We are not stupid, are we?

The German chain of stores Media Markt advertises in many European countries with the slogan "Ich bin doch nicht blöd!" (I am not stupid). Sociologist and economist Salvador Cardús examines the values underlying this slogan. "The question ... is whether the shrewd strategy has made the transition from a value cherished by a few fainthearted, crafty customers to an accepted method of saving oneself the trouble of other strategies for success which however require more intelligence and effort. Or to put it differently, the question is ... how many crafty customers a society, a company or a government can tolerate without putting its own efficiency and cohesion at risk. I refer here to the clever dicks who exploit the public health service; for those who think they are 'not stupid' this would also apply to those who commit insurance fraud; those who do politics for purely cynical reasons; those who believe traffic regulations do not apply to them - all these people. How many is that? ... The triumph of the spirit behind 'I am not stupid' would be the triumph of stupidity."

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