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its_not_you_its_ye t1_iuend03 wrote

Reply to comment by Gemmabeta in TIL dunce caps were originally a sign of high intelligence and wisdom. Philosopher and theologian John Duns Scotus was a proponent of pointy hats as a way to funnel knowledge to the mind and his followers, called Dunsmen, wore them. By the 1500s the Dunsmen fell out of favor as “behind the times”. by Aequitas05

It is worth also noting, though, that while your comment applies to the origin of the tradition of the cap, the term “dunce” does trace back to John Duns Scotus. While he was a noted philosopher in his time, his followers were later seen as outdated thinkers during the Enlightenment, which is how the teen became pejorative.

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