Latest Research: Men Are Idiots

As if we needed it, a new study in the BMJ appears to prove that men, indeed, are idiots. The authors explain:

This paper reviews the data on winners of the Darwin Award over a 20 year period (1995-2014). Winners of the Darwin Award must eliminate themselves from the gene pool in such an idiotic manner that their action ensures one less idiot will survive. This paper reports a marked sex difference in Darwin Award winners: males are significantly more likely to receive the award than females (P<0.0001).

The Male Idiot Theory holds that well-known gender differences in risk-seeking behaviors, emergency department admissions, and accidental death are easily explained by the observation that men are idiots and idiots do stupid things.

We find it odd that the authors suggest further study of this phenomenon, including a randomized, controlled study of males and females, with and without alcohol, in a naturalistic Christmas party setting.

Facing such an imminent threat to the public health, safety, and survival — not to mention the cost to our healthcare system — we need to throw every sandbag we can on the levee. We need a tax on stupidity. We need to get to work on developing behavioral, pharmaceutical, and surgical interventions and hold back this flood of preventable injuries and deaths.

“All generalizations are dangerous, even this one.” — Alexandre Dumas

Click here to read more from NPR and here to read the study.

Idiots, photograph © dvpfagan / flickr

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