The Coddling of the American Mind

How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure

By: Jonathan Haidt, Greg Lukianoff

Narrated by: Jonathan Haidt

Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

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 Audio

Critic reviews

“A disturbing and comprehensive analysis of recent campus trends… Lukianoff and Haidt notice something unprecedented and frightening… The consequences of a generation unable or disinclined to engage with ideas that make them uncomfortable are dire for society, and open the door - accessible from both the left and the right - to various forms of authoritarianism.” (Thomas Chatterton Williams, The New York Times Book Review - cover review and Editors’ Choice selection)

"So how do you create ‘wiser kids’? Get them off their screens. Argue with them. Get them out of their narrow worlds of family, school and university. Boot them out for a challenging Gap year. It all makes perfect sense…the cure seems a glorious revelation." (Philip Delves Broughton, Evening Standard)

“Perhaps the strongest argument in Haidt and Lukianoff’s favour...is this: if you see this issue as being about little more than a few sanctimonious teenagers throwing hissy fits on campus then, yes, it is probably receiving too much attention. But if you accept their premise, that it’s really a story about mental wellbeing and emotional fragility, about a generation acting out because it has been set up to fail by bad parenting and poorly designed institutions, then their message is an urgent one. And it is one that resonates well beyond dusty libraries and manicured quadrangles, into all of our lives.” (Josh Glancy, The Sunday Times (UK))

The consequences of overprotection

“Prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child” this book is a gem, and should be required reading for all parents, specially those that have the means to provide everything for their children.

Sometimes we think we are protecting our children when in actual fact we are hindering them by not preparing them for the world. Children are by nature resilient “anti-fragile”. This book is about letting strengthening their capabilities by providing a challenging environment where they learn to accept to fend for themselves intellectually when they are right, and understand that they can also be wrong.

There are different point of views that have merit and require a voices and most of all listening ears. The views of the author are the antithesis of the us verses them toxic mentality that has plagued our society through the filtering bubbles of social media, where opposing views are not only not tolerated but heckled creating an environment of hate and dividing people.

Our children are our future. We should expose them to the other side, so that maybe they don’t make the mistakes that we too commonly do, the intolerance of an objector, the unchallenged righteousness of our beliefs. We are right they are wrong, we are good they are evil.

A great book, supported by facts and good evidence. Highly recommended.

Helped me have compassion

This book helped me understand and have more compassion for young people who I previously dismissed as unhinged snowflakes. It helped me understand why they're engaging in illiberal behaviors. Perhaps I can now engage them productively, instead of using mockery and derision.

Prophetic in some ways

Reading this end of 2020 and first week of 2021. We can see how when left unchecked generations can grow up with distorted views of others. Prophetic . There is hope as I work with several Gen Z people and for the most part their approach to life and work are often not as severe as a broad brush generalization would suggest. Author did a wonderful subjective job in research and presentation.

This is an educative book for reading

The book is fun to read and realistic. It has a constructive narrative and is accompanied by good supporting information.

Jonathan is absolutely brilliant.

Absolutely love this eye opening book I will recommend it to everybody I know. This book is at risk of being read multiple times

Educational

There were a couple of slow spots but overall I really enjoyed this book immensely!

Good Read

Initially I thought the narrator’s voice was to soft and annoying. I didn’t think I would be able to make it through, but after a couple of chapters I got used to it and eventually began to like it. Very soothing. Lol. The information is well organized and the research is thorough. I recommend.

Important book

Must reading for schools and universities. Administration and teachers.Gives great insight into the tribalism going on into this country and illuminates possible ways to respond to the trend

A very important and necessary discussion

I really appreciate books and presentations such as this one. I feel as though the author did a good job conveying the concerns that many people struggle facing. I agreed with a lot of his points and thought the suggestions towards the end were really great.

A must read

A sober view on what is happening with the youth of America. I think it's important to know that these things are not being done out of bad will, but the effects will last a lifetime.