The Coddling of the American Mind

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

By: Greg Lukianoff, Jonathan Haidt

Narrated by: Jonathan Haidt

Something has been going wrong on many college campuses in the last few years. Speakers are shouted down. Students and professors say they are walking on eggshells and are afraid to speak honestly. Rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide are rising—on campus as well as nationally. How did this happen?

First Amendment expert Greg Lukianoff and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt show how the new problems on campus have their origins in three terrible ideas that have become increasingly woven into American childhood and education: What doesn’t kill you makes you weaker; always trust your feelings; and life is a battle between good people and evil people. These three Great Untruths contradict basic psychological principles about well-being and ancient wisdom from many cultures. Embracing these untruths—and the resulting culture of safetyism—interferes with young people’s social, emotional, and intellectual development. It makes it harder for them to become autonomous adults who are able to navigate the bumpy road of life.

Lukianoff and Haidt investigate the many social trends that have intersected to promote the spread of these untruths. They explore changes in childhood such as the rise of fearful parenting, the decline of unsupervised, child-directed play, and the new world of social media that has engulfed teenagers in the last decade. They examine changes on campus, including the corporatization of universities and the emergence of new ideas about identity and justice. They situate the conflicts on campus within the context of America’s rapidly rising political polarization and dysfunction.

This is an audiobook for anyone who is confused by what is happening on college campuses today, or has children, or is concerned about the growing inability of Americans to live, work, and cooperate across party lines.

Oh so needed of a book by teachers and students alike

I recently graduated from an American university. I first hand experienced the three untruths this book outlines, I saw the pendulum swing voraciously towards safetyism.

The Coddling is a well researched book coming at an important time. Teachers in college and below as well as students in college and below should read this book.

A must read for all college students and parents

This is more true now then when the book was written. Free speech is being eliminated at schools and across the nation. It is scary how the change in a simple dynamic (smart phones and over-protective parents) can backfire so radically in such a short period of time. This book is an excellent read in explaining the problem, the origin of the problem and possible solutions while bringing in enough evidence and stories to make it surprisingly interesting.

A clear explanation of the problem & solution

I only recommend this book to those who care about themselves and/or humanity. This has a broad application & I can't imagine anyone who would not be able to use the ideas here.

One of the most important book of its time.

Even if the focus is on education, this book should be read by everyone to better understand the world we live in.

Perfection

This book truly speaks to some issues I have felt plague this society for some time. I have listened to, shared this book, recommended and also posted about it on social media. I feel so very strongly that it should be required reading material. It has been the topic of many conversations in my salon. I am a stylist in a town with an Ivy League school. I see many college students and my town in extremely far left. This book has offered so much insight and I recommend to all.