[forgetsusername]

>most of what I see in the gym are meatheads using way more weight than they should be.

What does that mean? If your goal is to get stronger you have to lift as much weight as possible. Obviously you don't want to hurt yourself, but the emphasis on perfect form over heavy weights is "broscience" if your goal is strength.

>I'm just skeptical that someone unable to create stable positions with a fixed object (barbell) will have more success creating proper stable positions off of objects that move freely.

The whole point is that it's more difficult to maintain stability with dumbells.

[Floegipoky]

Let me clarify. A professional strength athlete will need to move lots of weight, and will occasionally need to compromise form and future health to get it done. That being said, look at the work Kelly Starrett has done with Mark Bell. Perfect form by definition results in the most efficient force production and transfer, and is therefore the most efficient way to increase strength. My understanding is that these days you rarely see elite power athletes compromise form in training, in the same way that you rarely see elite power athletes lifting their max load. My philosophy is that in training, a rep without proper form is a failed rep.