A novel
The Psychology of Stupid
by Santo J. Triolo, PhD, ABAP
Professor Stona leads his class toward the understanding that many of history’s darkest and craziest times stem from natural tendencies, our DNA. It is his last class before a forced retirement.
384 pages Published Feb 24, 2022 ISBN 979-8422700950
About the book
One word that explains dictatorships, wars, greed and loneliness.
Through lively classroom discussions, diverse student personalities meet in a rich exchange of ideas and perspectives. Along the way, the class explores how dictatorships, wars, domestic violence, greed, envy, loneliness, mental health problems and fanaticism might all be explained in one word: stupid.
Then comes the harder part: what can you do about it? Professor Stona’s answer draws on more than 40 years as a clinician and teacher, and he leaves his students and his readers with an unusual perspective on the universe we inhabit.
The result reads like a novel but works like a semester-long course in how people really think, love, work and live together.
Curious readers
Anyone who has watched the news and wondered why we keep doing this to ourselves.
Students and teachers
A ready-made discussion book for psychology, sociology and critical thinking courses.
Book clubs
Twenty-three chapters, each ending in a question worth talking over at dinner.
Table of contents
Twenty-three chapters
From the pages
Lines readers will underline.
“The bad news is that we are brain-damaged… The good news is that we are still evolving.”
Chapter 9 · Dualism
“Worry does not go away just because you were told not to worry.”
Chapter 7 · The Holy Trinity of Psychotherapy
“It’s just human nature. We all like to think that we are more important than we really are.”
Chapter 23 · What Is Reality but a Hologram?
Questions readers ask
Is this a novel or a psychology book?
Both. It is a novel set in a college classroom, and the lectures teach real ideas about ego, therapy, love, bureaucracy, religion and artificial intelligence through the characters’ discussions.
Do I need a psychology background?
No. Professor Stona’s students include a grocery bagger, a mechanic and a construction worker. If you can follow a conversation at a dinner table, you can follow this book.
Is this the same as The Psychology of Stupidity by Jean-François Marmion?
No. That is a separate essay collection by other authors. The Psychology of Stupid is a novel by clinical psychologist Santo J. Triolo, published in 2022.
Where can I buy it?
The paperback and Kindle editions are both available on Amazon. Use the buy buttons on this page.
Class is in session.
Start with a free sample, then take the whole semester.