Robert Musil (1880-1942) is primarily known for his unfinished monumental novel "The Man Without Qualities." Under the impression of the dramatic political developments in Europe, he delivered his famous lecture "On Stupidity" in Vienna on March 11 and 17, 1937, at the invitation of the Austrian Werkbund. The lecture begins with the words: "If stupidity did not so closely resemble progress, talent, hope, or improvement, no one would want to be stupid.".