I think this subject is very important for us to fully grasp and understand, it's easy to call a person a dumb ass, which on more than one occasion I myself have used this term to describe someone, but the majority if not all the time I knew the person and for strangers I usually don't judge but give them time to show if their dumb.

I started this topic to address this issue, and what is really being dumb mean, is it not being up to date on current issues, is it a personal relationship type thing or the inability to keep one or even find one, or is it a basic lack of common sense in a person in general.

Apparently many people think there are a lot of dumb people in this world, but how can they judge and what should be the guidelines?


Speaking for myself, I find it hard to put into words what I think about, does that make me dumb in the eyes of some. do you think your dumb, or even can you accept the fact you may be a dumb ass and not know it, cause people hesitate to tell you.

For me, it's lack of common sense. You can have all the book smarts in the world, but lacking the vital common sense it requires for day to day life, you're not gonna survive very long...or you're gonna find day to day life a struggle where everything seems hard and you feel everyone is picking on you.

StarsChildren wrote:
I agree with you, good common sense keeps you from getting yourself in dumb situations many times, or from finding yourself obligated to a dumb people for one reason or the other.

Its personal...

I think dumb is just a failing in articulation. You call people dumb when you don't know what else to say. You can say a person is dumb but that means you have thrown in the towel I think.

Is a person who disagrees with you dumb? Or is it a person who likes what you call bad music.

When I studied media at college we covered a lot of journalism and learned that in reviews you can't just say something is shit. You have to construct proper criticism and the same applies to dumb I think.

Of course some people might not be as smart, whether it is book smart or common sense smart. I don't think that makes them dumb. That perhaps just means that they have different motivations etc. That's all.

i-baster wrote:
Intellect means nothing to me as to my opinion of someone, my mom had a kind of learning disability but never was diagnosed, she was by all outward appearance normal just slow,but she could read a person like a wizard.

I mainly think in my opinion dumb is defined by the ignorant and stupid things a person does, or some ridiculous situation they place themselves into, and in my opinion has nothing to do with a individuals schooling or book sense,or mental capabilities,unless they have a known medical condition

silvershine wrote:
Do you get trapped doing dumb stuff, or hang around people who constantly do dumb thing's?

I don't hang around with anyone, I stopped all that, must have been repercussions of 'the script'
When you have had to endure what myself and my children have for the last 7 years (mainly) then you would understand.

I can't say too much about it.

I don't want sympathy, I just don't want people thinking that I am some sort of push over.

I will come back and hit them so hard (not using violence) they will wish they never met me.

No one is getting away with anything.

Rick wrote:

Dumb is the inability to speak.

ectymology of the word dumb.

O.E. dumb "silent, unable to speak," from PIE *dheubh- "confusion, stupefaction, dizziness," from root *dheu- (1) "dust, mist, vapor, smoke," and related notions of "defective perception or wits."

The Old English, Old Saxon (dumb), Gothic (dumbs), and Old Norse (dumbr) forms of the word meant only "mute, speechless;" in O.H.G. (thumb) it meant both this and "stupid," and in Modern German this latter became the only sense. Meaning "foolish, ignorant" was occasionally in Middle English, but modern use (1823) comes from influence of Ger. dumm. Related: dumber; dumbest. Applied to silent contrivances, hence dumbwaiter. As a verb, in late Old English, "to become mute;" c.1600, "to make mute." To dumb (something) down is from 1933.

The use of the word dumb to describe stupid people is of course in itself stupid.
The term describes someone who is mute.
In no way does that handicap go hand in hand with a low or impaired intelligence.

Edit: What Nirv said ^

I'm going with the the meaning of 'stupid'.

nirvana wrote:
I blame the English for this complication, and your right about the correct usage.

feather wrote:
Calling you stupid seems meaner to me than calling you a dummy,so now explain the word dummy.

silvershine wrote:
It's a nightmare when good people have to go through hell because of stupid inconsiderate people and their actions.

Rick wrote: A mannequin
Ventriloquists prop
A pacifier
An adaptation of the word dumb.

If only there were books or search engines available that you could use yourself to look up words eh?

feather wrote:
Your smarter than I thought I figured you would just throw a ventriloquists dummy example at me.

Rick wrote:
I didn't say I was good Rick....
I try to do what I can and some people just don't like the truth at times.

Rick wrote: Well that was a dumb of you eh?
Oh btw that would be "You're" the abbreviation of "You are."

feather wrote:
Uh-oh...

I don't recall seeing spelling/grammar nazi on your CV, herr fezzar?

Ab Origine wrote: Zerr is much about me you do not know about me Herr Abs
I vos only playing wiz our American cousin.






Ziss time.