The Term Idoit..It's origin and it's use.

[Oleg Bach]

As I explained to some of the good members who's interest I may have captured, is that I am not a fomally educated person - I am an idiot. I may have walked out the school door at 17 but I never ceased my study. My enjoyment of words and natural curious nature had me do a small but meaningful research of the word IDIOT. Some who take language for granted and are the victims of re-visionism because of the passage of time, may believe that the word means someone of lesser intelligence or a person that is simply stupified - or genetically predispositioned to to dullness and are of little use to high brow society.

Well the word is on based in ancient politics. When the old Greeks would gather for discussion - they were a high faluting exclusive bunch of thinkers and talkers. They formed clubs of sorts where heated debate would take place. All the great pondering minds created a circle and an inner circle of intellectuals. IF - a person was to interupt and or interject their view into the inner circle who was not an accepted and a card carrying member - Someone within the inner circle would pull rank and yell you - "Do not listen to that man, for he is an IDIOT" - The word did not mean that the person was unintelligent and perhaps not able to contribute to discussion...it just meant that he was excuded by the exclusive group.

What I wonder is - have things changed in the last 3000 years? Is it possible for an idiot such as myself to enter into discussion and or make statements that are bold and considered uncivilized and imflamatory? Sure I understand that you are a very focused bunch and like to stick to the protocols of comfort - and I am sure some of you are very exclutionary...I may even refere to you as an elite. Being an idiot all my life with a view and perception of the world that was created mostly through my own private study and originally quiet observation. My question is: Do the members here who it seems are highly institutionalized - find value in an idiot and and idiots' perceptions and views of the social, political and moral asspects of Canadian life? Or am I as an idiot with barbaric warrior blood running through my veins not exceptable.

Yes there are other faces that I carry - that of the artist - of the musician - the religious thinker and the down trodden wasted outcast....who may have learned to write and express himself out of sheer determination and practice. I arrived here like a tired old horseman who spent the last ten years battling it out with wind mills and spectors - some turned out to be real and some not...so I suppose what this is - is an apology to the good members for storming in without knocking first - and for being an idiot.

[M.Dancer]

idiot

c.1300, "person so mentally deficient as to be incapable of ordinary reasoning," from O.Fr. idiote "uneducated or ignorant person," from L. idiota "ordinary person, layman," in L.L. "uneducated or ignorant person," from Gk. idiotes "layman, person lacking professional skill," lit. "private person," used patronizingly for "ignorant person," from idios "one's own" (see idiom).

[AngusThermopyle]

for being an idiot.

Well, you wont be getting any argument from me on that point. By the way, are you an idoit or an idiot?

[M.Dancer]

Well, you wont be getting any argument from me on that point. By the way, are you an idoit or an idiot?

This thread is somewhat sutpid

[Renegade]

This thread is somewhat sutpid

Actually it is idotic if somewhat amusing!!!

Actually idiot is (was) a technical term used to describe IQ levels. IOW, a moron is smarter than an imbecile who is smarter than an idiot.

Mental deficiency used to be more finely classified using the following technical terms that later began to be abused by the rest of society (5):

IQ Range Classification

70-80 Borderline deficiency

50-69 Moron

20-49 Imbecile

below 20 Idiot

IQ Basics

[M.Dancer]

Actually it is idotic if somewhat amusing!!!

Actually idiot is (was) a technical term used to describe IQ levels. IOW, a moron is smarter than an imbecile who is smarter than an idiot.

IQ Basics

I consider myself a Dolt Savant

[guyser]

I consider myself a Dolt Savant

You are only half right.....

4 minutes to Wapner...4 minutes to Wapner.....

[jbg]

This thread is somewhat sutpid

No, it's idoitic.

[jbg]

Actually it is idotic if somewhat amusing!!!

Actually idiot is (was) a technical term used to describe IQ levels. IOW, a moron is smarter than an imbecile who is smarter than an idiot.

IQ Basics

My IQ is 79, I think.

[M.Dancer]

My IQ is 79, I think.

My IQ is 98 US

[Moxie]

I don't mind being called an "Idiot" as long as it's not the term "Useful Idiot" cough cough cough.