Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has stirred a sharp debate around elite academic institutions, cautioning that even the most prestigious universities can fall into a trap he calls “meta-stupidity”—a system where smart people inadvertently reinforce bad systems instead of questioning them.

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“Even a system full of smart people can be meta-stupid,” Vembu wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He argued that brilliant individuals often end up justifying flawed frameworks rather than challenging them, turning academic excellence into a self-sustaining echo chamber. “The smart people end up supplying the endless rationalizations to keep the meta-stupidity from being challenged,” he added.

The post quickly gained traction on social media, especially among those critical of legacy institutions. One user described meta-stupidity as a “misaligned reward function + local optima trap,” suggesting that intelligent actors often optimize for superficial metrics such as prestige or consensus. “Higher intelligence paradoxically deepens the trap,” the user noted, adding that breaking out may require external disruption or new incentives for innovation.

Another added, “Echo chambers aren’t just in politics — academia is full of smart people too scared to challenge the consensus.” He furtehr said, “Meta-stupidity is real. Being surrounded by intelligence doesn’t help if no one questions the underlying assumptions.”

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Vembu’s views reflect his long-standing skepticism toward centralized systems in both business and education.

His critique comes at a time when traditional markers of success—elite college degrees, institutional recognition, and consensus thinking—are facing renewed scrutiny. For many, Vembu’s remarks underscore a broader cultural shift questioning whether today’s prestigious institutions genuinely serve the goals of progress and independent thought.