Our guest in this video is social psychologist and Professor of Ethical Leadership at NYU Stern School of Business Jonathan Haidt. After writing an article for the Atlantic titled “The Coddling of the American Mind,” Haidt wrote a book of the same name in 2018 with his co-author Greg Lukianoff. Its purpose was to explore the growing political polarization on college campuses today and how it is impacting mental health. The book also takes a look at how childhood is changing, especially focusing on what he calls “fearful parenting,” referring to the growing stringency with which parents coddle their children to keep them away from pain and adversity.
In this Top 5 video, Haidt discusses how college campuses are becoming dangerously quiet, as students are shutting down free speech in the name of safe spaces. He also talks about how important it is for children to take risks, because without them, they will never learn how to deal with pain and hardship, two things he argues can make a person stronger.
You can find more of Haidt’s books, and his multiple TED Talks, at his website.
Jonathan Haidt has many important knowledge bombs all parents could benefit from absorbing, but here are the Top 5 lessons we learned from him.