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
When I think about life on Earth, there should not be a species like us. And if there was, we should be out in the jungle killing each other in small groups. That's what you should expect.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the improbable existence of human civilization and our capabilities for both cooperation and conflict.
Jonathan Haidt expresses a profound thought about humanity's existence, suggesting that given the natural order, humans, as a species, should not have developed the complex societies we live in today. He contrasts our current state of civilization with the expectations of survivalism, where one would assume we would be fighting for survival in small, warring groups rather than thriving in large, cooperative societies. This statement invites reflection on the nature of human beings and the paradox of our progress.
Themes
HumanityExistenceConflictCooperationCivilization
In practice
Example use cases
In a presentation on human evolution and society, when discussing our unique position in the animal kingdom.
More from Jonathan Haidt
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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.
Jonathan HaidtRead
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