Just Be Less Stupid

Ta-Nehisi Coates, writing for The Atlantic:

If you are not around people who will look at you like you are crazy when you make stupid claims about other people's experiences, then you tend to keep saying stupid things about other people's experiences. It is not enough to pay a political price, or even to be shamed into silence. You have to come to believe -- in your heart -- that sincerity itself is not the same as accurate information. It is not enough for you to not be "the party of stupid" or to "stop saying stupid things" you must show some active commitment toward being less stupid.

In other words, being with people who are different than you forces you to ask questions about the way things are. That questioning process causes you to learn. And as you learn you become less stupid.