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Just because someone is technically “smart” doesn’t mean they have any common sense.
You know what I’m saying?
Sometimes, the really brilliant people you know do really dumb s**t. It’s a fact!
What’s the dumbest thing that the smartest person you know ever did?
AskReddit users shared their stories.
1. Close call.
“Guy with a PhD in chemistry.
Had a problem with electric furnace, it kept switching off the circuit breakers. So he was told by someone to stick a wooden splinter in it to keep the switch up, but it was too weak and the gap in the breaker too narrow.
So he took some strip of metal instead….Well, he still lives but he said he almost s**t himself.”
2. What a story.
“I have a grandfather who was an extremely talented criminal who used to rob store safes.
One time he robbed a safe while posing as an inspector without even being noticed. He eventually turned himself in after starting a family (having my mom) then summarily escaped from prison, and managed to create a fake identity with a loophole that has now been closed.
He lived with a fake last name for several years until he was eventually caught. However, he managed to negotiate for a pardon by explaining the loophole he used to create his fake name. (It was either the mayor or the governor, I forget). He went free and got a job as a maintenance guy.
Then he retired and gave all of his money to a scam televangelist and now lives in poverty.”
3. I bet that was tasty.
“My friend has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and robotics.
He once made a potato salad with raw potatoes because he thought, since it’s a salad, you’re not supposed to cook it.”
4. What’s that sound?
“My sister. My wonderful sister. So intelligent, educated… but dang.
They had their house inspected and the inspector found an issue with their gas heat. Called in a repairman and it turns out the were having lower levels of carbon monoxide leaking into their home. When my mom asked her why she didn’t have several working detectors she answered “well I did, but one just wouldn’t quit beeping”.
This was 10 years ago and we still bring it up all the time. Thankfully everyone turned out to be ok, but that wouldn’t have been the case much longer.”
5. Take cover!
“I have a neighbor, he is by far the smartest person I know.
A couple fourth of July’s ago he got a quarter stick of dynamite, and strapped it to an rc boat with a detonate button and a timer. He sent it out on the lake at night, flipped the switch and it didn’t go off. So he took it back into the house to fix it, but never turned the detonate button off.
So when it was fixed the 7 second timer started going. It ended up going off in the house and blowing out all of the windows. Everyone was safe.”
6. Hmmm…
“Dad’s an actuary. Basically a cross between a mathematician and an economist. Wrote a text book for his field, and has been CEO of several very large companies.
I came home many years ago to hear Age of Empires blaring at a million dB. Thats odd. I wander downstairs to find him playing the game, with headphones on… but unplugged.
He had the sound turned up on the speakers because he couldn’t hear it over the dampening of the headphones. To top it off, he had the headphones on backwards.
To this day makes me smirk.”
7. Hahaha.
“My brother was in college and needed a toaster.
He ordered one off of Amazon for $3 and was surprised to find one so cheap.
Turns out it was a kid’s toy. It came with plastic pieces of bread, as well.”
8. No common sense.
“Brother in law is a pretty clever guy.
Ran a bath for his kid, couldn’t get the tap to turn off, mad panic, rang a plumber friend asking him to come round quick or the house is gonna flood. Friend was like, you could just pull the plug?
Real nice, real clever guy. Zero common sense.”
9. Gross.
“I did my undergrad with a guy who got an almost perfect score on his MCAT.
But… he also ate a raw chicken breast because he thought it was a really bad Hot Pocket (he was sober).”
10. Is this thing on?
“They used their bare hand to check if the stove was still hot by pressing it directly on the burner, and they had two doctorates.”
11. Oh, Dad…
“My dad, a professor.
Got his mortgage down to $20,000 and had the opportunity to pay it all. Redrew and bought a brand new car. Totalled car.
Bought another brand new car. Gave it to girlfriend at the time. Girlfriend left and kept car. Currently owes $250,000 on his same mortgage.”
12. Brilliant, but…
“My husband.
He’s a mathematician for the Feds, but he has repeatedly gotten us to the wrong airport in cities that have more than one. Like at least three times.
He’s brilliant, but a moron.”
13. I don’t know…
“I lived in Colorado Springs. My friend came into town and was booked into a hotel.
I called and asked for the name or address of the hotel and he told me he did not know, but he could see the mountains from where he was.
He narrowed his location down to a time zone.”
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Thanks a lot!
