Why do people try to be clever when answering a simple question?

Question

I mean I asked a really stupid question the other day asking why people ask stupid questions. And some answers are just so no neccesary, people try to look clever by answering some of the stupidest things ever.

Answer 1

The following came to for the people from a friend via the Internet in response to a piece on why it takes 16,787 liberals to screw in a lightbulb (see "What Can You Accomplish With 16,000 Liberals?" Aug. 21). This spin on the light-bulb joke is a bit different, though, because it includes both Democrats and Republicans.

"How many Democrats does it take to screw in a light bulb?" Answer: 5,447 -- one to recognize the bulb needs changing and:

(*) 14 White House aides to appear on the Sunday-morning news shows denying that the bulb is burned out;

(*) eight more White House aides to blame the previous administration;

(*) four major TV news anchormen to call the Republicans mean-spirited;

(*) 243 children to stand behind President Bush as he explains the impact of burned-out lightbulbs on our children and how the mean-spirited Liberals want children to grow up in darkness;

(*) one first lady to say changing the lightbulb takes a village;

(*) nine Hollywood stars to testify as experts because they played a movie role in which they changed lightbulbs;

(*) 15 White House spin doctors to put the best light on it;

(*) 103 congressmen to tell us only Washington really knows how to change a lightbulb;

(*) one president to tell us that he feels our darkness, has 18 new federal programs to prevent burned-out lightbulbs and has vivid memories of bulbs burning out at critical moments during his childhood in Arkansas;

(*) 42 cruise missiles to defend against terrorism likely to be aimed at lightbulb factories;

(*) one campaign adviser to recommend the use of red lightbulbs;

(*) one vice president to inform us of the environmental impact of changing a lightbulb;

(*) two White House advisers to devise a tax on those who unfairly change their own lightbulbs, creating unemployment;

(*) one dead White House lawyer who can be blamed for anything that can't be pinned on the Republicans;

(*) one White House ghost who can retrieve the lightbulb files that no one else knows anything about; and

(*) 5,000 bureaucrats to make sure that the bulb is changed correctly, doesn't offend anyone, doesn't have an impact on the environment, doesn't unfairly benefit one group, doesn't harm anyone during the installation and measures up to 1,965 specifications for lightbulbs.

Answer 2

Maybe it is because so many people try to be clever and ask really stupid questions. Since you admit that you are one who did so maybe you should answer your own question. Come to think of it - this is a REALLY stupid question in the first place. People try to be clever because we figure that those of you asking the stupid questions need someone to show you how to think....:} Have a great day oh superior one.

Answer 3

Simple Answer: Advancement of Human Logic within Critical Thinking

Answer 4

Maybe some people really try to answer every question with thought. Maybe they try to be helpful. Maybe they try to see the positive side of all questions, stupid or not.
Maybe they shouldn't. Just a thought. :)

Answer 5

Sometimes people answer with the first thing that pops into their mind. I try to refrain from answering if that's all that I can come up with but sometimes I can't resist.

Answer 6

There are no stupid questions, just people who are too stupid to realize that.

Answer 7

To boost their own ego. Like how I'm boosting my ego, by telling the truth that so many of THOSE answerers would try and hide.

Thus proving, that I am:

DA SMARTEST MAFUCKA ALIVE!!
(another example of BOOSTING one's ego)

Answer 8

I don't try to be clever , i just try to make my answer seem reasonable

Answer 9

Some people do that in the hope that their answer will be chosen as best.

Answer 10

the cleverererererer i am the more best answers i get