Stupid Is As Stupid Does?

Why do smart people make stupid decisions? And why are common mistakes repeated over and over and over and over? Why can’t we learn from the mistakes of others, as well as our own?

We all know people....smart people....of sound mind and reasonable thinking, who at times, have the ability to make such completely boneheaded decisions that defy all logic.

Why is that?

I am one of those people by the way. I am one of those pretty smart people who can make very bad decisions and I am also one of those people who stubbornly refuses to learn from the experiences of others.

I read somewhere that bad decision making can be attributed to thinking at the wrong level, and thinking in the short term rather tha the long term. At any given moment, when confronted with a problem or project, we are faced with an infinite number of levels of problem solving at our disposal. A smart person knows which level is the right one at a given time, and then thoughtfully thinks things (the myriad of possibilities within that level) through before making a decision.

For example, if you are over your Spanker's knee, panties at your ankles, and there is a rather large wooden paddle hovering precariously over your unprotected bottom, it is not the right time to ask what's for dinner. Nor, when faced with a spanko craving, do you run out and purchase every brutal spanking implement you find through Google.

Smart people. Stupid decisions.

What causes faulty decision making? What makes smart people go stupid?

David N. Perkins lists eight deadly sins of the stupid smart person, which seem to sum it all up rather elegantly: impulsiveness (doing something rash), neglect (ignoring something important), procrastination (actively avoiding something important), vacillation (dithering), backsliding (capitulating to habit), indulgence (allowing oneself to fall into excess), overdoing (like indulgence, but with positive things) and walking the edge (tempting fate).

That sounds like my entire life, actually. Yes, that explains a lot.

I wonder how many deadly sins I committed when I made this brilliant decision:

Hiya Professor,

Would it be weird if I were to say that our new bath brush is *still* my implement of choice for that "hard discipline type spanking" that I am craving? Me being soundly spanked over your knee, unable to move because you have me trapped in a leg lock..... The fantasy still hasn't changed, even after experiencing a couple of painful brush induced whacks in your office.

~Your Naughtyopath

Little One,

The bath brush and leg lock it is...

Be good.

- Your Spanker

P.S. How about Tuesday afternoon?

Professor,

Tuesday looks good. I will see you then. By the way, I think I have changed my mind about the whole "leg lock/bathbrush/hard discipline spanking" and I don't want to do that afterall, okay?

~Your Naughty One

Naughty One,

"By the way, I think I have changed my mind about the whole "leg lock/bathbrush/hard discipline spanking", okay?"

No, it's not okay.

See you Tuesday.

- Your Hard Discipline Spanker

Doh!

Smart people. Stupid decisions. Yeah.