In the early 1940s, a German pastor and anti-Nazi dissident named Dietrich Bonhoeffer was captured by the Gestapo and imprisoned for two years before being hung by the Nazi regime. During his imprisonment, Bonhoeffer reflected on the nature of evil and came to one resolute conclusion: stupidity is far worse.
The pastor argued that stupidity (not ignorance, not evil) is the more destructive force shaping societies. Indeed, while some may believe that cruelty, malice, or deliberate evil bears more negative weight, stupidity might very well be the thing that helps these forces along.
But just why did Bonhoeffer believe these things? Click on to find out.