This is an excellent book that takes an empirical and best-practices approach to the shifts in public discourse and development of cancel culture, primarily within the post-secondary environment. The authors contrast the apparent tenets of interpersonal discourse with the best practices gleaned from their careers as psychologists and educators, and contrast the differing secondary and tertiary effects of these approaches. For instance, constantly appealing to a third-party arbiter for judgment and enforcement has the effect of reducing one’s ability to work through problems directly with the other person in question, which actually represents a regression of the individual in terms of evolutionary social skills. It also has the impact of choking the marketplace of ideas and limiting public discourse in a way that is also socially regressive. Larger summary below the book link:
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“The Coddling of the American Mind” is a book by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt that explores the challenges faced by young people on college campuses and in society more broadly. The authors argue that an increasing culture of safetyism and the prioritization of emotional well-being over intellectual growth is harming individuals and stifling free speech.
The book identifies three “Great Untruths” that the authors believe are contributing to this problem. The first is the idea of “fragility,” suggesting that people are becoming more emotionally fragile and need protection from offensive or challenging ideas. The second is the notion of “emotional reasoning,” which asserts that one’s feelings should guide their perception of reality. The third is “us versus them” thinking, which promotes the idea that individuals should align themselves with a particular group and view others as adversaries.
Lukianoff and Haidt trace the origins of these Great Untruths to several cultural and technological shifts, including the rise of social media, increased anxiety and depression rates, and changes in parenting and education styles. They argue that the overprotection of young people from discomfort and disagreement hinders their ability to develop resilience and critical thinking skills.
The authors propose several strategies for countering these trends. They advocate for the importance of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy to help individuals build resilience and confront their fears. They also emphasize the need for universities to foster a culture of open dialogue, intellectual diversity, and free speech, encouraging students to engage with challenging ideas rather than avoiding or silencing them.
In summary, “The Coddling of the American Mind” explores the challenges posed by the growing culture of safetyism and its impact on young people’s emotional well-being and intellectual development. The authors argue for the importance of resilience, critical thinking, and open dialogue in addressing these issues and fostering a healthier cultural climate.