News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity (1987) [pdf] by slicktux on Thursday November 06, 2025 @10:31AM (#45836320)
Maybe I’m too stupid to understand this sentence: “ A stupid man is born a stupid man by an act of Providence.”

How is being born stupid and act of providence? How can parents willingly have the foresight to spawn a stupid person? Isn’t it rather the lack of providence by the parents?

Re:The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity (1987) [pdf] by abdulhaq on Thursday November 06, 2025 @11:18AM (#45836838)
Sn act of Providence means an act of God expressed in this way so as not to disturb those who don't like to talk about God
Re:The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity (1987) [pdf] by bruce_the_bruce on Thursday November 06, 2025 @10:57AM (#45836590)
In this context, I believe the author uses 'providence' to mean an act of God. Translated to a non-religious context, it might be "A stupid man is born a stupid man by pure chance".
Re:The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity (1987) [pdf] by tyleo on Thursday November 06, 2025 @11:03AM (#45836670)
I generally liked this PDF but disagreed with this part. I’ve seen intelligent people become stupid depending on the context and vice-versa.
Re:The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity (1987) [pdf] by kileywm on Thursday November 06, 2025 @10:52AM (#45836534)
In this context, "Providence" likely refers to a deity, which is indicated by the capitalization of the word.
Re:The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity (1987) [pdf] by Joker_vD on Thursday November 06, 2025 @12:19PM (#45837620)
The word "Providence" means "an influence that is not human in origin and is thought to control people's lives", or "God conceived as the power sustaining and guiding human destiny", or something like that. It does not mean "prudence" or "provision of care", usually.