The Psychology of Stupidity

The number one international bestseller
The Sunday Times bestseller

‘We need books like this one’ – Steven Pinker, psychologist and bestselling author of Rationality

A comprehensive and witty exploration of human stupidity from some of the world’s smartest minds, including Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman, psychologist Alison Gopnik, neuroscientist Antonio Damasio, philosopher Aaron James, Ryan Holiday and more.

Stupidity is all around us, from the colleagues who won’t stop hitting ‘reply all’ to the former school friends posting conspiracy theories on Facebook. But in order to battle idiocy, we must first understand it. In The Psychology of Stupidity, some of the world’s leading psychologists and thinkers – including a Nobel Prize winner – will show you . . .

• Why smart people sometimes believe in utter nonsense
• How our lazy brains cause us to make the wrong decisions
• Why trying to debate with fools is a trap
• How media manipulation and internet overstimulation make us dumber
• Why the stupidest people don’t think they’re stupid

As long as there have been humans, there has been human stupidity, but with wit and wisdom, these great thinkers can help us understand this persistent human affliction.

Readers love The Psychology of Stupidity:
‘Super interesting, engaging and shockingly true’
‘A smart, funny read about how society keeps tripping over the same mistakes’
‘Brilliant . . . I will definitely read this book over and over again’
‘Frightening and brilliant, amusing and makes you think’