The “foolishness” discussed here isn’t about low IQ—after all, everyone acts foolishly sometimes. It refers to a certain type of person: rigid in thinking, lacking logic, incapable of reflection, and devoid of critical thinking. They make decisions based on emotion, shortsightedness, and blind conformity. This “unconscious ignorance” causes harm that is more hidden, more unpredictable, and often more destructive.

Bad people often act with motive and logic; you can predict, guard against, and even negotiate with them. Fools, however, are different—they don’t play by the rules, their actions follow no predictable pattern, and sometimes even they don’t know why they do what they do. It’s like facing a gorilla holding an AK-47; you don’t even get a chance to bargain.

For example: There was a woman refueling at a gas station who grew impatient waiting. She actually pulled out a lighter, held it to the fuel tank opening to “see how full it was”—and instantly caused a fire. This kind of “spur-of-the-moment” foolishness is more deadly than calculated malice.

Another example is the widely discussed Xiaomi autonomous driving accident: three young girls lost their lives because the driver over-relied on the assist system on the highway. This wasn’t malice, but a tragedy stemming from blind trust in technology and a lack of basic safety awareness—a typical case of “foolishness.”

Fools don’t believe they are doing wrong; they often even think they have “good intentions.” Just like the elderly woman who, believing an absurd rumor, threw coins into a plane’s engine for “good luck.” She piously created a flight delay and a safety crisis, completely unaware of what she had done wrong.

So, what exactly is the difference between bad people, simpletons, fools, and good people?

Bad People: Intentionally harm others, but are predictable. They seek profit, understand costs, know the “rules,” and can even be negotiated with.

Simpletons: Slow to react, slow to learn, but possess self-awareness and do not harm others.

Fools: Low cognition, high energy, random behavior, unpredictable, often cause indiscriminate harm.

Good People: Intelligent and do not harm others; the ideal type.

Fools often have three typical characteristics:

1.Act and speak without thinking, yet boast about being “blunt” and “meaning well.”

2.Perform and exert themselves inappropriately, regardless of the setting or hierarchy. Like the Peking University PhD who, upon joining Huawei, immediately wrote a lengthy memo instructing Ren Zhengfei on how to reform the company.

3.Constantly “bungle things with good intentions,” like the person who served their homemade wine to friends and family, only to send most of them to the hospital.

What’s more frightening is that fools reject questioning and cannot be reasoned with. If you point out their problems, not only will they not thank you, they might even turn on you.

Therefore, the best way to deal with fools is not to persuade or educate them, but to: Respect their karma, and then, quietly walk away.

We can never predict when, how, upon whom, or to what extent a fool will cause harm. They are like an unpredictable time bomb. The best way to protect yourself is simply not to stand next to it.

Do you know anyone like this? What incredibly “foolish” behaviors have you encountered? Feel free to share in the comments.

原文

尊重蠢人的因果，然后远离

比起坏人，为什么我们往往更讨厌蠢人？事实上，蠢人可能比坏人更可怕。

这里说的“蠢”，不是指智商低——毕竟谁都偶尔犯傻。它指的是一类人：思想僵化、缺乏逻辑、不懂反思、没有批判性思维。他们做决定时情绪用事、目光短浅、盲目跟风。这种“无意识的愚昧”带来的危害更隐蔽、更不可预测，破坏性也常常更大。

坏人做事往往有动机、有逻辑，你能预判、能设防，甚至还能谈判。蠢人则不然——他们不按常理出牌，行为没有轨迹可循，有时候连他们自己都不知道为什么这么做。就像一只拿着AK的猩猩，你连讨价还价的机会都没有。

举个例子：有女子在加油站等加油，等得不耐烦了，竟拿出打火机凑到油箱口想“看看油加到哪里了”——结果瞬间引发火灾。这种“灵机一动”的蠢，比精心策划的坏更致命。

再比如那起引发广泛讨论的小米自驾车祸：三名年轻女孩因驾驶者过度信任辅助驾驶系统，在高速上丧生。这不是坏，而是对技术盲目信任、缺乏基本安全意识带来的悲剧——一种典型的“蠢”。

蠢人不觉得自己在作恶，甚至常常觉得自己“一片好心”。就像那个听信谣言、往飞机发动机扔硬币“保平安”的大妈，她虔诚地制造了一场航班延误和安全危机，却完全不理解自己做错了什么。

那么，坏人、笨人、蠢人、好人之间到底有什么区别？

·坏人：有目的地伤害他人，但可预测。他们图利、讲代价、懂规矩，甚至能谈判。

·笨人：反应慢、学习缓，但有自知之明，不害人。

·蠢人：认知低、能量高，行为随机、不可预测，常带来无差别伤害。

·好人：聪明且不伤人，是理想型。

·蠢人往往有三个典型特征：

1.说话做事不过脑，还标榜自己“心直口快、心不坏”；

2.不分场合自我发挥，比如北大博士刚进华为就写万言书指导任正非改革；

3.总在“好心办坏事”，比如自酿葡萄酒请客，结果把一桌人送进医院。

更可怕的是：蠢人不接受质疑，无法沟通。你一旦指出他的问题，他不仅不感激，还可能反咬一口。

所以，面对蠢人，最好的方式不是说服，不是教育，而是：尊重他的因果，然后，安静地远离。

我们永远无法预测蠢人什么时候、以什么方式、对谁造成多大的伤害。他们就像一颗不定时炸弹，最好的自保方式，就是不站在炸弹旁边。

你身边有这样的人吗？你遇到过哪些令人无语的“蠢行为”？欢迎在评论区分享。