Stupid Is The New Smart

At dinner last night, the eldest told us about an article he'd read in the New Yorker, Why Smart People Are Stupid. "And what did you learn, my son?" "I learned that smart people are really stupid."  Of course, he didn't need to read an article to find that out.  The evidence is everywhere.  Close by, in fact.  To prove it, he asked us the following: "A bat and ball cost a dollar and ten cents. The bat costs a dollar more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?" Oh, dear God.  A word problem.  I was never any good at word problems.  "The baseball cost 10 cents," I said.  The eldest looked to his father, more math inclined than the SJG.  "10 cents," hubby said, without hesitation.  "You're both wrong!"  "What?!  Why?"  "Don't worry, I got it wrong, too," he said.  According to the New Yorker, we're not the only dummies out there.  "The vast majority of people respond quickly and confidently, insisting the ball costs ten cents. This answer is both obvious and wrong. The correct answer is five cents for the ball and a dollar and five cents for the bat." "Simple arithmetic," I said, ashamed. "What's wrong with me?"  The eldest, wise beyond his years, patiently explained.  "You rushed.  You didn't think it through.  That's what people do. They take shortcuts.  They don't take their time and use logic."  "Eat your spinach," I said.  "What spinach?"  "There isn't any, Mr. Reads-The-New-Yorker. I was testing you."  "And?"  "You passed with flying colors."