@panaccione](#): > > If someone overdoses on heroin, do we call them an idiot? Or do we just say they overdosed? What if he filled a veterinary syringe with 3,000cc of heroin and decided to “goof off” by dancing around on a slippery floor with the needle pressed against his neck? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-all-thats-holy-being-stupid-is-not-an-accident/659118.md?page=3)