Social pressure might produce a "Goober" (the fictional village idiot of Mayberry) who really isn't an idiot. If you watch the episodes of "The Andy Griffith Show" carefully, you'll see this brought out.
Goober is really a smart fellow, a top-notch mechanic. But he wears that comical hat and makes funny remarks as a matter of habit.
On the other hand, probably the biggest factor in the making of a village idiot is a low IQ. It doesn't have to be so low as to amount to idiocy, of course. But dim wits do get noticed, after which they may be scorned or ridiculed, and the social pressure comes into play only afterward to motivate the subject to carve a social niche in conformity to expectations. The retard hams it up a bit and is rewarded with grudging acceptance; his life becomes more tolerable. He won't get a girlfriend (or so we may hope), but at least he won't be beaten up several times a week, either.
Jerry Abbott
3 days ago