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Don't You Just Hate Stupid People

"I can't believe anyone can be that stupid!" he yelled at me.

I smiled politely. "No sir. I'm very sorry."

As he left, conversation around the shop returned to normal - apparently trivia about the television, and famous actors, in case another Mensa were to enter unexpectedly. In truth, we each translated our conversation on the fly, in-depth conversation about the political issues of the day; today's issue was how to prevent the Mensas from trying to 'help the environment' - they meant well, evidently not realising how much harm it would do to replace the ozone layer or reduce carbon dioxide in the upper atmosphere.

They weren't all literally members of Mensa - it was just a convenient appelation, indicative of their smug so-called superiority. The genuine members of the 'Mensa' society were, admittedly, amongst the worst of the Mensas, convinced they know more than the rest of us, and mutually feeding each others' egos to maintain the illusion. Other similar cliques, less pretentious but equally destructive, would form and reform as time goes on - we call them all Mensas. The internet, sadly, made this effect far more pronounced, as mailing lists became an ideal forum for smugness feedback.

Sometimes one of us would suggest that the Mensas be taught, shown the true workings of society - that maybe they weren't really as stupid as we think. I sympathised with the view. I had put it forward myself, when I was younger. Have you ever tried to tell a Mensa that you know something they don't? It simply doesn't work. It's like they're willfully blind.

In an ironic way, the Mensas are very amusing. They complain about how 'stupid' people run everything. The president, the owner of their company, their manager, "Why is it that stupid people get the power?". Why do you think? Have you never wondered why 'smart' people like yourself, young Mensa, don't take the power? Why don't you take it? I'll tell you, it's because you can't. You don't know how to manipulate. You don't know how to run things. The only reason you can even organise your own lives is because we feed you the information. We who you deride as stupid, who you ignore at every opportunity. It only takes a little more thought to realise who the really stupid people are.

We're happy, of course. We don't mind you thinking we're stupid. We take it as a compliment; a tribute to our acting skill. We know how uncomfortable it makes Mensas to encounter people they perceive as smarter than themselves. Imagine the effect it would have if they knew how we really are. No, everyone's happier this way - they in their smug superiority, and we, content. We have everything we could possibly need, and no need to show off about it.

Another Mensa came in and placed an order.

"Do you want fries with that?"

 
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Archive

Clare Maguire > 6dec2002 > The Face of The Future
Simon Batistoni > 15nov2002 > Ghost
Kelly Bean > 8nov2002 > The Program
Anonymous > 1nov2002 > Winning the Lottery
Ned > 25oct2002 > Calibre
Tom Massey > 4oct2002 > Roses
Simon Batistoni > 27sep2002 > Message Centre
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Giles Turnbull > 13sep2002 > A lab technician's lot
Kevan Davis > 6sep2002 > The Campaign for Real Advertising
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KTL > 23aug2002 > Feet
Sandy Tulloch > 16aug2002 > How the people came to stop thinking
RavenBlack > 9aug2002 > An Arm And A Leg
Nicholas Wilshere > 19jul2002 > Two full-page ads
Dustin Ruby > 12jul2002 > Family Life
Matt Jones > 14jun2002 > The end of history
Cathrine > 7jun2002 > The Eye of the Beholder
Nick > 31may2002 > I wanna shake your hand
RavenBlack > 24may2002 > Precognito Ergo Sum
Ned > 10may2002 > Spambot
Tyrethali > 26apr2002 > The Contest
Holly Gramazio > 19apr2002 > A Tale of No Watermelons
Brooke Magnanti > 12apr2002 > What The Dead Remember
Tyrethali > 5apr2002 > Superego
RavenBlack > 29mar2002 > Black Rain
james > 22mar2002 > The Atom Thief
RavenBlack > 15mar2002 > Soul Trap
matzu > 8mar2002 > Angry Elton
RavenBlack > 1mar2002 > Hell Is Other People
JT Bruce > 22feb2002 > Door Ajar
matzu > 15feb2002 > Send in the clones
Kevan Davis > 8feb2002 > Litter
RavenBlack > 1feb2002 > The Perfect Job
Tyrethali > 25jan2002 > Mystery
Giles Turnbull > 11jan2002 > The Twisted World of Advertising
Tom Armitage > 21dec2001 > Numbers
Sandy Tulloch > 14dec2001 > Killing Cats
Brooke Magnanti > 7dec2001 > The Jet Set
Giles Turnbull > 30nov2001 > Driftwood
james > 23nov2001 > with you in mind
RavenBlack > 16nov2001 > UpsideClones
Kevan Davis > 9nov2001 > Do Not Stand Forward Of This Notice
Giles Turnbull > 2nov2001 > Group Effort
Kevan Davis > 26oct2001 > Ask The Audience
RavenBlack > 19oct2001 > Don't You Just Hate Stupid People
Martin Griffiths > 12oct2001 > Your Nearest McDonalds...
RavenBlack > 5oct2001 > Life's a bureaucracy, and then you die
Kevan Davis > 28sep2001 > Work To Win
Tom Armitage > 21sep2001 > Don't Book it - Thomas Cook it.
Giles Turnbull > 14sep2001 > What happened to George
RavenBlack > 7sep2001 > Mental States
Kevan Davis > 31aug2001 > Walking Distance
Stuart and Jack > 24aug2001 > dialogue
Kevan Davis > 17aug2001 > Collector's Item

 
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