The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure (Unabridged)
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
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.
Customer Reviews
Needs to be a college study
Anthropology and social science at its finest
Engaging all the way through
9 times out of 10 when I read books, I lose interest quickly simply because there’s too much deviation from what the story is trying to tell you, whether it’s irrelevant details or something else. When it comes to this book, it’s the exact opposite. Every bit of detail is engaging is relevant to the topic that is simple for everyone to understand. If you’re a college student, or a professor at one, you’ll especially love this book. I’ve seen many examples of this book play out throughout my campus, but could never understand why, now I understand. If you’ve been confused about how weird things have become politically within the last 10 years, this helps explain it. Great book!
Self Realization
Reading this book has opened my eyes. I’ve always questioned how people in my generation can be so reliant/dependent on others and have no to little self governing characteristics. This book shows great statistics about my question. Really makes me appreciate the way I was raised. Even if it did not seem right at times. I know it was for the best.