Social reality is so complicated that, once you join one team or the other, you become specialized in detecting certain patterns, but you become blind to other patterns.
Jonathan HaidtRead
If our goal is to understand the world, to seek a deeper understanding of the world, our general lack of moral diversity here is going to make it harder. Because when people all share values, when people all share morals, they become a team.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A diverse moral landscape is essential for a deeper understanding of the world.
In this quote, Jonathan Haidt emphasizes the importance of moral diversity in fostering a comprehensive understanding of the world. He argues that when individuals share identical values and morals, they form a cohesive group or team, which may limit their perspectives and hinder the exploration of diverse ideas and viewpoints. Engaging with differing moral outlooks enriches conversations and broadens our understanding of complex issues.
Themes
Moral DiversityUnderstandingValuesPerspectivesTeam
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used to inspire discussions about the benefits of diverse opinions in educational settings.
More from Jonathan Haidt
All quotes →Understanding the simple fact that morality differs around the world, and even within societies, is the first step toward understanding your righteous mind.
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Suppose you read about a pill that you could take once a day to reduce anxiety and increase your contentment. Would you take it? Suppose further that the pill has a great variety of side effects, all of them good: increased self-esteem, empathy, and trust; it even improves memory. Suppose, finally, that the pill is all natural and costs nothing. Now would you take it? The pill exists. It is meditation.
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Trying to run Congress without human relationships is like trying to run a car without motor oil. Should we be surprised when the whole thing freezes up?
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If you grow up in a WEIRD society, you become so well educated in the ethic of autonomy that you can detect oppression and inequality even where the apparent victims see nothing wrong.
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When you hear someone criticize a policy on the other side, that's fine. But when you start hearing motive-mongering and demonization, stand up to it just as you would if it were something that was racist or sexist. If we avoid the demonization, disagreements can be positive.
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