Understanding the simple fact that morality differs around the world, and even within societies, is the first step toward understanding your righteous mind.
Jonathan HaidtRead
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Social reality is complex, and once we align with a particular group, we may only see what supports that group's perspective while missing other important truths.
In this quote, Jonathan Haidt emphasizes the complexity of social reality and how aligning with a specific group can lead to a narrow perspective. When individuals commit to a team or ideology, they often become adept at recognizing patterns that support their beliefs but simultaneously develop a blindness to opposing viewpoints or differing patterns. This highlights the importance of open-mindedness and critical thinking in understanding the multifaceted nature of social issues.
Themes
Social RealityBiasGroupthinkPerspectivePatterns
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate on social media, this quote could be used to remind participants to consider multiple viewpoints.
More from Jonathan Haidt
All quotes βSuppose 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.
Jonathan HaidtRead
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?
Jonathan HaidtRead
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.
Jonathan HaidtRead
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
We humans are really good at forming groups to compete, and then dissolving the groups and reforming them along different lines to compete in a different way.
Jonathan HaidtRead
Similar quotes
It's a curious thing in American life that the most abject nonsense will be excused if the utterer can claim the sanction of religion. A country which forbids an established church by law is prey to any denomination. The best that can be said is that this is pluralism of a kind.
Christopher HitchensRead
You tell me: 'Life is hard to bear.' But if it were otherwise why should ou have your pride in the morning nad your resignation in the evening?
Friedrich NietzscheRead
Lying is the most simple form of self-defence.
Susan SontagRead
In deep sadness there is no place for sentimentality. It is as final as the mountains: a fact. There it is. When you realize it you cannot complain.
William S. BurroughsRead
People destined to meet will do so, apparently by chance, at precisely the right moment.
Ralph Waldo EmersonRead
We all walk in a land of dreams. For what are we but atoms and hope, a handful of stardust and sinew? We are weary travelers trying to find our way home on a road that never ends. Am I a part of your dream? or are you but a part of mine?
Libba BrayRead