Fools vs. idiots explained: a witty philosophy book by Lars Svendsen

Am I a fool? Or an idiot? "The Minimum Philosophy for Living Less Stupidly" (Deol meongcheonghage salgi wihan choesohanui cheolhak) is a fun philosophy book by Lars Svendsen.

What kind of book is "The Minimum Philosophy for Living Less Stupidly"?

The book was written by Norwegian philosopher Lars Svendsen, translated by Eom Ji-seon, and published by Deol meongcheonghage salgi wihan choesohanui cheolhak (Deol meongcheonghage salgi wihan choesohanui cheolhak).

• Author: Lars Svendsen
• Translator: Eom Ji-seon
• Publisher: Deol meongcheonghage salgi wihan choesohanui cheolhak

According to the book's introduction, Lars Svendsen is a Nordic philosopher read in 35 languages worldwide, and this is his new book.

An intellectual lesson for everyone who is angry at other people's stupidity and afraid of their own.

Why are there so many fools in the world that you just can't talk to?

It's presented as a philosophy for standing up to the world's stupidity and escaping your own. You'd think philosophers only talk about wisdom, but apparently they have dissected human stupidity more fiercely than anyone. Norwegian philosopher Lars Svendsen digs into the foolishness that pervades our world, sharply and with humor. The publisher calls it the clearest guide to living less stupidly, without being swayed by the world's fools, in an age where fake news, conspiracy theories, cognitive dissonance and confirmation bias run wild.

An excellent study of fools and stupidity! Surprisingly easy to read and very funny. It is no coincidence that human stupidity has supplied satirists and humorists with material for years. - NRK (Norwegian public broadcaster)

What was it like to read? A book that hits hard from the table of contents

From the title alone I was really curious what the author could possibly have put inside, haha. As I read, I laughed at times, and at other times a line landed like a pointed jab straight at me.

Just reading the table of contents for chapters 1–6 made me reflect on the satire and situations of our times, and on myself,, It's a book about foolishness and stupidity that starts from simply wishing to be a bit less foolish and less stupid in life.

How are a fool and an idiot different?

The book distinguishes the two: "fool" is for someone without the capacity to think, while "stupidity" is for someone who has that capacity but misuses it. As kids, the worst thing we'd say to tease a friend, or when we were angry, was probably "fool" (바보), but from now on, when I tease friends playfully, I should say "idiot" (멍청이) instead, haha. Of course, not saying it at all would be best.

I think I use the words "fool" and "idiot" on myself more than anyone. At work or doing housework, I'll be holding something for a second and then immediately look for it again, or fail to see it right in front of me and search for it. I call myself a fool or idiot out of pure habit, but in fact the two are clearly different in the attitude that follows.

The line that made me burst out laughing: the three types of people

Just like the author said he smiled while reading, I burst out laughing at this line too, hahaha. The three types of people are fools, idiots, and fool-idiots hahahaha

Why this book resonated in the age of social media

These days on social media, people easily judge someone from a thumbnail alone, regardless of whether it's true, and decide how a story ends however they like to think it does. It feels like we're getting more foolish than before, and like fools are multiplying. Better an idiot than a fool, I suppose.

However much knowledge I pile up and however much of an expert I am in my own work, when I talk with friends who do different jobs I'm nearly at zero, so I agree with the idea that really, everyone is an idiot. Still, I hope that by reading Lars Svendsen's "The Minimum Philosophy for Living Less Stupidly" I can become a slightly wiser idiot, less stupid and no more of a fool.