Famous quote by Remy de Gourmont

"Man is the inventor of stupidity"

About this Quote

Remy de Gourmont’s expression, “Man is the inventor of stupidity,” delivers a candid observation on the human condition, highlighting an irony at the core of human intellectual progress. While humans pride themselves on their reasoning abilities, creativity, and technological advances, de Gourmont exposes a paradox: that with intelligence comes the unique capacity for folly. Other creatures act primarily out of instinct, following patterns that serve survival; they lack the self-awareness or complexity to err in ways that defy their own benefit. Human beings, in contrast, possess not only consciousness and self-reflection but also the inclination to act against reason, sometimes out of pride, arrogance, or even the sheer exercise of free will.

Stupidity here is not simply a lack of knowledge, but rather a conscious or unconscious refusal to use knowledge effectively, a disconnection between intellect and action. This invention arises from the same faculties that produce art, science, and philosophy. For every soaring achievement, history is marked equally by mistakes, self-deceptions, and absurdities that stem directly from humanity’s mental faculties. It suggests that stupidity is not a natural state imposed upon people but a consequence of the very mechanisms that make human progress possible. In attempting to master their environment and themselves, humans create not just marvels but also limitations and errors uniquely their own.

Moreover, the statement is a critique of hubris. As creators of culture and society, people have sometimes constructed elaborate rationalizations for harmful, self-defeating, or illogical behaviors, embedding these qualities into institutions, traditions, and ideologies. What sets humanity apart is not just the capacity for wisdom, but also the ability to cultivate and perpetuate forms of irrationality. In this sense, “the inventor of stupidity” is both a warning and a call for humility, suggesting that self-awareness and critical thought are necessary correctives to the perils that uniquely arise from the human mind.

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About the Author

France Flag This quote is from Remy de Gourmont between April 4, 1858 and September 27, 1915. He/she was a famous Novelist from France. The author also have 19 other quotes.
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