{"id":1312,"date":"2026-06-09T20:07:55","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T20:07:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextaddressamerica.com\/?p=1312"},"modified":"2026-06-09T20:07:55","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T20:07:55","slug":"theory-explains-trumps-power-stupidity-is-more-dangerous-than-evil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextaddressamerica.com\/?p=1312","title":{"rendered":"Theory explains Trump’s power: Stupidity is more dangerous than evil"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Whatever one\u2019s opinion on President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement that carried him to office, it\u2019s impossible to deny that they have transformed the United States. The simple description of what\u2019s driving that change, says senior defense analyst Brynn Tannehill, is \u201cfascism.\u201d But as she elaborates, three psychological concepts are underpinning that autocratic impulse: social dominance orientation, the Dunning-Kruger Effect, and Bonhoeffer\u2019s Theory of Stupidity.<\/p>\n

Read more Trump\u2019s obsession with past presidents may reveal deeper mental fitness concerns<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cDietrich Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran pastor and theologian who opposed Hitler and the Nazis and spoke out against the killing of disabled people and the persecution of Jews,\u201d writes Tannehill in Dame<\/u>. \u201cBonhoeffer\u2019s Theory of Stupidity posits that stupidity is more dangerous than evil, because it can be easily manipulated and exploited by evil forces. He argued that while evil is identifiable and can be resisted, stupidity is a force that actively resists reason and critical thinking, making it a powerful tool for those who seek to do harm.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to this concept, stupidity isn\u2019t merely a lack of intellect, but \u201ca willful refusal to engage with reason and truth.\u201d It suggests \u201cthat stupid people are easily led and controlled, making them ideal tools for those with malicious intent\u2026Unfortunately, stupidity and ignorance were both the cause and the outcome of the 2024 election,\u201d Tannehill explains, as Trump was buoyed into office by non-college-educated voters who actively disregarded information from outside MAGA circles.<\/p>\n

At the same time, MAGA adherents exhibit high Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), \u201ca personality trait that reflects an individual\u2019s preference for hierarchical social structures and the dominance of some social groups over others. Individuals with high SDO tend to endorse group-based hierarchies and inequality, while those with low SDO favor more egalitarian social structures\u2026 SDO is linked to more conservative beliefs and support for hierarchy-enhancing policies. Individuals with high SDO tend to exhibit more prejudice against stigmatized or disadvantaged social groups.\u201d<\/p>\n

Says Tannehill, high-SDO voters represent the base of the GOP, particularly MAGA. \u201cThey believe they have a right to rule over others based on characteristics such as their race (white), sex (male), religion (Christian), gender identity (cisgender), wealth (rich), or proximity to the tech sector.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more GOP strategist: Trump will be on the warpath if Todd Blanche doesn\u2019t get confirmed<\/a><\/p>\n

Finally, writes Tannehill, \u201cthe Dunning-Kruger effect is a phenomenon where people who don\u2019t know much about a specific topic tend to overestimate their knowledge or skill in that area. Conversely, experts in that area may underestimate their competence, as they understand the true complexity of the topic or skill in question.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Tannehill argues, \u201cTrump has filled the government with unqualified ignoramuses, surrounding himself with people who vastly overestimate their abilities because they believe their ideologies or wealth make them better than the experts. Pete Hegseth was never more than a major in the National Guard, but assumes he is fit because he was a Christian warrior. Linda McMahon was a professional wrestling executive who now leads the Department of Education. The entire governmental health care<\/u> apparatus is full of people who \u2018did their own research,\u2019 drink raw milk, and reject the germ theory of disease and vaccines.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because of all of this, says Tannehill, \u201cthe United States is now a giant Dunning-Kruger pyramid. From top to bottom the system is now self-reinforcing. The majority of disinformation being put out by the government isn\u2019t particularly plausible to people who are well informed and capable of research and critical thinking. To others, on the other hand, this firehose of falsehood makes them think the truth is seemingly unknowable. As a result, many uninformed voters are becoming even less informed as they no longer seek the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Based on this, Tannehill draws some urgent conclusions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith great stupidity comes great evil, and the consequences have already shown themselves to be dire,\u201d she writes. \u201cThe U.S. is diving deeper and deeper into a constitutional, political, economic, and military crisis, and it\u2019s too much for most people to absorb. Understanding the root of these problems is critical to responding to them and the current regime, and hopefully, to finding a path toward future repair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Cognitive expert exposes \u2018sundowning\u2019 sign in Trump\u2019s latest public humiliation<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Whatever one\u2019s opinion on President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement that carried him to office, it\u2019s impossible to deny that they have transformed the United States. The simple description of what\u2019s driving that change, says senior defense analyst Brynn Tannehill, is \u201cfascism.\u201d But as she elabora…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nTheory explains Trump's power: Stupidity is more dangerous than evil - Next Address America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextaddressamerica.com\/?p=1312\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Theory explains Trump's power: Stupidity is more dangerous than evil - Next Address America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Whatever one\u2019s opinion on President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement that carried him to office, it\u2019s impossible to deny that they have transformed the United States. 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