Understanding Stupidity [Paperback]

James F. Welles (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 210 pages
• Publisher: Mount Pleasant Pr (August 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0961772905
• ISBN-13: 978-0961772901
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,234,401 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars do i need a title?, October 10, 2003

By 

"popeye424" (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Understanding Stupidity (Paperback)

If you have interest in psychology, sociology, or philosphy you may want to take a look at Understanding Stupidity. Dr welles first sets up a working definition of 'stupidity' then elaborates upon how it affects human belief sytems and why in fact stupidity is necessary to the existence of such systems. emotions are what we are given as children via socialization. these emotions unconciously become a filter for information thus taking the place of rationality...in a sense this is what stupidity is. I'm trying to summarize, and by doing so i dont do justice to the idea, but i'll leave it as such just to present a basic knowledge. i respect dr. welles' ideas because they are well thought out and are presented clearly and accurately...he doesn't leave many holes in his arguments. my only complaint is that he tends to be repetitve, although this may be necessitated by readers tendencies to drift over important details. Regardless, i felt less stoopid having done had read it. and dats whut!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If it was a false arrest, the slander should be removed from this webiste, November 13, 2010

By 

Penelope Seator - See all my reviews

This review is from: Understanding Stupidity (Paperback)

I haven't read this book (though I had to pick a rating to post and justify a high rating to myself by a sense that the worst my rating based on ignorance can do is balance some low ratings based on the allegations against Welles). I'm looking at the book, along with some other books about human stupidity--so very apparent in current U.S. society, government, foreign and domestic policy, media, and life.

The allegation of attempted child sexual abuse is a very serious charge to make against a person. If it were true, I would not want to read the book. There are so many great things to read and learn written by people of great and admirable intelligence and integrity. If Welles is a child sexual abuser, I would not be able to forget as I read that the words come from a person of no integrity.

But if the charges are false, and the arrest a set-up, Welles is being slandered and these slanderous comments should be taken off the website. We must not be so stupid as to forget that arrests and charges of all kinds are made to discredit people for some reason.

The presence of these comments in my view requires some investigation from the webmaster so that Welles is treated fairly.

5.0 out of 5 stars Keen Insights, March 15, 2011

By 

Ernest Alan - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Understanding Stupidity (Paperback)

Book provides a perspective found no where else on human thinking and decision-making. It outlines how our choosing is influenced by who we are as beings with innate flaws that cloud what we choose to do. A must for leaders of organizations and groups of all types and sizes. A leadership-essential textbook.