How not to look stupid: Psychologists reveal the three types of foolish behaviour. Looks like Obama has a grand slam…all three.
Confident ignorance – This is when what someone thinks their ability to do something outweighs their actual ability to do it. This, the research found, was associated with the highest levels of stupidity.
Absentmindedness – This can also mean ‘lack of practicality’, perhaps because they weren’t paying attention or weren’t aware of something.
Lack of control – This is when someone just can’t help themselves. They feel, on some level, that they have to do something, or they have lost the ability to do otherwise. For instance, this can describe someone who cancels plans to go out with friends to keep playing video games at home.
