Expanding the Queen's English

Here's the new word-for-the-day, invented by Scott Adams, the Dilbert Cartoonist:

Definition of Withdumb: A quality you possess if you hold a popular and unfounded point of view.

Withdumb is different from herd instinct. A person who possesses withdumb could achieve the condition with no help from the group whatsoever. For example, if you were the only person in Mongolia who believed in astrology, you would have withdumb, but it wouldn't be because your herd influenced you.

It's easier to cling to an irrational opinion if you know that somewhere in the world there are lots of people who think the same way, especially if those other people seem smart or authoritative.

This neologism may be an insult to those with a lisp, but I like it because it can be literally translated into what it means: "I'm with the dumb folks who espouse views for which they have no factual base or reasonable justification."

Unlike most academics, Scott Adams is prepared to use his new invention, and use it without mercy on himself:

As an adult, I'm a bit more tuned to recognize withdumb, especially in myself. I see withdumb most often in the field of investing. Most investment choices are based on nothing more than the knowledge that other people do similar things. Lately I have started to wonder if the science of investing is any better than the science of astrology or the science of not eating a sandwich before swimming. I have a degree in economics and an MBA from a top university and I haven't seen any convincing evidence that investing is more than a collection of elaborate scams. Am I exaggerating? No.

I do draw a line. I won't follow Scott Adams and support this claim:

I'll even go so far as to say that the BP oil leak looks suspicious to me. I think we all agree that the most likely cause of the incident is shoddy (cheap) engineering. But the second best explanation is sabotage with a profit motive. My withdumb tells me the oil spill was just an accident. But my experience and common sense tell me I don't live in a world where the alternative can be ruled out.

I think the inventor of the term has just turned into the first person to misuse his own invented word! It isn't "withdumb" to think the Gulf oil spill was sabotage, that's conspiracy theory paranoia, and it is a minority view which is no where near "popular". So Adams has misused his own word. That must be a record in creation and corruption... all within one blog entry. Congrats!