Imbecile  

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-'''Stupidity''' is the quality or condition of being '''stupid''', or lacking [[intelligence]], as opposed to being merely [[ignorant]] or [[uneducated]]. This quality can be attributed to both an individual (e.g. ''Penny Person is stupid'') or a person's actions, words or beliefs (e.g., ''Penny Person's policies are stupid''). The term can thus also refer to poor use of judgement, or insensitivity to nuances in a person who is otherwise intelligent. The determination of who is stupid is relatively difficult, despite attempts to measure intelligence (and thus stupidity) such as [[Intelligence quotient|IQ tests]]. The adjective is also used as a general [[pejorative]] (e.g. ''I didn't borrow your stupid cap - go look for it yourself'').+'''Imbecile''' refers to [[mental retardation]], as well as a type of criminal. The term is closely associated with [[psychology]], [[psychiatry]], [[criminology]], and [[eugenics]].
-==See also==+
-* [[Bounded rationality]]+
-* [[Darwin Awards]]+
-* [[Discrimination]]+
-* [[Genius]]+
-* [[Ignorance]]+
-* [[Irrationality]]+
-* [[Prejudice]]+
-* [[World Stupidity Awards]]+
 +It arises from the Latin word ''imbecillus'', meaning weak, or weak-minded. "Imbecile" was once applied to people with an [[IQ]] of 26-50, between "[[Moron (psychology)|moron]]" (IQ of 51-70) and "[[Idiot (usage)|idiot]]" (IQ of 0-25).
 +
 +The term was further refined into mental and moral imbecility. The concepts of "moral insanity," "moral idiocy," and "moral imbecility," led to the emerging field of eugenic criminology, which held that crime can be reduced by preventing "[[feeble-minded]]" people from reproducing.
 +
 +"Imbecile" as a concrete classification was popularized by [[psychologist]] [[Henry H. Goddard]] and was used in 1927 by [[Supreme Court of the United States|United States Supreme Court]] Justice [[Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.]] in his landmark ruling in the forced-sterilization case ''[[Buck v. Bell]]''.
 +
 +The term ''imbecile'' quickly passed into vernacular usage as a derogatory term, and it fell out of professional use in the 20th century.
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Imbecile refers to mental retardation, as well as a type of criminal. The term is closely associated with psychology, psychiatry, criminology, and eugenics.

It arises from the Latin word imbecillus, meaning weak, or weak-minded. "Imbecile" was once applied to people with an IQ of 26-50, between "moron" (IQ of 51-70) and "idiot" (IQ of 0-25).

The term was further refined into mental and moral imbecility. The concepts of "moral insanity," "moral idiocy," and "moral imbecility," led to the emerging field of eugenic criminology, which held that crime can be reduced by preventing "feeble-minded" people from reproducing.

"Imbecile" as a concrete classification was popularized by psychologist Henry H. Goddard and was used in 1927 by United States Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. in his landmark ruling in the forced-sterilization case Buck v. Bell.

The term imbecile quickly passed into vernacular usage as a derogatory term, and it fell out of professional use in the 20th century.



Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Imbecile" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.

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