Don’t Vote, You’re Too Stupid

The idea that democracy is healthier when more people participate - has been trumped.

Officials Concerned by Rising Tide of UnEARNED Confidence

Washington — Former federal officials and civic researchers are quietly expressing alarm over a growing pattern of behavior now being classified, unofficially, as a national crisis of unwarranted self-assurance.

The condition, marked by an inverse relationship between knowledge and conviction, has taken hold across vast swaths of the American populace. In briefings this week, experts referred to the phenomenon as “Terminal Confidence,” and warned that its unchecked spread may pose a greater threat to democratic stability than external sabotage or economic upheaval.

“It is not the uninformed who concern us,” said Dr. Irving Kessler, a specialist in civic psychology at the American Institute for Public Reason. “It is the uninformed who believe themselves informed.”

Speech in the Absence of Sense

The Organization of Civic Order, in cooperation with the Office for Information Standards, has released a preliminary report entitled Loose Lips Sink Democracies—a reference to wartime propaganda repurposed for the domestic front.

The report details an increasing tendency among citizens to express strong, inflexible opinions on matters in which they hold no particular expertise—nor, in many cases, any working understanding whatsoever.

Such individuals, the report notes, often speak in confident tones about foreign policy, virology, economic theory, or constitutional law, typically drawing upon material gleaned from anonymous internet posts, edited videos with ominous music, or unverified conversations held in parking lots.

The problem is not new. What is new, say officials, is the scale, the speed, and the shrinking societal expectation that a person ought to know something before speaking about it.

Expert Knowledge in Decline

Dr. Kessler’s office has tracked a sharp decline in public trust in subject-matter experts across the board. “The modern citizen,” he explained, “is increasingly prone to equating familiarity with understanding. A fellow may hear a phrase once and, within a day, become a self-appointed authority on its implications.”

Case studies from the report include a man who denounced inflation policy after watching a nine-minute video on cryptocurrency, and a woman who disputed a panel of epidemiologists based on a Facebook comment from someone claiming to be “an RN or something.”

“Gone,” Kessler added, “is the healthy American skepticism of yesteryear, which often said, ‘I don’t know, but I’ll read up on it.’ That has been replaced by a kind of broadcast arrogance: ‘I just feel like this is probably true, so here it is—loudly.’”

Symptoms and Signals

The Office has issued a list of common warning signs, including:

An unwillingness to admit error, even in the face of direct contradiction
Repeated references to “doing one’s own research,” often meaning exposure to fringe websites
Unshakeable belief in claims prefaced with “They don’t want you to know this…”
Substitution of volume and certainty for clarity and fact

Public health officials are reportedly exploring whether repeated exposure to short-form videos featuring fast-talking people in cars may produce measurable neurological wear.

Remedies and Response

Efforts are underway to address the issue through public information campaigns. One such initiative—Keep Mum, You Might Be Dumb—urges Americans to reacquaint themselves with the notion that silence, particularly in matters of complexity, is not cowardice but restraint.

“Civic humility,” said Dr. Kessler, “is not a weakness. It is the first step toward wisdom.”

Other campaigns, such as “Loose Lips Tank Democracy” and “Your Confidence Is Not a Credential,” have gained limited traction, often dismissed by the very individuals most in need of them.

Meanwhile, families and neighbors are encouraged to intervene gently. Officials recommend countering overconfident statements not with argument, but with questions—ideally ones that require definitions, sources, or evidence. If confusion or irritation results, this may indicate progress.

The Outlook

The situation remains fluid. Officials are hopeful that a combination of civics education, offline time, and peer modeling may stem the tide. However, they caution that until Americans once again embrace the phrase “I don’t know enough to comment,” the republic will remain vulnerable to the unchecked spread of smug incoherence.

“We don’t need every citizen to be an expert,” said Kessler. “We only ask that they recognize when they are not.”