Jonathan Haidt is one of the more interesting writers today on the intersection of moral psychology, polarization, tribalism, the evolution of college campus, & more.
Read The Coddling of The American Mind: amazon.com/dp/B076NVFT5P/…
Here's a summary of some of his ideas 👇
Read The Coddling of The American Mind: amazon.com/dp/B076NVFT5P/…
Here's a summary of some of his ideas 👇
3 great untruths being told today
1/ What doesn't kill you makes you weaker.
Safe spaces, overparenting, and "speech as violence" are meant to protect, but they make us fragile.
Instead of debate, students "cancel" & shut convo down.
And miss out on key skills as a result.
1/ What doesn't kill you makes you weaker.
Safe spaces, overparenting, and "speech as violence" are meant to protect, but they make us fragile.
Instead of debate, students "cancel" & shut convo down.
And miss out on key skills as a result.
"I don't want you to be safe ideologically
I want you to be strong. That's different.
I'm not gonna pave the jungle for you.
Put on some boots & learn to deal w/ adversity.
I'm not gonna take weights out the gym. That's the whole point of the gym."
I want you to be strong. That's different.
I'm not gonna pave the jungle for you.
Put on some boots & learn to deal w/ adversity.
I'm not gonna take weights out the gym. That's the whole point of the gym."
Seeing speech as violence has scary implications.
The state is supposed to have the monopoly on violence, so if speech is violence then gov't can control speech.
And if I say that some speech is violent towards me, I now have liberty to use violence back (b/c self defense)
The state is supposed to have the monopoly on violence, so if speech is violence then gov't can control speech.
And if I say that some speech is violent towards me, I now have liberty to use violence back (b/c self defense)
3 great untruths being told today
2/ Always trust your feelings, esp over arguments.
This doesn't take into account how biased and flawed and often shallow and silly we are.
But when we push against each other, we challenge each other and we get better we get smarter together.
2/ Always trust your feelings, esp over arguments.
This doesn't take into account how biased and flawed and often shallow and silly we are.
But when we push against each other, we challenge each other and we get better we get smarter together.
3 great untruths being told today
3/ Life is a battle btw good people and bad people.
If you're told this, you're going to be constantly paranoid. You're going to look for the wrong in everything the other side does and you're not going to look to work together.
3/ Life is a battle btw good people and bad people.
If you're told this, you're going to be constantly paranoid. You're going to look for the wrong in everything the other side does and you're not going to look to work together.
Social Media amplified this.
Since people are arguing in public, they're tempted to show off & win as to not look weak.
You get "credit" for tearing other side down publicly, not having a constructive convo privately
Does it change them? No, it makes them hate you.
Since people are arguing in public, they're tempted to show off & win as to not look weak.
You get "credit" for tearing other side down publicly, not having a constructive convo privately
Does it change them? No, it makes them hate you.
Tame vs Wicked Problems
Tame = Clear problem, clear solution
Wicked = Experts disagree & are guided by value differences.(eg inequality)
We've solved many tame problems. Low hanging fruit has been picked. Now need to solve wicked problems
We need view point diversity to do so
Tame = Clear problem, clear solution
Wicked = Experts disagree & are guided by value differences.(eg inequality)
We've solved many tame problems. Low hanging fruit has been picked. Now need to solve wicked problems
We need view point diversity to do so
Human reasoning does not take place in a logical world based on facts.
It takes place in an emotional world based on stories.
And we don't even write these stories. We imbibe them as we grow up.
So to change people's minds, focus on the stories they're still clutching to
It takes place in an emotional world based on stories.
And we don't even write these stories. We imbibe them as we grow up.
So to change people's minds, focus on the stories they're still clutching to
Socialism story:
Capitalists got rich by extracting labor from workers.
in 20th century, gov'ts protected workers from greedy capitalists which led to wealth creation & distribution
Capitalists fought back and now rich get richer, poor get poorer, and planet suffers.
Capitalists got rich by extracting labor from workers.
in 20th century, gov'ts protected workers from greedy capitalists which led to wealth creation & distribution
Capitalists fought back and now rich get richer, poor get poorer, and planet suffers.
Capitalism story:
Everyone used to be a peasant
Post-capitalism, many former peasants got rich
And yet, capitalism never gets credit it deserves & is constantly under attack
People would rather have everyone be equal rather than some get more than others—even if equally poor
Everyone used to be a peasant
Post-capitalism, many former peasants got rich
And yet, capitalism never gets credit it deserves & is constantly under attack
People would rather have everyone be equal rather than some get more than others—even if equally poor
Thanks to capitalism:
1820 - 95% of the world lived in poverty
1981 - 52%
2010 - 20%
2015 - 9.9%
It's not just that the rich get richer, it's that everybody gets richer.
And then a generation or two later, everyone gets rights.
1820 - 95% of the world lived in poverty
1981 - 52%
2010 - 20%
2015 - 9.9%
It's not just that the rich get richer, it's that everybody gets richer.
And then a generation or two later, everyone gets rights.
However, progress of a free market society creates conditions that undermine its future success in a few ways:
Ppl lose common purpose (or specifically, common enemy) & turn on each other.
Hard times create strong men
Strong men create good times
Good times create weak men
Ppl lose common purpose (or specifically, common enemy) & turn on each other.
Hard times create strong men
Strong men create good times
Good times create weak men
If you think that half the country is 100% wrong, then you're trapped in a moral matrix.
And like Matrix the movie, you can either take the blue pill, & stick to your comforting delusions, or you can take the red pill, learn some moral psychology & step outside the moral matrix.
And like Matrix the movie, you can either take the blue pill, & stick to your comforting delusions, or you can take the red pill, learn some moral psychology & step outside the moral matrix.
Morality binds and blinds.
There's the politics game, where we do whatever it takes to win.
Then there's also the get to know you game, where the goal is learning and connection.
We're now in the lawyer game, which is your guilty and you owe me. Don't give an inch.
There's the politics game, where we do whatever it takes to win.
Then there's also the get to know you game, where the goal is learning and connection.
We're now in the lawyer game, which is your guilty and you owe me. Don't give an inch.
Theories of justice:
Utilitarian view: The greatest good for the greatest number
Kantian view: What's right is good
Aristotelian view: You get what you deserve
Procedural justice is about fairness of process
Distributive justice is about outcome distributions
Utilitarian view: The greatest good for the greatest number
Kantian view: What's right is good
Aristotelian view: You get what you deserve
Procedural justice is about fairness of process
Distributive justice is about outcome distributions
A university needs to have a central mission and has to be either truth or social justice activism.
It can't be both.
We need a schism, we need our universities to clearly declare which way you going.
It can't be both.
We need a schism, we need our universities to clearly declare which way you going.
Any motive besides truth is bad for scholarship bc reasoning is heavily motivated
If you start by wanting to believe one side of something, you're gonna find evidence for it,& you're gonna conclude that it's true
"He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that"
If you start by wanting to believe one side of something, you're gonna find evidence for it,& you're gonna conclude that it's true
"He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that"
Should a fundamentalist creationist be a geology professor? Probably not.
So why would we admit someone who's just as fundamentalist about certain moral & political issues into a sociology program or into a psychology program, if they come in committed to a certain POV/outcome?
So why would we admit someone who's just as fundamentalist about certain moral & political issues into a sociology program or into a psychology program, if they come in committed to a certain POV/outcome?
We are fundamentally religious creatures.
And it's a great achievement to create a scientific establishment that keeps religious thinking out.
We must always be vigilant of it popping back up in new forms.
We separated the church & academy, time to do the same for SJ.
And it's a great achievement to create a scientific establishment that keeps religious thinking out.
We must always be vigilant of it popping back up in new forms.
We separated the church & academy, time to do the same for SJ.
Activism *is* very important (as is religion) but it should be susceptible to inquiry.
By all means, look for injustice, but make sure you know what you're talking about. Back it up w/ reason, not threats. Be able to argue the other side. Be open to changing your mind.
By all means, look for injustice, but make sure you know what you're talking about. Back it up w/ reason, not threats. Be able to argue the other side. Be open to changing your mind.
"We need a Geneva convention for the culture war."
Just like in a normal war, we make a truce where we won't poison gas, kill children...we should:
- Judge on intent, not just impact
- Give people benefit of the doubt
- Embrace inquiry
- Define terms so compliance is possible
Just like in a normal war, we make a truce where we won't poison gas, kill children...we should:
- Judge on intent, not just impact
- Give people benefit of the doubt
- Embrace inquiry
- Define terms so compliance is possible
"You can either think of yourselves as being balloons full of feelings in a world full of pins, or you can think of yourselves as fires.
And to close, I would just like to say to every student here you are the fire. Now go find some wind"
And to close, I would just like to say to every student here you are the fire. Now go find some wind"
