There are insults that I feel like are moralistic, majority seem linked to non-marital sex but the root overall is trying to shame someone for sexual activity that “should” be shameful. From majorly aimed at women like removed, slut, etc, to homophobic insults, and even some more neutral like bastard… I don’t feel like people talk about bastard enough, like, you are trying to shame that person for their mother not being married? Like, single mothers = bad? However, when someone says something really dumb, and you try to come up with an insult to his intelligence, I think inevitably someone will try to link to people who are mentally impaired. Even the word “dumb” here, it was used for people with speech impairment, and people believed they couldn’t talk because they were mentally impaired as well… given enough first-world-boredom, someone will make the fight against “dumb” their cause. What about when there is data and evidence to something and the person refuses to see or hear… you will have a hard time finding an insult that first-world-boredom won’t try to link to shaming people with disabilities. I’m all pro using insults like asshole instead of moralistic stuff when you are trying to insult a person’s character… but what if you are trying to insult a person’s cognitive ability?

I think the problem many people have (myself included) is not just about being against prejudice toward those with cognitive impairments (though that’s part of it), but also against insults based on intelligence in general. People don’t get to choose how intelligent they are, it’s largely down to genetics and the environment one grows up in and is not a choice (nor is it a single spectrum… intelligence can manifest in a myriad of ways, and people can have high cognitive ability in one area while struggling with another). Personally I believe that insulting people for something they had no control over is unjust. when someone says something really dumb, and you try to come up with an insult to his intelligence but what if you are trying to insult a person’s cognitive ability? The thing they said may seem foolish or obviously incorrect to you, with your experience and understanding of the topic. But to them, it may have made sense, or been an attempt at humor, or was something they said in passing without devoting much thought to it. I don’t really think that coming up with a way to insult them for sharing their thought is productive or compassionate, and won’t lead to understanding the person or their perspective any better. If it’s someone you consider a friend, that’s a good way to build resentment both ways and put distance between you. If it’s someone you don’t like, or are arguing with, all it does it rile up people’s emotions and makes people get defensive and lock down on their stance, instead of approaching the discussion with an open mind and looking for common goals. Whenever I have an urge to call something stupid or dumb, I stop and think about what it is that I really object to, and then comment on that aspect directly and explain why I take issue with it. I find that this makes me far more aware of my own opinions and clarifies my perspective, and helps me understand why things are how they are. In regard to a discussion with someone who refuses to see data and evidence (and is acting in harmful ways, or supports those who do)… the reason why they are like that is very complex, and often they have been manipulated into their way of thinking, and are deeply submerged in the culture that encourages it. If their lack of critical thinking skills, or generally poor cognitive ability contributed to them falling into that, then it’s not entirely their fault for being how they are, and I don’t think insulting their intelligence is productive, and it misses all the context surrounding why they’re like that and will never lead to positive change.

That’s very beautiful, but do you feel that way too when Trump says vaccines cause autism, Elon Musk goes on rants about the woke virus, and then that racist uncle who likes to drunk-drive and catcall mentions them as beacons of morality protecting society from transexuals? Regardless of nature and nurture, at some point people must be responsible for the things they do and say, else we are going to have to excuse everyone for everything, as nature and nurture is no one’s fault… and I don’t believe that. I can understand all the context of why they are like that, and still want them to fuck off.

I’m not saying people aren’t responsible for their choices and opinions, I think everyone is responsible for their own actions regardless of what led them to that point. But what I meant to convey with my comment is that people can have harmful ideas without that being indicative of poor cognitive ability, and that people shouldn’t be insulted based on something that isn’t a choice, such as intelligence. Most of my extended family is like the person you describe, which is a big reason why I find it unproductive to insult their intelligence; I know them, and many of them are intelligent people who have been manipulated into misdirecting their anxieties over hardships at unfamiliar people, instead of at the systems which cause those hardships. But that doesn’t make them stupid, it makes them brainwashed. and also, I completely understand how exasperating people like that can be and we only have so much mental energy to go around, so I totally get wanting them to fuck off. It’s not our responsibility to convince people to have compassion nor to teach critical thinking skills. fuck nazis, fuck fascists.