Special Kind of Stupid award of the Year: Amber, Putin and Will

2022 is barely halfway, but I think we have our winners!

Photo by Austin Lowman on Unsplash

2022 is being an odd year. Which is no small feat after two years of a global pandemic.

A while ago, someone here on Medium said something along the lines of “ it takes a special kind of stupid to do what Putin is doing” (kindly remind me who it was should you recognise the author). And it’s true: how someone has it all and decides to blow it on a totally unnecessary whim, beats me. It definitely takes an award-deserving Special Kind of Stupid to do something like that.

Well, I kept that idea in mind. But lo and behold, soon enough two other worthy contestants came to join Mr Putin on the podium: Will Smith and Amber Heard, in no particular order.

It is known that Pride comes before the Fall- just ask Satan. We all know the story, mythology or belief variations aside: Satan was the most beautiful angel in heaven; he lived a pampered life basking in God’s glory and enjoying whatever delights angels favour, until one day he decided to throw the mother of all tantrums, bother everyone, make a massive fuss, you know the drill. As a consequence, he was thrown into Hell (or Earth to put up with us lovely humans, depending on what version you choose) and from then on, everybody but a bunch of outcast supporters thought he was *literally* the devil.

This is supposed to be a cautionary tale, but obviously many humans don’t care for sacred texts. Or simply think themselves above any sort of caution once they taste a little (or a lot) of fame and power.

Let’s start with Putin: the man, once a kid from humble beginnings made KGB agent, had unlimited wealth, power and luxury at his disposal and- despite everyone knowing all too well that he was no angel- was, if not held in high regard by the international community, at least cordially tolerated.

Sure, everyone and their mother were aware of what he was up to, to some extent at least, and of what he was eventually capable of, but turned a blind eye out of convenience… and perhaps because, at the end of the day, ruling Russia was never an easy feat.