There has been a significant increase in usage of the word midwit on the interwebs these days. It has gotten so popular that even the midwits are starting to use it, though not all understand it. It has started mostly in the field of politics, but it now has moved in every and other field of human endeavor. For most it is just a way of saying my opinion on topic X is smart and common sense, yours is not. Which in my case is obviously true. But let us dive a little deeper, since no one here has anything better to do, as none of you work.
What is the origin of midwit? One of those icky alt-right figures, Teddy B known by the nom de plume Vox Day (Vocea Zilei) who wrote, back in more innocent times, on midwittery. First known meme in politics probably comes after the 2016 US elections which purports, most likely incorrectly, that the brilliant and stupid voted for Trump while the rest for Hilary. This has evolved into the Standard Midwit Meme, which is pretty much a blank slate for people to add whatever they want.
Is the famous graph accurate? No, but it is not supposed to be. It is a meme used instead of typing the words “I am wise and you are not”. First, the essence always was that midwit does not in any way mean stupid or even bang average. It means a person of somewhat above average intelligence, but not highly intelligent. A person who understands some superficial things, but not the unseen depths of a complex topic. A person with a fairly large degree of formal education, which they overrate in importance. A person smart enough to rationalize opinions that are not arrived at by reason, but by feeling and fashion. The meme shows the midwit at the middle of the distribution, which sort of wrong. The midwit is to the right, but not all the way. And off course, the stupid and the brilliant do not always reach the same conclusion, and are not usually right. But the focus of this piece is the midwit.
In the world of politics, like in other spheres, one should distinguish the Normie. This can be interpreted as someone who is generally mainstream or disengaged and does not spend too much time going outside their bubble. A basic bitch, if you will. A normie can often just not care about politics, and often does not even claim deep understanding. Standard Normies are often just indifferent. They don’t know, but they don’t claim to know and don’t much care. A tankie may be a moron, but not a normie. Normies are people who do not much question the standard narrative, but generally live life outside of politics. Not al normies are midwits.
Upper Normies are a subcategory of normies that are profoundly midwitted. They tend to be slightly above average in intelligence, income, social status –real or perceived, but most important of all – and they are desperate to maintain this social status by any midwittery necessary. True midwittery takes work. Dumb work, but work nonetheless. They can be aggressively midwitted, if you will. They derive social status and sense of worth and self-importance by their fashionable opinions, which they defend with great vigor and little understanding. The crave intellectual superiority, which they believe they have, but subconsciously are unsure. Unfortunately, that uncertainty is lacking the healthy doubt that makes one question one’s priors. The midwit, like the fool, has little doubt in their loud opinions.
Upper normies and other midwits are proud of their formal education and the few quips they have in their arsenal, of their IFLS and the misunderstanding of logical fallacies; of their reverence of experts and screaming “source” at random, while off course telling you to do your own research if you ask them for a source. And off course proud of the approval of the other midwits. The joy of intellectual superiority is boundless.
Midwits believe in evolution, but are total blank slatists for their personal pet issues. They cannot allow the idea that human nature evolved in such a fashion that makes their fantasy untenable. The human nature and human mind are, by necessity, perfectly malleable in whatever way they see fit. Midwits reject reality when it does not conform to their ideals. Midwit trusts the experts, but only the right experts, the ones pre-approved by the group-think. Midwits willfully misunderstand averages when it suits them.
In the end, stupid they are not. As Mean Mikey says, it is easier to train a smart dog, and you need a degree of intelligence for the mental gymnastics, worthy of Nadia, that are needed to be a midwit or Upper Normie. Clever is not always wise. One cannot argue with a midwit. It just doesn’t register. Because the point is not to be correct, it is to be fashionable. It can be raining, you say “it is raining” and the midwit will ask “are you a certified meteorologist?”
Is the midwit irrational? This is, as always, a tough question, as the definition of rational is tricky. In a very broad view of things, yes. They do not use reason to ascertain truth. The do not make logical conclusions from correct premises. Their views and actions often lead to a worse future for their community, which can be seen irrational – but this is all long term, and as a midwit once said, in the long term we are all dead. In a narrower sense, they often benefit at least in the medium term – which often covers their life span – from their fashionable opinions. They are, being above the middle in income and status, often insulated from the worst consequences of midwitery. They live in a safe community, go on nice holidays, have children in the good schools, do not struggle with food or energy costs.
In this way, they are behaving rationally. It is rational of them to keep their status and their well payed, often bullshit, jobs. The politics are just like religion was for the medieval upper classes, something that was expected of them to follow, though medieval knight were not quite as dogmatic as modern midwits. And off course their actions can be quite hypocritical compared to their stated views, but that does not matter because WHATABBOUTISM!!!!
For the sake of argument, let’s say there is some actual ascertainable truth on a topic. I certainly think I have it of a few topics, here and there. And let us say that reaching it takes a certain degree of knowledge and thought. Furthermore, the truth is unfashionable, as truth often is. What is the payoff of knowing? Of being right right, if you will. You use time and energy and brainpower – all of which have opportunity costs – to get to the truth, and you lose friends, status, economic opportunity – that job, that promotion, that investment. You can end up a pariah in the fashionable circles, canceled, harassed, for no real gain. The truth doth butter no parsnips. Corn–pone opinions are much simpler.
You may reach the truth, and then just state the fashionable stuff in public. But then you may slip, and even if you do not, you need to live with the cognitive dissonance. It is much easier to spend no time in real thought, adopt what is fashionable, and convince yourself it is true. And remember, you are above average intelligence, so have no difficulty rationalizing what you need to rationalize. It is simpler, cleaner. Not all people think this way, but not all people end up midwits.
I think there is a game theory element to this as well. If most people were smart, rational, and pursuing truth, it would benefit us all to work towards it, to use time and energy and mental resources in this direction. But if one knows most people will not do this, they end up in the situation where they use their time, reach a truth that other did not search for and is unfashionable, so it will not have the critical mass to lead to any change. Some people do this regardless due to their personal intellectual curiosity, but these people are few. In the end why bother, if most will not bother and no real outcome will come of this?
In the end midwits may be perfectly short term rational. Their lives are generally good, they have the validation, the sense of moral and intellectual superiority they crave, and the costs are not visible in a time span which is relevant to them. Long term rational is probably better for humanity, but too few are to matter.
Now some of you may be thinking wait a damn minute am… am I a midwit? Well possibly. So look for the signs. Are most or all of your opinions fashionable in current day academia? In the intelligentsia approved mainstream books published and mainstream films? Are they indistinguishable from the corporate media message? Do you trust science rather blindly? Do you despise those who think science is a process not an outcome? Do you get to go to all the best cocktail parties? If the answer is yes, you may very well be. If the answer is no, then you may or may not be correct on the issues, but at least you are not a midwit. This may be an incorrect rule of thumb for me, but my general assumption is that while I may be wrong, the mainstream message pushed on the masses is certainly propaganda rather than truth.
In conclusion, most people do not understand midwits and what drives them and should not use the word as much as it is used these days. Off course, I will keep using it myself, as I do understand it and generally am simply better than others, way to the right of the graph.
I was confused, I thought this was an article on Midwifery.
you un will need to do your own research for that
Source?
It does have a whiff of the mid about it.
It’s a growth industry!
Harris 2024
The Rise of the Midwits!
*2028
Revenge of the Midwits!
The Midwit strikes back!
Electric Blah gah loo?
I’m looking forward to the next article in this series – “All about fuckwits.”
Midwit not same as halfwit?
nope
I actually felt that too.
Today I learned something.
Am I still allowed to call people retards?
Remember that was the polite term for an imbecile.
Thanks. I just don’t want to lose ground in the insult wars.
Idiot and Moron used to be technical terms.
A continuum.
Originally the NYS Asylum for Idiots (amazingly not in Albany)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syracuse_State_School
It’s gone through four name changes, where “idiot” became “feeble-minded” which became “mental defective.”
And everytime they change the name, they seem to not realize that the new name will be coopted in the same way. And now you have an additional term for fucktard.
That article is amusingly childish by Wikipedia standards.
Anyway I love those old hospitals. There is an amazing one in Buffalo – it was called the Psych Center when I lived there – and I have visited one famous one on Long Island whose name escapes me.
rhywun:
This one?
https://www.untappedcities.com/abandoned-kings-park-psychiatric-center-long-island/
Submoron.
Allowed and discouraged may be the same thing, depending on your speed or martial prowess.
And fags.
“A fag is someone who won’t go out and beat up queers with ya!”
-Carlin
Well that’s retarded.
From the linked article.
Lessons of a very sexy pirate costume
TW – Salon
would
Only if you kept her from talking. Or you get off on hate-fucking.
It seems possible for one to be a midwit in some fields, but not in others…
yes… I was talking mostly politics really and the fashionable trends there
Oddly (or maybe not, considering my interests), the first thing that came to mind when you brought up midwittery, were the dozen or so arguments I’ve had on r/CCW regarding the trend of hanging a light on your carry pistol.
Definitely a specialty field, but the conversation applies almost perfectly.
CCW Christmas lights?
Are you pro or anti?
I did not want to make the piece to long but I had a paragraph on how thinking is compartmentalized for most people someone can be brilliant at topic A and a moron at topic B and a midwit at topic C…
Tundra – For a concealed carry gun, I’m firmly against except in certain very specialized cases. For a dedicated home defense gun, I’m indifferent.
Thanks, Sheldon.
It always seemed like one more thing to worry about.
Arguing from ignorance, it isn’t just for end users anymore!
I get the sentiment.
Aren’t we usually working outside our field, though? Doing “my” part is easy: I could teach a mildly retarded orangutan to size a pump, a beam, or a fan in a few moments.
But the real job is understanding need and usage: what is my client going to do with this process, product, structure I’m providing? What are his team’s inclinations….on and on….And that goes to their milieu, their processes, so “my” job is really 90% stepping into someone else’s world to make sure I understand with all the questions and listening and clarifying that requires of me. Once I get all that down, I go back to the office and do the orangutan part in just a few weeks.
Aren’t most transaction and execution problems centered on misunderstanding, misfitting….whether in the ER or at Burger King…and isn’t that all about crossing into others’ fields?
Is this a midwit, or just a dumbass?
So you’re saying that majority rule should only apply to those affected by the outcome?
Welcome, my anarcho-capitalist brother!!!
this kind of “sarcasm” mostly indicates midwit
It’s the last line that is the real clue….
The belief that anyone will need “protection” from Trump is pure stupidity, rolled out in all seriousness, parroted from the mouths of the Important People™️.
When I hear people on the Left say this kind of nonsense, I just hit them with, “This is why I’m a libertarian,” and then explain to them why limiting government’s power to interfere into people’s lives and businesses would make whoever won the Presidency not as big of a deal as it is now along with preventing people from screwing around with you.
They still never get it though, because they rely on government force to create outcomes and results that they like. When you see government as an entity to bend people to your will, anything that takes away its power is seen as sacrilege.
^^ correct: this job is never done
I was much happier when who was president didn’t seem to matter as much.
I wonder what the ones elected before Teddy Roosevelt would think about how much power has been ceded to one man.
As ridiculous as it sounds, that was the first time I became aware that clever people are buried in every nook and cranny of life. It is astonishing that no one pointed this out to me sooner.
It takes a lot of educating to get this dumb.
I’ve started to come around to this. There is a point of diminishing returns from what you can get out of being educated. Once one passes a certain point, which is likely to be specific to individuals, one starts to actively become dumber for it. If universities could be said to be in manufacturing, midwits are their product.
Public school education for the win!
Great line: ““it is raining” and the midwit will ask “are you a certified meteorologist?””
Agreed.
I saw a clip from Pierce Morgan somewhere once.
He had a panel of overweight women and they were going on and on about how difficult it was to lose weight.
He said, “Exercise more and eat less.”
3 of the women immediately yelled, “Are you a doctor?”
By definition, isn’t any cocktail party I’m at one of the best cocktail parties?
I was about to say, “I don’t get invited to the best cocktail parties. I host the best cocktail parties.”
In the days when the word “blog” was just being created, and e-zine was still the general nomenclature, I stumbled upon a site called “The Alchemist”. This site (long since lost to my searching skills) updated once a month with a cocktail recipe, a story about the history of the cocktail, and themes for throwing a party around the cocktail. Very much an early influence in my tastes and preferences.
Blogs need to make a comeback.
I’m a budding modular synth artist. I’ve chosen the personal blog route for any presentation I may have. Not only do I minimize the risk for censorship (though I’m quite careful to avoid most controversial topics – even if I have a small nugget or 2 that goes against midwittery), but I choose the presentation. How it looks. What quality in which the audio is transmitted. I make all of those choices rather than having them foisted on me by *insert social media company here*. I have control, not a set of suits in penthouse offices where midwittery rules the day.
We need more of this.
On a similar note, ‘The Cloud’ needs to die in a fire.
“Cloud” is a midwit term.
Hence the scare quotes.
By definition, being at a cocktail party makes it lame.
Mine are great, but they are VERY exclusive.
The guest list consists of my wife and me.
Did someone say “cocktail parties?” Will there be cosmos? And fruit sushi?
Sorry. You’ll just have to make do with burgers, brisket, and four different malt whiskys.
burgers, brisket, and four different malt whiskys – I would like to subscribe to your parties
Speaking of multiple midwits…
Bad influence
I will definitely TLDR this for you. I assumed it was going to be under 500 words on some latest trend in the “influencer” selling crap made in China in the Instagram space. It is, but it’s at least 10,000 words on can you copy a sales aesthetic of a competitor to do so. Words fail me on multiple levels.
Can the legal system protect the vibe of a creator?
We finally have full justification for the death penalty.
If so I can’t wait for the OnlyFans lawsuits.
Yes, vibe theft should be a capitol crime.
Rule 34 suggests lawsuit porn is a thing.
In the end why bother, if most will not bother and no real outcome will come of this?
For me, it started out as a means of combat but has since turned into a very interesting personal pursuit.
Thanks, Pie!
I sometimes wonder why I try to learn and understand things when all I really get from it is pain.
It does look easier to spout the approved narratives.
Somehow, I’m not wired that way.
Somehow, I’m not wired that way.
I think that’s pretty common around these parts.
You know, I’ve been having to contemplate my own wiring. I have no desire to dominate others, to have them serve my whims, to play status games, and very little desire to have the approval/praise of others. I am a defective human.
In some ways we are all defective humans, it is what I like about this joint.
Now, my plumbing, on the other hand…
Midwits are the most difficult to deal with. They needn’t think for their conclusions. Their “arguments” given to them from on high (talking points), and they have a smorgasbord of them at the ready. These stupid fuckers even have lists ready to roll for fellow midwits to ruin Thanksgiving dinner.
look you cannot run the risk of an unapproved thought, you need a list
I used to call them “pinheads” and “cretins” but that is out of style now.
And it’s remarkable how shallow some of the arguments are and how easy to challenge.
Two anecdotal examples:
Conservatives who argued that, since the word Palestine never appeared on a map and Israel has, then Israel is in the right.
Liberals who told me that not voting demonstrated my white male privilege.
That’s because even basic math is hard for these fuckers (it was likely made intentionally hard by recent changes to how math is taught – I have my own theory on that). For instance, real world results from this election were only applicable in seven states (although realistically 0 states, as it happened). That means that 43 of 50 states were foregone conclusions. Trump won my state by over 30 points. It was never a race here, which means my vote doesn’t matter in the least, whether for or against him.
I admittedly voted this year as a symbolic message. To be counted in the non-important popular vote as a small means taking away the “bUt ThE pOpUlAr VoTe!” bullshit when a Republican wins.
Did you know my mother?
Meanwhile in Germany:
https://x.com/MyLordBebo/status/1861465530600722579
But wait! There’s more!
https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/loss-making-thyssenkupp-steel-slash-5000-jobs-by-2030-2024-11-25/
Gee, I wonder why they are so anxious for a war
The eco-nuts love this. More people on the dole, more chaos.
look you cannot run the risk of an unapproved thought, you need a list
How else can you know when it’s permissible to hold multiple completely contradictory ideas simultaneously? And, of course, which contradictions are permissible and which are not.
Triplethink! Now with 50% more conficts.
So initially thought Guy Montag. You know what happened to him after he got educated.
This was a fun read. (In hospital waiting room or not!)
Well fucking done, both ideas and delivery. Forgive me, but as a former ESL teacher I Asia, I think about non-native speakers and their English. Damn. I know you’re fluent, but it still impresses, amazes me. Uncountable hours you’ve studied and hones your abilities. I can get basic ideas across in Korean, German and Thai, with different levels of inherent shiftiness and incorrect usage abounds, but I can’t get a single sentence out expressing a novel idea in any of ’em. Mostly Charlie Chaplin ‘expression.’
I’m generally stunned, humbled and ashamed when I think about my failings and lack of ability. However, I was ‘instrumental’ teaching kids the English alphabet, to phonics, all up to written and spoken conversational skills. I’m (actually legit) proud kids in Korea, Singapore and Thailand got to have me as a teacher to help them along their way.
I don’t have kids, but I taught 3-5yo students who eventually read their first English sentences and books w me. Those were lovely paternal moments of accomplishment. I didn’t really get to share those, but I remember those kids and the work that went in before, all to the opening the glorious Pandora’s Box of expression.
It’s a beautiful place to be. Thanks for sharing. I was called out as looking intelligent” by a nurse the other day. (This midwit shouldn’t be so honored.) I am, I honestly told her, but insisted that I’m shockingly dumb, perhaps *most* of the time. People seemingly don’t understand this until I (repeatedly?) demonstrate it for ’em. (“Grab a chair, darling. I’ll show you how fucking dumb I REALLY am. Just you wait.”)
((One of) Ev’s Iron Rule: “Never underestimate the Power of being underestimated.”)
Uncountable hours you’ve studied and hones your abilities. – I am not sure I would call it study but thanks.
He reads the articles and looks a the pictures in Playboy
To be fair, as a vampire he’s had a lot more time to study.
That’s one meme I’ve never actually seen before.
Economy Minister Robert Habeck said German-made steel should be protected, while standing by Germany’s commitment to secure the sector’s future with more climate-friendly production.
“We stand by this clear commitment (to a climate-friendly transition). It is important that steel is also produced in future,” Habeck said in response to the planned cuts.
Speaking of contradictory notions.
Not only does electricity magically get produced, but so do refined metals.
It’s a miracle.
No wonder Habeck takes such offense at being called an idiot.
To quote the great Captain Aubery:
Not only does electricity magically get produced, but so do refined metals.
It’s a miracle.
The Magic Hat Economy. Everybody should have one.
Tantalizingly close
An Osprey being used to ferry White House staff and government officials from an event in New York on Monday was grounded due to a safety concern, with one witness reporting flames under the right engine.
The staff and officials were removed from the aircraft, part of the Marine Corps HMX-1 presidential helicopter fleet, and transferred to a second Osprey to continue their trip accompanying President Joe Biden at a “Friendsgiving” event with members of the U.S. Coast Guard in Staten Island.
The issue caused only a minor delay for Biden’s return to Washington on Monday evening.
——-
The Marine Corps did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the New York incident. A journalist traveling with the president reported seeing a fire under the right engine shortly before staff were notified the Osprey would be grounded.
It’s not the first time White House staff or reporters have had to be removed from an Osprey during a trip due to safety concerns. In November 2023 an Osprey ferrying White House reporters and staff returned to the ground shortly after takeoff after four loud “pops” were heard and smoke was seen.
“Political apparatchiks die in fiery crash” would be a heartwarming story.
They use an Osprey to carry VIPs?
The sycophants that follow the VIPs
Yeah, I thought those were only for disposable personnel.
kinnath – exactly. The actual VIPs have explicit aircraft that they can and can’t use.
Which makes me wonder if the senior leadership within the Marine Corps are normally prohibited from flying on the things…
Why are those shitheaps still in the fleet?
because some haven’t crashed yet
We had them in Afghanistan with no issues.
I thought they had been fixed, it seems like a long time since an Osprey had problems.
I have never ridden in one, but my brother said they are fun to ride, once he got past being scared.
According to this not fixed Ron:
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2024/11/20/the_ospreys_safety_issues_spiked_over_five_years_1073409.html
TLDR: Still dangerous
Another reason I’m glad to be off active duty.
What the what?
I guess Thanksgiving is offensive?
His family doesn’t want to spend the holiday with him?
I don’t think I’ve heard anyone official say “Friendsgiving” before.
It’s been around a few years. My sister-in-law is having one on Friday. Basically a party where friends bring leftovers.
I didn’t know that Thanksgiving had to be with family. I cannot hate humanity enough.
Nah, “Friendsgiving” has been around for at least a decade — it’s Thanksgiving but for friends. Actual Thanksgiving is for family.
That’s where someone sticks their head in a turkey.
Around 25 years since I first heard of a Friendsgiving. Among my friend group, it was generally held late on Thanksgiving itself (say 1800 or later) as most of the families aimed for earlier meals (1400 or so). Same group also would have a “Recover from Family Trauma Party” on Christmas day, and an “End of the World Party” for NYE.
Three decades, at least. I went to a couple of them in the nineties.
WHY WHY WHY do these script kiddies try a brute force attack on my little blog??? You will NEVER crack that password.
They try it against every blog, they don’t need to crack yours specifically, just find some that are weak.
Because it’s an open port on the internet.
Is it “1 2 3 4 5?” That’s the same combination I have on my luggage!
SECRET. The trick is it’s all caps.
1qaz2wsx!QAZ@WSX
It’s “RoseWilderLanewroteLittleHouse”. No wonder nobody will ever guess it. :-p
“Midwits reject reality when it does not conform to their ideals.”
People who watch too much mainstream media and believe – midwits and dimwits alike – seem very willing to reject their own observations in favor of the propaganda they consume.
I know too many people still getting COVID boosters despite having had COVID 5 times.
Ask if you’re in the will and a beneficiary of their life insurance.
On everything from taxes to Covid to nuclear war people are very susceptible to mind fuckery via nonstop propaganda. It’s disheartening and dangerous. If we’re unable to dig our way out of this pit the US and the world are in serious trouble.
I’ve known so many in the business world with terrible cases of Gell-Mann Amnesia. They’ll talk about how a story in their industry is wrong, but believe everything else reported.
But…”muh variants!“
https://babylonbee.com/news/report-kamalas-2028-campaign-already-700-million-in-debt
*chef’s kiss*
lulz
I wonder if OMB is in debt? Last I heard, his campaign still owed the LP $45k from May’s convention.
Speaking of MSM narrative drumbeating- some survey reports people think “Trump’s tariffs” will cause inflation.
Mission accomplished.
I’ll bet on January 20th, suddenly any little thing that can be construed as inflation will be highlighted and exaggerated.
Hell, the old definition of recession will pop up again.
Increasing corporate tax rates on the other hand would have no effect on prices.
There was a quote in the Jack Reacher movie I think about when I meet credentialed midwits. Something like: “enough training can appear to be intelligence”.
LOL nope
I was once doing some financial calculations for one of our products using actual costs and actual customers. The guy who requested the calculations didn’t like my numbers, because he wanted me to use theoretical numbers that were a nice ideal, but didn’t reflect reality which was complicated and messy. His reply is that we should make reality fit the model. He had a picture of Beto on the back side of his phone, which felt appropriately midwit.
It would be less gay to have a picture of a big, erect penis on his phone.
LOL
Having a picture of Beto on your phone in a non-ironic manner is an immediate disqualification from the opinion pool.
STEVE SMITH GREAT GRANDFATHER FIRST TO STUFF TURKEY. AND PILGRIM.
https://x.com/TRHLofficial/status/1861500644416172044
The pilgrims were thankful when he left. And thus the First Thanksgiving occurred.
Facebook showed me an add for this.
https://vampire.com/
Seemed relevant somehow.
That bottle cape…
😀
Awesome!
I’ve seen that on the shelf with the bottle cape (the capes only seem to be out around Halloween).
I bought it when they sold gift boxes in little wooden coffins. I still have the little wooden coffin.