【InastudyjustpublishedinthejournalIntelligenceusingsearchtermssuchas“stupidthingtodo”BalazsAczelandhiscolleaguescompiledacollectionofstoriesdescribingstupidmistakesfromsourcessuchasTheHuffingtonPostandTM】

　　InastudyjustpublishedinthejournalIntelligenceusingsearchtermssuchas“stupidthingtodo”BalazsAczelandhiscolleaguescompiledacollectionofstoriesdescribingstupidmistakesfromsourcessuchasTheHuffingtonPostandTMZ.Theresearchersthenhadasampleofuniversitystudentsrateeachstoryontheresponsibilityofthepeopleinvolvedtheinfluenceofthesituationtheseriousnessoftheconsequencesandotherfactors.

　　Analysesofthesubjects’ratingsrevealedthreevarietiesofstupidmistakes.Thefirstiswhenaperson’sconfidencegoesbeyondtheirskillaswhenaPittsburghmanrobbedtwobanksinbroaddaylightwithoutwearingadisguisebelievingthatlemonjuicehehadrubbedonhisfacewouldmakehiminvisibletosecuritycameras.

　　Theconfidence-skilldisconnectionhasbeennamedtheDunning-KrugereffectafterastudybysocialpsychologistsDavidDunningandJustinKruger.DunningandKrugerhadCornellundergraduatesperformtestsofhumorlogicandgrammarandthenratehowwelltheythinktheyperformedcomparedtoothersubjectsinthestudy.Theworstperformingsubjectswhosescoresputtheminthe12thpercentileestimatedthattheyhadperformedinthe62ndpercentile.SummarizingthefindingsDunningnoted“Poorperformers—andweareallpoorperformersatsomethings—failtoseetheflawsintheirthinkingortheanswerstheylack.”Whenwethinkweareatourbestissometimeswhenweareatourobjectiveworst.

　　Asanynumberofpoliticalscandalsillustratethesecondtypeofstupidmistakeinvolvesimpulsiveacts—whenweseemunabletokeepourbehaviorincheck.InthescandalthatbecameknownasWeinergateformerU.S.representativeAnthonyWeinersentbluetextsandpicturesofhimselftowomenhemetonFacebook.(AfterresigningWeinercontinuedhiscyber-dalliancesandthenfellpreytotheDunning-Krugereffectwhenheoverestimatedhissupportinthe2013NewYorkCitymayoralprimary;hereceived5%ofthevote.)

　　Thefinalvarietyofstupidmistakeinvolvesfailingtoconcentrate—HomerSimpsonesqueD’ohmoments.AsarguablythebestexamplefromAmericansportshistoryinthe1929RoseBowlUniversityofCaliforniastarRoyRiegelsrecoveredafumble(失误球)andreturnedit65yardsthewrongway.Riegel’smistakesetupasafetyf