Devoted to technical writing and technical writers

Yes, yes, this word IDIOT is so commonly used to describe anyone with a perceived lack of brains or the ability to use his God-given gifts, that we forget that it has its beginnings in the realm of politics.

Early Greek civilization had a rather exalted idea of civic responsibility. Thus, one became a Citizen by way of an accumulation of tasks performed well and trust earned well. On the other hand, a person with no position or office at all was referred to as an idios, loosely translated into “private”. It was a disparaging way of describing one mentally unable to participate in community affairs. In actual usage, it began to refer to anyone with diminished mental capacity.

sourced by JMJF