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oxnard_montalvo's review against another edition
Not quite sure what to make of this book; it seems half self help, half parenting guide, half aimed at universities' administrative bodies, half call for education reform... too many halves and not enough.... whole?
I agree that controversial viewpoints ought to have a platform. I think there's a lot to be said for respectfully listening to people you do not agree with. Expressing discomfort or anger through violence (in the contexts provided here) is not constructive. Many of the individual situations the book describes seemed wantonly cruel at worst, hollow slacktivism at best. They acknowledge the political climate is not exactly good at nuance on either the left or right. I agree with their claims that there's are serious issues with sheltering children and adolecents, and that young people need to be given far more autonomy than perhaps the current culture allows.
However, for all my agreement that there should not have been real physical assault, or destruction of careers and property in the cases the authors mention, I also wonder at their inclusion of Milo Yiannopoulos among other controversial speakers who had been silenced by protesters. I suppose that one man's idiot is another man's intellectual heavyweight but really? There's a difference between exposure to uncomfortable ideas and an educational institution inviting a troll to speak on their campus. It gives legitimacy to their ideas, which I believe is not the same as endorsing; having speakers of opposing viewpoints is absolutely necessary, but.... Milo Yiannopoulos?
Perhaps I'm missing the point entirely with this quibble. Maybe I'm proving my own intellectual stuntedness by suggesting that some viewpoints are less legitimate than others and it's one big slippery slope when a group decides to silence those with whom they disagree.
A second quibble I had, was the main idea the book is built around. It's there in the quote at the start: prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child. Sage advice. A child should have enough life experience to be able to adapt to new situations. A life cannot be lived completely free of discomfort and challenge. There will always be rough edges and angles.
The unfortunate side effect of that is the idea that the road itself cannot change. What if the children are trying to forge a new path? What then?
Edit: (it's been on my mind clearly) another thing I found bewildering, was the lack of discussion of rightwing fragility. Granted, the view of this book is narrow, focused on particular, broadly liberal campuses, but what of conservative discomfort in the face of challenging ideas?
I agree that controversial viewpoints ought to have a platform. I think there's a lot to be said for respectfully listening to people you do not agree with. Expressing discomfort or anger through violence (in the contexts provided here) is not constructive. Many of the individual situations the book describes seemed wantonly cruel at worst, hollow slacktivism at best. They acknowledge the political climate is not exactly good at nuance on either the left or right. I agree with their claims that there's are serious issues with sheltering children and adolecents, and that young people need to be given far more autonomy than perhaps the current culture allows.
However, for all my agreement that there should not have been real physical assault, or destruction of careers and property in the cases the authors mention, I also wonder at their inclusion of Milo Yiannopoulos among other controversial speakers who had been silenced by protesters. I suppose that one man's idiot is another man's intellectual heavyweight but really? There's a difference between exposure to uncomfortable ideas and an educational institution inviting a troll to speak on their campus. It gives legitimacy to their ideas, which I believe is not the same as endorsing; having speakers of opposing viewpoints is absolutely necessary, but.... Milo Yiannopoulos?
Perhaps I'm missing the point entirely with this quibble. Maybe I'm proving my own intellectual stuntedness by suggesting that some viewpoints are less legitimate than others and it's one big slippery slope when a group decides to silence those with whom they disagree.
A second quibble I had, was the main idea the book is built around. It's there in the quote at the start: prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child. Sage advice. A child should have enough life experience to be able to adapt to new situations. A life cannot be lived completely free of discomfort and challenge. There will always be rough edges and angles.
The unfortunate side effect of that is the idea that the road itself cannot change. What if the children are trying to forge a new path? What then?
Edit: (it's been on my mind clearly) another thing I found bewildering, was the lack of discussion of rightwing fragility. Granted, the view of this book is narrow, focused on particular, broadly liberal campuses, but what of conservative discomfort in the face of challenging ideas?
brocodywatson's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
dda9's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic book looking at difficult issues and surprising politically honest and neutral.
hirvimaki's review against another edition
4.0
A very good look at the cultural shift that has created the hostile and often violent culture both on college campuses and, more recently, off. Perhaps a bit long in some areas, but a fascinating look into the psychology of modern victimhood and cancel culture.
bittersweet_symphony's review against another edition
5.0
Lukianoff and Haidt are a moderating force against the excesses of common-enemy identity politics (on the left and the right), recommending common-humanity identity politics and the rejection of the "Three Great Untruths" which are beginning to pervade American culture—having already overrun many college campuses.
1) What doesn't kill you makes you weaker.
2) Always trust your feelings.
3) Life is a battle between good people and evil people.
They write diplomatically, with warmth (and evidence!) to steer parents, professors, students, and university administrators toward ancient wisdom (as also found in the contemporary wisdom of CBT).
Fortunately, plenty will combat these untruths with folk wisdom: “Prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child.” Or, this insight from Buddha: “Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own thoughts, unguarded. But once mastered, no one can help you as much, not even your father or your mother.” As well as this revelation from former gulag prisoner, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: “The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.”
Lukianoff's and Haidt's contribution, largely an expanded version of their 2015 article in the Atlantic—"The Coddling of the American Mind"—is one of the greatest commentaries on American culture I have read in the past 5 years. Very accessible. They write with concern for the rising generation, hearkening us back to a focus on human flourishing while respecting the progress we've seen (socially, economically, and technologically).
It's refreshing to see more centrists, independents, and broadly liberal thinkers pushing back against illiberal-progressive orthodoxies and far-right reactionary ideologies. They stand at the nexus of an optimistic orientation for progress (while avoiding its non-empirical excesses) and an appreciation for the accumulated value of tradition (while not remaining beholden to the past, for the past's sake).
The world could use a lot more thinkers like Haidt and Lukianoff.
The trends they warn against may get worse for a few years before they improve, but Lukianoff and Haidt remain cautiously optimistic. The arc of history is long, but it bends toward...progress (greater levels of human flourishing).
1) What doesn't kill you makes you weaker.
2) Always trust your feelings.
3) Life is a battle between good people and evil people.
They write diplomatically, with warmth (and evidence!) to steer parents, professors, students, and university administrators toward ancient wisdom (as also found in the contemporary wisdom of CBT).
Fortunately, plenty will combat these untruths with folk wisdom: “Prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child.” Or, this insight from Buddha: “Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own thoughts, unguarded. But once mastered, no one can help you as much, not even your father or your mother.” As well as this revelation from former gulag prisoner, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: “The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.”
Lukianoff's and Haidt's contribution, largely an expanded version of their 2015 article in the Atlantic—"The Coddling of the American Mind"—is one of the greatest commentaries on American culture I have read in the past 5 years. Very accessible. They write with concern for the rising generation, hearkening us back to a focus on human flourishing while respecting the progress we've seen (socially, economically, and technologically).
It's refreshing to see more centrists, independents, and broadly liberal thinkers pushing back against illiberal-progressive orthodoxies and far-right reactionary ideologies. They stand at the nexus of an optimistic orientation for progress (while avoiding its non-empirical excesses) and an appreciation for the accumulated value of tradition (while not remaining beholden to the past, for the past's sake).
The world could use a lot more thinkers like Haidt and Lukianoff.
The trends they warn against may get worse for a few years before they improve, but Lukianoff and Haidt remain cautiously optimistic. The arc of history is long, but it bends toward...progress (greater levels of human flourishing).
cdjdhj's review against another edition
5.0
As a high school teacher, mother and grandmother, I am seeing more and more the rise in depression, anxiety, lack of motivation, and a delay in adult milestones and even basic "adulting" which is described in this book. Authors Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt do an excellent job at showing how "three great untruths" have become so ingrained in the psyches of many young people that their basic psychological well-being and emotional maturity is at risk. The three great untruths set forth by the authors are (1) What doesn't kill you makes you weaker; (2) Always trust your feelings and (3) life is a battle between good people and evil people. The authors explain that embracing these truths has lead to many of the problems we see with our young adults today. The authors explore other social trends that have interfered with the social, emotional and intellectual immaturity of young adults. These trends include overprotective parenting, social media, the "corporatization" of American universities and the emergence of new ideas about identity and justice. This is an excellent, well-researched book that should be read by anyone concerned about rising political polarization and dysfunction, as well the ability of our young people to live, work and cooperate with anyone who may not see the world they do. The book covers a lot of ground, but the authors do a good job of tying everything together and making sense of some very troubling social trends. Anyone who cares about teenagers, young adults, or the continuing dysfunctional divisions in our nation should read this book.