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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.
Jonathan Haidt
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote highlights how one's upbringing in a Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) society shapes their perception of autonomy and justice.

Jonathan Haidt's quote emphasizes the influence of cultural context on individual awareness of social issues. Those raised in a WEIRD society often develop a heightened sensitivity to concepts of oppression and inequality which may not be recognized by individuals from different cultural backgrounds. This suggests that cultural upbringing heavily influences our ethical frameworks and the way we interpret experiences related to injustice.

Themes

Cultural AwarenessAutonomyInequalityOppressionEthics

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about social justice, one might quote Haidt to illustrate the importance of understanding different cultural perspectives.

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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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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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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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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.
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