The Psychology of Stupidity by Jean-François Marmion

This is a great book to realize how stupid one is! Of course you will not be called stupid if you read or listen to it!

Book review!

Audiobook!

Includes many sections of stupidity, assholes and the future of stupidity!

It is a fun ride!

The book is actually a translated book from French! Of course it is about stupidity! 

One of bias discussed in the book is called the Dunning-Kruger effect.

The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias where people with low ability in a specific skill tend to overestimate their own competence, while high performers often underestimate theirs!

The book also explores why people, including intelligent individuals, act in ways that are irrational or counterproductive, often involving a refusal to engage in critical thinking or an unwillingness to question their own biases. 

Key concepts in the psychology of stupidity which cater to these and other biases include:

Cognitive Biases: Stupidity often stems from inherent human cognitive biases and mental shortcuts (heuristics) that lead to errors in judgment. 

Confirmation Bias: Favoring information that confirms existing beliefs while ignoring evidence to the contrary.

Overconfidence Effect: Overrating one’s own abilities, knowledge, and the accuracy of one’s beliefs.

Availability Heuristic: Relying on information that comes to mind easily and quickly, rather than seeking more comprehensive data. The point about Heuristics is elaborated more in the book and in this review!

The “Stupidity Paradox”: This describes how even highly educated workers may engage in “functional stupidity”—an inability or unwillingness to use their reflective capacities in the workplace, often due to strict adherence to organizational norms and thinking “inside the box”. 

Here the author has given examples of supposedly intelligent people like even Bill Clinton and his fiasco at the time he was at the most coveted position in the world!

The psychology of stupidity suggests it is not merely a lack of intelligence, but a willful refusal to think critically, examine consequences, or embrace new ideas. It is often an outcome of cognitive biases, emotional influences, and social pressures that affect even smart people at times. 

Another point the author makes is about Ego and Arrogance since a strong ego and lack of self-doubt can lead individuals to stubbornly cling to opinions and reject correction or self-awareness!

Also when she describes stupid ‘assholes’ she points out that there is an obvious lack of empathy and a reduced concern for others’ feelings or perspectives which is associated with more foolish behavior.

People may carry out harmful or irrational actions when instructed by an authority figure, abdicating personal responsibility.

There is also a information Overload & Short Attention Span which can overwhelm cognitive abilities, making people more susceptible to manipulation and simplistic narratives!

There is a whole section with q and a on why Trum$ is an a4s%%%! Luckily he may not read this book!

There is also section of interview with Daniel Kahneman and his book where they explain how because of two systems, people tend to do stupid things!

Here you get to know about heuristics!

Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel laureate in economics, demonstrated that human decision-making often relies on mental shortcuts called heuristics, which can lead to systematic errors in judgment (which can appear as a form of “stupidity”). 

His work, primarily with Amos Tversky, challenges the traditional assumption that humans are rational agents. 

Kahneman’s research established that people use heuristics, or “rules of thumb,” to make quick decisions and save mental effort. While these shortcuts are often efficient, they are not flawless and can result in predictable mistakes, or cognitive biases.

In his bestseller Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman introduced a dual-process model of the brain.

System 1 is fast, automatic, intuitive, and emotional, operating with little or no effort. It is the source of heuristic-driven judgments.

System 2 is slower, more deliberate, analytical, and logical, requiring attention and effortful mental activity.

“Stupidity” often arises when System 1 overrides System 2, leading to quick but incorrect judgments, even when the person is highly intelligent in other contexts. The brain is a “machine for jumping to conclusions” and often endorses the suggestions of System 1 without sufficient scrutiny by System 2.

This interplay of the systems can make even non stupid people act stupidly!

There is a whole section on how being a meat eater is being very stupid with lots of pointers too! At least I am not a stupid of that kind!

All in all a very good book on how not to be stupid! How not to press the already pressed elevator button! Why you should not check your watch five minutes after you just checked it! How you can be ignorant but still be ok but do not be stupid! Like the politician who actually does not understand stuff but wants to rule! How you can show empathy not only to your pets but to other animals as well!

There are many quotes attributed to Einstein in the book which are so cool and well, not stupid! One is that Two things are infinite; the universe and Human stupidity! And I am not sure about the Universe!

Another one is Genius and stupidity are two similar human traits but genius has limits!

These two are some of the best quotes on stupidity which the author makes all through the novel! It is funny and serious at the same time!

Another section states that you can be stupid once in a while and you will be! But what you do after the fact makes you either an a@@ or not! Apologize! In this the author specifically states that it should be heartfelt and real! Furthermore it is up to the person who is receiving the apology to forgive you or not! Do not be a stupid a## and make a half baked apology!

If you do not want to be stupid of course! Then again if you are at least reading this summary or the book, you may not be one!