Talk About Straight Talk and The Timeless Critic

Even though some of George Carlin’s material is decades old, it applies to the problems we’re seeing now

The quote, “Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that,” is attributed to George Carlin, who fearlessly challenged societal norms and taboos through his sharp and insightful humor.

This quote delves into the contemplation of human intelligence, shedding light on a somewhat cynical perspective. The phrase encourages us to consider the intellectual capacity of an average individual. The term “stupid” isn’t meant to be a blanket criticism but rather a blunt assessment of cerebral abilities. It pushes us to ponder the limitations and flaws inherent in human thinking and decision-making.

The constant theme of the last few years of his life was that the human race was slowly doing itself. He called it ‘Circling the Drain’. Publicly, he had little faith in humanity to fix the social ills plaguing us as a species. He believed in harsh reality versus sugar-coating things. His humor was dark, aimed at getting people to think.

The critical takeaway lies in the realization that half of the population falls below the median level of intelligence. The quote implies that a significant portion of the population lies below the midpoint when assessing intelligence. While delivered with sarcasm, this observation invites contemplation on individuals’ cognitive capabilities discrepancies.

You might even conclude humankind is not a bright breed of native humans whose development has merely been through invading native nations around the world in the worst of ways and desperately attempting to rewrite false history everywhere they lay.

You might conclude that emotional reliance guides and governs the masses Into self-destruction while acting out Infinite possible scenarios and mindlessly welcoming each one.

You might conclude that stand-up comedians can only spin out opinions and more opinions and never bother to form a well-formed argument or prove their points with logic.

Carlin’s objective was to be an artist of comedy and, second, a moral satirist of society. He was not a philosopher. His “bigger dick foreign policy theory,” reducing war to penis envy and all the rockets and bullets are homages to the phallus, is not a philosophical assessment of the war. It’s a satire of hypocrisy, ego, and the abuse of power.

He used his craft to dispense a great deal of wisdom and reveled in the freedom this art form gave him. It was upfront and penetrating, constantly engaging our minds with flawless control.

Moreover, the quote indirectly touches on societal challenges and the complexities of transmission. Suppose we accept that a considerable portion of the population operates below the median intelligence level.

In that case, it urges us to reflect on the potential miscommunications, misunderstandings, and challenges that may arise in a society composed of individuals with varying levels of intellectual competency.

However, it is very important for you to approach this quote with a degree of caution. Intelligence is a multi-faceted trait, and assessing it through a singular lens may overgeneralize its true nature.

A conventional measure of cognitive abilities does not necessarily portray factors such as emotional intelligence, creativity, and practical wisdom. Therefore, the quote encourages a critical examination of human intelligence, taken with a grasp of the nuances and complexities inherent in measuring the multi-faceted nature of the human mind.

He wasn’t liberal or conservative (he even believed voting was a waste of time). He was anti-religion, anti-authority, anti-bullshit, and anti-hypocrisy. (Not my personal opinion.)

From the 2006 special Life is Worth Losing, “Everything’s been sanitized and cleaned up. First, with these fucking Christians. Let’s start with them. Let’s not leave out these PC campus liberal assholes. I mean, they’re just as fucking bad from a different direction.”

George Carlin was a cynic who questioned life as he saw it. He believed personal freedom was necessary and that nothing was off-limits. Even though some of this material is decades old, it applies to all of the divisions and problems we’re seeing right now.

He called out everyone from pro-life conservatives and gun enthusiasts to feminists and environmentalists. He spoke about how he thought national pride and patriotism were ridiculous, about how war was nothing but a “prick-waving dick fight,” about how the upper class is fucking everyone else, how “saving the planet” was just human arrogance in action, and how politics are ultimately meaningless.

His stories poked fun at life and culture. He didn’t need dick jokes. He didn’t need piss/fart jokes. He needed an audience that could visualize the potential and the truths of the subjects of his humor. He made us think. He even saw sleep as a peculiar pursuit.

Taken from Favorite❤️ Quotes, a unique way of looking at sleep.

“For the next several hours, while the sun is gone, I’m going to become unconscious, temporarily losing command over everything I know and understand. When the sun returns, I will resume my life. They had these people, you know? And they would walk around all day and be OK?

And then, once a day, usually after dark, they lie down on these special platforms and become unconscious. They would stop functioning almost completely, except deep in their minds, they would have adventures and experiences that were impossible in real life.

As they lay there, completely vulnerable to their enemies, their only movements were to shift from one position to another occasionally, or, if one of the ‘mind adventures’ got too real, they would sit up and scream and be glad they weren’t unconscious anymore. Then they would drink a lot of coffee.”

His observational skills were of high order, and it was clear how he managed to connect more dots than most of us can ever imagine, and he never took anything at face value! As it turns out, the world is upside down in his view, and we were all richer for him pointing it out to us.

I will leave you with this thought. Though Carlin passed away in 2008, his adamant, sarcastic, honest, increasingly relevant — and often prescient — point of view still lights up social media.

For example, years before Trump, Carlin said: “In America, anyone can become president. That’s the problem.”

That’s all, folks. I hope you enjoyed this article.

Now, go and seize the day!