Sunday, September 09, 2018

The Coddling of the American Mind

Remember, Haidt is self-described leftie:
In 2015, psychology professor Jonathan Haidt and free-speech activist Greg Lukianoff published "The Coddling of the American Mind" in The Atlantic. It argued that speech codes, trigger warnings, and safe spaces on college campuses are "disastrous for education—and mental health." It quickly became the most-read article in the history of the magazine. link
"Medicalizing" complaints, arguing that speech they don't like will physically harm them. That's a very astute (and alarming) observation.

Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff explain how "good intentions and bad ideas" have made young people super-fragile—and how to make things better.
Update, 9/10/18: Here's another view of things:
A college education isn’t intended to make people think any more, write Greg Lukianoff, a First Amendent specialist, and Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist, in The Coddling of the American Mind. “It is meant to make them comfortable.”

The culture of “safetyism” promotes three Great Untruths, they write. What doesn’t kill you makes you weakeralways trust your feelings; and life is a battle between good people and evil people.

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