Smart People, Stupid Actions

Factual Questions
1

This is almost a rant but I’ll post it here because I’m actually seeking sensible answers:

Why do intelligent, rational people do things that are self destructive?

I like to think that most of my friends and I are (like most of the people here) of above average intelligence, reasonably well educated, and posses at least a modicum of common sense. Yet we all do stupid things.

I’m not really talking about obvious, spectacular things, like base jumping for example, that you only do infrequently and may or may not harm you. I talking about the simple lifestyle choices that we know will harm us or kill us sooner and that we nonetheless do every day.

Two of the most obvious examples in today’s society would be smoking and overeating/not exercising.

Unless you have been living under a rock, it could not have escaped your notice that smoking will cause you to die sooner than would otherwise have been expected. (Of course there is plenty of anecdotal evidence along the lines of: “my great aunt smoked until she was 150 and was never sick a day in her life” but we all know the evidence that smoking is dangerous is overwhelming.)

Similarly (and this is my particular problem) we know that overeating and not exercising causes various diseases and ailments which combine to decrease the length and quality of your life. Yet we do it anyway.

I understand that eating a cheeseburger or a pizza feels good at the time but I also know, with every neuron in my brain, that it is bad for me to have too many. I even know that I can, as part of a healthy, balanced diet, have a cheeseburger or a pizza once in a while. Yet I eat far too many. Why?

There are other similar, non-health related actions as well. Simple things like running across the road in front of an oncoming car when the light is red instead of waiting until it turns green and the cars have stopped. Is it really worth risking our lives to get across the road maybe 30 seconds sooner?

Everyone (including me) seems to do things like this. Now some people are just stupid. (I’m not being elitist, it’s simply the nature of the normal distribution. Somebody must be at the low end of the curve.) We can excuse them, they don’t know better. But why do the rest of us do it?

I would have thought that doing stupid things would be a very poor survival trait and those individuals who do them would be eliminated by evolution.

But even if those prone to stupid actions were not eliminated by evolution wouldn’t the intelligence that we have developed stop us?

Thoughts?

2

If smoking killed you during your childbearing years, natural selection would weed out the smokers pretty quickly. Most of us morons who smoke began doing so when we were young and even more moronic and it was inconceivable that old age would happen to US. I’d sure like to quit now, but from an evolutionary standpoint it doesn’t matter because I’ve already reproduced.

On the other hand, natural selection may come into play if being a smoker makes you unlikely to be able to find a mate. Then those who insist on smoking anyway won’t be able to reproduce. Not that smoking is a genetic trait that can be selected against; rather the genetic tendency to do stupid things like smoking would be selected against.)

Overeating and lounging around are smart things to do, from the standpoint of natural selection. A few big greasy cheeseburgers and nice long nap will do a lot to fend off the immediate and real threat of starvation, if you’re living in a cave. (Our bodies assume that we still live in caves and carry on as such. The stone age was but yesterday, evolutionarily speaking.) Seeking extra exercise for no other purpose would be a stupid thing to do because you’d be wasting those precious calories. No doubt you’d already be getting plenty of exercise because your career would consist not of sitting behind a desk, but of searching for food and eluding predators.

Our ancestors didn’t need to worry about clogged arteries; they did have to worry about starving and being eaten by bears. Why worry about having a heart attack when you’re fifty if you’ll never live that long?

3

We all know we have flaws that make us an imperfect human being. But how many of us try to correct those flaws? Virtually none of us. And why? because we like the way we are, even if they are bad things.

The Legend Of PigeonMan

  • Shadow of the Pigeon -
    Weirdo of the Night
4

It’s all relative. In your opinion, longer life is worth the deprivation. Some would rather do whatever they want and die young. Most strike a balance in the middle somewhere.

5

meara hit it right on the nail.

your well being, quality of life, and longevity is what you make of it. for some people, longevity and quality of life is really not that important.

6

Most people like the positive outcomes associated with not doing stupid things, but they like doing the stupid things even more. It’s simply a matter of what you like better. I like the idea of being physically fit, but I like sitting on the couch watching movies even better. Besides, lots of the things deemed stupid have a negative consequence. Quitting smoking can be incredibly nerve wracking. Exercising requires you to get off your ass and sweat (which, despite the testomonials I’ve heard about the “exercise high”, is not an appealing prospect). Eating right involves depriving yourself of food you actually like. All of these things are negative, and unfortunately, they’re right in your face. The negative consequences of doing stupid things, on the other hand, may take years to manifest themselves.

7

::Test Post. Please ignore this post. If there are multiposts above, please ignore them too.::

8

Eat, drink and be merry! For tomorrow we die!

9

There is also the factor of risk overload. Wine was bad for us, now its good for us; cholesterol is bad, except for the good kind. Being overweight is bad, unless you have certain diseases (like cancer) that waste you away, so then you need extra weight to survive.

So, I think a lot of us do things that cause us pleasure, in part because we are not convinced that the downside is that automatic or that bad.

Bucky

10

Actually, most studies show that for those who don’t drink wine, the benefits aren’t statistically significant. So no reason to start.

Also, I thought it was a sign of intelligence to hold two contradicting ideas at the same time.

11

We’re going to die tomorrow?

Nobody tells me anything…

12

I don’t know about most people, but I do stupid things because I don’t particularly value my life. I mean, I won’t miss it when it’s gone, and neither will many others, I think.

These are stupid things like walking on the edge of a roof, growling at mean looking dogs, walking alone at night through downtown (Houston), or telling the drunk belligerent jock that he’s annoying the girl who lives in the room that he’s decided to bellow outside of.

13

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Peace.

Ever thought about being a Calvinist?

14

Smart is not necessarily wise, nor is it always disciplined.

15

My grandparents lived very careful lives. They didn’t smoke or drink, they ate healthy, invested their money, and worked very hard. They never took expensive holidays or bought nice things, because they wanted to be responsible and save for their retirement.

They both worked hard on their farm until they were in their early 70’s, then decided to retire and finally enjoy all they had worked for.

My Grandfather then developed Alzheimers, and my Grandmother died of a stroke. My Grandfather followed her two years later, during which time he didn’t have much awareness or enjoyment of life.

As for their money, it was split up among their five children, which promptly sparked a power struggle which destroyed the family. They hardly speak to each other any more.

When you defer pleasurable things, you take a risk that you’ll never get to reap the rewards of the better health you’ve gained or the financial security you’ve built. Every dollar you invest for your retirement is a risky gamble, because you may die before you get to use it. Of course, it’s also a risky gamble to NOT invest or to smoke or do other unhealthy things. But the issue is not as simple as you would make it out to be.