Hynek Schlawack3d ago

Posts by PMs claiming they can now contribute complete features by vibe coding is the scariest shit ever. Not as an engineer but as an inhabitant of this world.

I understand Dunning-Kruger is not a thing but we NEED a term for this kind of ignorance-based overconfidence.

Show threadEin „Primat“
@hynek idiocy
Mar 22 at 8:43pmWeb
Show threadsome kind of orange shape3d ago
@lechimp @hynek Eh, if anything I think people who have cognitive issues would be less susceptible to this, just because they're not getting gassed up about their ~leadership~ all the time
Show threadEin „Primat“3d ago
@clayote @hynek hate to be that guy on the interwebs, BUT: the etymology of “idiot” its quite interesting, as it does describe someone who stays out of public life and politics (not someone who is mentally incapable). so there is some interesting element of choice and deliberate ignorance there, see? =)
Show threadsome kind of orange shape3d ago
@lechimp @hynek Well, that would be interesting if you were proposing a new term that used the same root, but I don't think anyone hearing "idiot" today is going to think of any meaning from prior to its use as a diagnostic term
Show threadEin „Primat“3d ago
@clayote to me “idiot” never had any diagnostic conotation, only in “idiopathic”. also “idiotic” to me doesn’t mean the same as “dump” or “stupid”. when i discovered the origin it actually made sense to me regarding contemporary usages. but that might just be me or maybe some subtle differences in german and english usage of that word. 🤷
Show threadsome kind of orange shape3d ago
@lechimp Oh, yeah, the use as an insult derives from its use as a diagnostic category by early 20th century eugenicists, particularly this one American, Henry Goddard https://www.eugenicsarchive.ca/encyclopedia?id=53480acd132156674b0002c3&view=reader
Mental deficiency: idiot, imbecile, and moron • Encyclopedia • Eugenics Archive

Show threadsome kind of orange shape3d ago

@lechimp And that usage has held on for a long time; here's the commercial for the original Dumb & Dumber, where the narrator reads the eugenic definition of "idiot" to you

Nobody seemed to notice the eugenics connection, or care

https://youtu.be/gqHe6UcaCXI?t=24

Dumb and Dumber Movie Trailer 1994

YouTube
Show threadEin „Primat“3d ago
@clayote i’m not sure if you are actually open for any insight or if you just want to be right on the internet. anyway: i think the connection to eugenics might actually be much stronger in the english speaking world (?) than in germany. which definitely is news to me. english vs german wikipedia pages are quite different and telling. german one eg mentions Cusanus’ use of the word (english doesn’t) while that (pseudo-)psychiatric use you mention is front in english and a sidenote in german.
Show threadEin „Primat“3d ago

@clayote there also is some scientific essay called „The survival of ancient Greek social type terms in the German language“ referenced in that wikipedia page. so maybe there actually is some difference in terms here, although the same word is used.

anyway, i do not want to invoke any reference to eugenics, so i will definitely be more careful with that word in english language contexts (and probably in german as well…)

Show threadsome kind of orange shape3d ago
@lechimp I realize I've come off rather irritable! Sorry, it's just that I'm American and have tried having this conversation with other Americans, who tend to react like I'm taking their toys away. You're doing fine.