The Coddling of the American Mind
How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure
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The Coddling of the American Mind
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Narrated by:
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Jonathan Haidt
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Written by:
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Jonathan Haidt
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Greg Lukianoff
About this listen
A timely investigation into the new "safety culture" on campus and the dangers it poses to free speech, mental health, education, and ultimately democracy
The generation now coming of age has been taught three Great Untruths: their feelings are always right; they should avoid pain and discomfort; and they should look for faults in others and not themselves. These three Great Untruths are part of a larger philosophy that sees young people as fragile creatures who must be protected and supervised by adults. But despite the good intentions of the adults who impart them, the Great Untruths are harming kids by teaching them the opposite of ancient wisdom and the opposite of modern psychological findings on grit, growth, and antifragility.
The result is rising rates of depression and anxiety, along with endless stories of college campuses torn apart by moralistic divisions and mutual recriminations.
This is a book about how we got here. First Amendment expert Greg Lukianoff and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt take us on a tour of the social trends stretching back to the 1980s that have produced the confusion and conflict on campus today, including the loss of unsupervised play time and the birth of social media, all during a time of rising political polarization.
This is a book about how to fix the mess. The culture of “safety” and its intolerance of opposing viewpoints has left many young people anxious and unprepared for adult life, with devastating consequences for them, for their parents, for the companies that will soon hire them, and for a democracy that is already pushed to the brink of violence over its growing political divisions. Lukianoff and Haidt offer a comprehensive set of reforms that will strengthen young people and institutions, allowing us all to reap the benefits of diversity, including viewpoint diversity.
This is a book for anyone who is confused by what’s happening on college campuses today, or has children, or is concerned about the growing inability of Americans to live and work and cooperate across party lines.
©2018 Greg Lukianoff (P)2018 Penguin AudioWhat the critics say
“Our behavior in society is not immune to the power of rational scientific analysis. Through that lens, prepare yourself for a candid look at the softening of America, and what we can do about it.” (Neil deGrasse Tyson, director, Hayden Planetarium, and author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry)
What listeners say about The Coddling of the American Mind
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- HRPuff&Stuff
- 2019-07-21
Finally! A balanced explanation of the iGen/Generation Z so distressing the rest of us
I have noticed an increasing lack of space in public discourse for critical debate and appropriate skepticism of social justice advocacy that verges on group think, public shaming and tactics used in Germany in the 1930s. As Generation X, I was taught to “trust no one, the truth is out there”. With children immersed in the internet, they have developed thin skins and soft brains easily manipulated by the corporate sector and ideologues. We don’t celebrate achievement anymore but whine about grievances. Social cohesion is being ripped apart and the first signs of trouble come from our university faculty and students. As the authors point out, it is time for some tough love. Be offended and learn to attack positions not people. This is a great book to identify the problems and present some solutions.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Brendan Buker
- 2020-08-20
Eye opening
Excellent book that I initially read to understand the state of universities but also gained understanding of my own thought processes. Excellent read!
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- Anonymous User
- 2019-12-18
Well reasoned, and much needed
Haidt and Lukianoff set out in this brilliantly written and well-substantiated book to systematically dismantle a culture that is setting us up politically, socially, economically, and morally to reverse the hard-fought wisdom that undergirds our individual and collective ability to cooperate, solve problems, cope with hardship, and gain knowledge. With a hint of good humour, and a consistent adherence to evidence, this book describes both the problem of the “great untruths” and their antithesis, so that we may become better parents, better people, and along the way create a better society. Anyone whose lives will touch social media, educational institutions, and politics—in other words everyone—would benefit from committing to memory what this books lays out as a solution to our “culture of safetyism”, and implement it in their daily lives, especially when raising their children. I have benefited greatly from engaging with this book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 2020-06-12
Finally a view of today that is accurate.
this book was refreshing, in a world full of group think and "cancel culture Mob mentality" this book breaks apart all of the steps we as a society took to get here and how to reverse some of the negatives while maintaining the positives. this is a refreshing take on the world around you! this should be read in all high schools !!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- AM
- 2019-03-02
a must read
Every human over age 13 must read this.
Great narration, excellent and important topics supported by evidence based studies and sound opinions.
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- DD
- 2018-11-23
Should be required reading for every parent.
Jonathan Haight seems like a reasonable person. I feel like, if I were to meet him, we could dialogue about tough topics without it getting out of hand. He’s got some solid ideas in the book about how to correct some parenting mistakes that have led to serious societal unhappiness.
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- Clay
- 2022-12-12
Exceptional book
I think everybody should either listen to this or read this I could not stop listening to it I found it incredibly enlightening I thought the narration was fantastic And I will most definitely be listening to it again
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- Amazon Customer
- 2020-11-16
Practical, Relevant Psychology
This book really helps you to understand not just what's going on in the world, but why these things are happening. Especially when it comes to College campuses, Jonathan shares what's going on from what I see as a Psychological point of view, instead of an opinionated one, and I really appreciate hearing from someone who's just observing what's all going on, rather than someone who's all angry about one side or the other. I feel as though the world, as well as myself makes just a little more sense after listening to this book.
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- Michael Mazur
- 2018-12-14
Helicopter Parent Must Ready
A number of concepts in book made a ton of sense. Creating kids dependent on you is not only bad for them but for you also.
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- Mark Doane
- 2018-11-15
Still relevant for Canadians. It's about post sec.
The book manages to take a very neutral look at the current state of affairs in North America, and on university campuses. By first establishing the three great untruths that students are susceptible to, Haidt and Lukianoff lay out a framework for how students can ensure a better education for themselves and others.
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