What is an idiot? What is a fool? Are these people lacking intelligence? Reason? Sense?

Or perhaps there is something more – perhaps their fault is simply a perceived lack of intelligence or sense – perceived because their actions are driven by motivations that we can not understand or empathize. Of course a rational judgment of these motivations may determine them to be ‘stupid’ or ‘silly’ and unworthy of regarding as valid motivations; this would beg us to ask what an idiotic motivation is and effectively return us to where we began.

So, what are the idiotic motivations? - Fear and laziness.

I arrived at these two by asking myself which motivations are most contrary to success. Both fear and laziness offer the individual no advantages but can exert a strong influence in making decisions. Therefore, I posit, all idiots are the product of fear, laziness or both.

Why couldn’t idiots simply be ignorant, and using misinformation to make bad decisions? Well, I suppose this could be the case, and in some localized situations it may be so; but for every scrap of bad advice that there is out there, there is an overwhelming bulk of good advice and wisdom – lessons passed through the ages and rediscovered anew by every contemporary generation. No, I think he who acts under bad advice does so through choice – the path to success has been clearly laid; be honest, work hard, postpone pleasure now for security later, avoid flattery and consume in moderation. These are not complex concepts nor arcane secrets buried in esoteric tomes – they are the morals of every TV show, every movie – every story of fiction or reality.

So if ignorance is not the cause, let us return to what is.

Is it “Laziness”? At first glance, laziness is a concept clear and simple to understand – perhaps too simple. I believe most idiocy is not founded in laziness but is actually a product of deep and complexly interlacing fears. ‘Laziness’ I suppose to simply be an encompassing appellation assigned to the ostensible symptoms of these fears. Rather than call it a “combinational fear of success, responsibility and the possibility of failure that accompanies any attempt at something new or risky,” we call it “laziness.” Laziness is the security that you will not suffer discomfort or defeat.

As much as I would like the preceding definition of laziness to be complete and true in all cases, there is another kind of laziness – the surrender to physical impulse – the allowing of the autonomic impulses of the brain stem to dictate the actions of the body. Perhaps this is ‘true’ laziness – remaining in bed instead of getting up, sitting out from a physical activity, staying indoors all day; physical resistance that must be overcome with the will of the forebrain. But I don’t think this kind of laziness is particular to or definitive of idiots.

Idiots are the other kind of lazy, the often inexplicable, self defeating, under achieving, mildly offensive kind of lazy. Idiots are cowards afraid to challenge themselves, afraid to find out what they are capable (or incapable) of accomplishing – at least that’s what I’ll think from now on.