Carlo M. Cipolla, an Italian economic historian, introduced a compelling framework in his essay “The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity” to categorise human behaviour based on the impact of one’s actions on oneself and others. This framework is often visualised as a Cartesian plane that divides individuals into four distinct categories: 1. Intelligent (upper right quadrant): Individuals whose actions benefit both themselves and others.
2. Helpless (upper left quadrant): Those who harm themselves while benefiting others.
3. Bandits (lower right quadrant): People who benefit themselves at the expense of others.
4. Stupid (lower left quadrant): Those who cause harm to others without benefit to themselves, and who may even harm themselves.
In this model, the x-axis represents the personal gain or loss resulting from an individual’s actions, while the y-axis represents the benefit or harm caused to others. Cipolla emphasised that stupid individuals are particularly dangerous because their actions are unpredictable, harmful and lack any rational self-interest. He succinctly defined a stupid person as someone who “causes loss to another person or group of people while not gaining anything for himself and possibly even incurring losses”.
This quadrant model serves as a tool for understanding and anticipating human behaviour, highlighting the profound impact that actions, especially those deemed ‘stupid’, can have on societal dynamics.
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