We live in a time of collective dumbing down; we must recognize our own need for resistance

We are living in an era marked by a "collective dumbing down," a phenomenon that manifests particularly when we attribute stupidity to others. This intellectual decline, however, only begins to reverse when we dare to examine our own thoughts, values, and institutions for flaws, according to Niels Erling, theater director at Betty Nansen Teatret.

Erling contends that this collective intellectual deficit is not solely the fault of individuals but a shared responsibility. He notes the current cultural and political discourse around "intellectual armament" and the importance of art for democracy, exemplified by the establishment of a council for "cultural resilience." To take this movement seriously, he argues, requires an honest and perhaps uncomfortable acknowledgment: our society is structured in a way that diminishes our capacity for complex thought.

The author criticizes the societal setup that actively makes us worse at thinking critically and complexly. He observes people engrossed in their screens in cafes and bars, suggesting a pervasive distraction that hinders deeper cognitive engagement. This environment, he implies, necessitates a conscious effort to foster intellectual rigor and resist the trend towards superficiality and simplistic thinking.