Not stupid at all. I didn't have a mentor and never asked the question so used to get through a lot of leaders (expensive) - more often due to wind knots than changing the fly.
Depending on the overall length I want, I either start with a tapered leader then tie on a tippet ring when it gets too short, to which the tippet is attached or tie on a tippet ring right at the start. The leader tends to survive my various encounters with trees bushes etc and I now have a number of tapered leaders of diffenent lengths / thicknesses with tippet rings on that I tend to just leave on the appropriate line. As already mentioned many attach the leader to the tippet with a knot like the 3 turn water knot. A loop is not recommended not least because of the drag it will create in the water.
Tapered leaders come both with and without loops for attaching to the fly line. Lots of debate on here about the best way of attaching one to the other. If you like to use a loop and the leader doesn't have one try this knot (don't use it on the fly line though)
How to tie the Figure-of-8 loop knot
or google the perfection loop. The disadvantage of a loop-to-loop connection is that it can catch in the tip ring and is also one more snag for your line to catch on when false casting. The advantage is flexibility annd speed of changing the leader if that becomes necessary. For a permanent attachment the needle knot seems to be top dog.
I always use a tapered leader when fishing dry flies but have just received some (tapered) furled leaders from Mr Trout and may find them better than using the mono tapered - they come with loops and tippet rings
When using my 7ft I use a short length of tapered leader, about 3ft, with a tippet ring.