The Righteous Mind: My Summary and Takeaways

Тәжірибелік нұсқаулар және стиль

In this video, I’ll share some of my summary and takeaways from the paradigm shifting book The Righteous Mind by moral psychologist, Jonathan Haidt.
Please subscribe and leave comments below!
*** A truncated transcript follows. A full transcript can be found at www.marblejar.net. ***
Hi, everyone! This is Lara Hammock from the Marble Jar channel and in today’s video, I’ll share some of my summary and takeaways from the paradigm shifting book The Righteous Mind by moral psychologist, Jonathan Haidt.
Very occasionally, I read a book that changes the way I view the world. I read quite a bit and am highly influenceable, but there are only a handful of books that have changed the filter through which I see things - these are some of those books (Egoscue, Attachment, Paradox of Choice). Jonathan Haidt’s book The Righteous Mind is one of those paradigm shifting books for me.
It helps that I read it at a time when I was puzzling over the polarization our political discourse. I’m a dyed in the wool liberal, but I enjoy talking to people with different views. And not just to yell at them that they are wrong - I like to hear WHY people think what they think. I grew up in a very conservative town and have lots of friends of very different political persuasions. Some of my very favorite people vote differently than I do. Underneath it all, we seem to love our families, care about our friends, value hard work, and want to make our country better. Why do we seem to have such different solutions? Why do some people’s solutions seem unkind and oppressive to me when I don’t think of them as unkind people? And why do we seem to be talking in different languages or sometimes having completely different conversations?
Here’s an example of what I’m talking about: the controversy over NFL players kneeling during the anthem. One side is talking about police brutality, the other about honoring our veterans. How can we possibly come to any shared conclusions when we seem to be having totally different conversations and arguing about completely different things? And how is it that two people can take such different meanings away from the same action?
The Righteous Mind answers this question for me, but let’s come back to this example later. If i haven’t made it clear yet, i highly recommend this book. It’s interesting, has great examples, and is well-argued and structured. His book is split into 3 parts - Haidt presents a different theory in each part.
The first part of the book presents the theory that, when it comes to moral decision making - that is, matters of right or wrong - we tend to make decisions based on gut instinct and then we rationalize those decisions after the fact. In fact, Haidt argues that our entire reasoning process evolved not to find truth, but to convince others that we are right. He uses the metaphor of an rider on an elephant. The elephant is our intuitive reasoning - that is the mostly subconscious automatic processes that drive most of our behavior. The rider is our reasoning and, basically, is just along for the ride. When you feel a flash of negative feeling - that is your elephant. Sometimes your rider can wrest decision making away from the elephant, but rarely. Mostly our reasoning just rationalizes the decisions the elephant has already made. Kind of like a spokesperson frantically explaining the mouthing off of an erratic politician. And sometimes we can’t even think of any explanations, but we still stand by our intuitive choices - this is called moral dumbfounding and is quite common once you start looking for it. Apparently, the higher your IQ, the more arguments you can generate on the side your elephant is already leaning towards. But higher IQ doesn’t necessarily mean you get any closer to the truth. For the purposes of this video, I’d like you to notice any flashes of negativity - if you are a liberal, you may feel some while watching! And continue listening to see if your rider can ultimately influence your elephant. . .

Пікірлер: 72

  • @rogerlucas8833
    @rogerlucas88335 жыл бұрын

    This is an impresive review. You should do more of these. Thanks so much.

  • @bunsw2070

    @bunsw2070

    4 ай бұрын

    Watching this in February 2024 it looks like Haidt needs to go back to the drawing board. Liberals believe in care, liberty and fairness? They've shown themselves to be the biggest psychos since the N@zis. What was that about putting the unvaccinated away and starving them? What was that about shelling daycares in Donbass? Why are liberals injecting 6 month olds with an experimental gene therapy for a disease they can't get? And as far as I'm aware, the idea that people decide what to believe based on intuition and then invent a reason after the fact applies to all reasoning, not just moral reasoning. This idea was invented almost 100 years ago by a political philosopher and proven true in more modern times. Haidt is probably trying to come across as a nice guy so he doesn't get turfed from academia (liberal on steroids). Gotta go soft and not hurt anybody feelings or the liberals will be trying to cut your heart out.

  • @ChrisBrodhead
    @ChrisBrodhead5 жыл бұрын

    That was great! Super clear and kept my attention the entire time. Please keep making these!

  • @rajeevbhadauria8343
    @rajeevbhadauria83433 жыл бұрын

    You sound so authentic ; looks as if you have written the book yourself- a great Summary indeed

  • @teresaliu9246
    @teresaliu92462 жыл бұрын

    Amazing review! Your analysis is very clear and persuasive. Will definitely read this book!

  • @Rorshacked
    @Rorshacked3 жыл бұрын

    My fav book I’ve ever read. Along with his other books. Thanks for doin this

  • @thewarriortv936
    @thewarriortv9362 жыл бұрын

    Very well explained. Thanks!

  • @kevintagala3482
    @kevintagala34828 ай бұрын

    Subscribed ! Love this review ❤

  • @bne63rach
    @bne63rach3 жыл бұрын

    I loved the book as well and appreciate your summary!

  • @legt1876
    @legt18765 жыл бұрын

    Excelent review, thanks for sharing!

  • @baseera6532
    @baseera65323 жыл бұрын

    I am listening to the audiobook and your review really helped simplify the complexity of his theories. Great job 👏

  • @feyzan5777
    @feyzan57775 жыл бұрын

    Wow. Great summary. Pls keep making such videos.

  • @skionen1781
    @skionen1781 Жыл бұрын

    Excellent stuff. Thanks for sharing 👍🏼

  • @Maniac-007
    @Maniac-0075 жыл бұрын

    Good summary, thank you for this informative video

  • @kengardner775
    @kengardner7753 жыл бұрын

    I am speechless! This is the best book summary I have ever seen on you tube. I am floored at how superior this presentation was, and so happy I found your channel. I can't click subscribe fast enough and so looking forward to the vast array of videos you have. You should have 10 million subscribers!

  • @marblejarchannel

    @marblejarchannel

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks so much for the great comment -- much appreciated!

  • @cooperationparadigm
    @cooperationparadigm Жыл бұрын

    Great job and thank you!! 👏👏👏

  • @manpreetsabharwal1492
    @manpreetsabharwal14924 жыл бұрын

    Really good review . Thanks

  • @chopan_ss
    @chopan_ss Жыл бұрын

    What a great summary. You deserve more views.

  • @mikehansen4666
    @mikehansen4666 Жыл бұрын

    Wonderful synopsis, I read the book a while ago and it was great to hear the basic details again. It might not be perfect but the theories explained in this book have provided me with critical tools for interpreting human interactions and societal structures. So much confusion and misinterpretation could be cleared up if these moral theories were generally understood by everyone.

  • @aresmars2003
    @aresmars2003 Жыл бұрын

    Great summary! I shared with a friend who don't want to read a whole book!

  • @tfm_patrick
    @tfm_patrick5 жыл бұрын

    Nice video, thank you

  • @dchristensen777
    @dchristensen7774 жыл бұрын

    Amazing review! You sold me. I hope that you convince others because the concept in this book is a prerequisite to political peace!

  • @jochemlambers
    @jochemlambers2 жыл бұрын

    Well done 👏

  • @AirFan111
    @AirFan1115 жыл бұрын

    ONE ERROR? I, too, absolutely love this book...even though I'm largely labeled as a social conservative by my friends. Your summary is REALLY excellent... but if I may nit pick a tiny bit, I'd disagree somewhat with your example regarding the "conservative" position on birth control -- as being driven largely by GROUP values. You might find it interesting to ask your conservative friends why they are in favor of some/many limits on women's choice -- and verify if my following comment is correct: I think that most social conservatives would list the INDIVIDUAL rights (of the "fetus"/"child") regarding its/his/her protection under Care, Fairness and Liberty (individual values) as the underlying values to their position. Aside from this small point in your overall interpretation -- you certainly get an A+++ for top quality content and presentation. Thank you so much for taking the time/effort to post this for the benefit of us all.

  • @kelvinize

    @kelvinize

    4 жыл бұрын

    Totally agree I thought the same while watching

  • @LowestofheDead

    @LowestofheDead

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for clarifying this. However she was talking about Birth Control (the pill, condoms, IUDs) not abortion.

  • @LouveniaMusic

    @LouveniaMusic

    2 жыл бұрын

    I think only a very very very small ultra religious minority in the overall group of conservatives are against birth control because of tradition. And honestly I’m starting to not be a fan of it because it is becoming increasingly clear through new studies that it is changing our society’s hormones as a whole. It is changing female brains / thinking patterns and is even feminizing male babies born to moms who were on the pill. And residual medicine in our water supply is legit feminizing fish. I feel like they’re altering our health via water contamination.

  • @m3po22
    @m3po229 ай бұрын

    4:00 openness AND conscientiousness matter

  • @patriciaschwerdtle5789
    @patriciaschwerdtle57894 жыл бұрын

    Excellent summary. Thank you. I will buy this book needed more than ever due to the current polarised situation in many settings.

  • @Sam-rf7cb
    @Sam-rf7cb3 жыл бұрын

    I'm a conservative so I was skeptical of the video, but she did a good job at being objective. The things she said was considered liberal traits are the main traits I use to reason conservative viewpoints. I'm going to read the book.

  • @Uns46

    @Uns46

    3 жыл бұрын

    curious where you grew up haha

  • @ibrahimalsemeiri5857
    @ibrahimalsemeiri58573 жыл бұрын

    thanks

  • @cristobalvalladares973
    @cristobalvalladares9733 жыл бұрын

    Loved it. Disagree with some of the author's conclusions, but very good. Thank you.

  • @scottphillips5197
    @scottphillips51975 жыл бұрын

    Really nice video! Have you done similar reviews for the other books you mentioned?

  • @marblejarchannel

    @marblejarchannel

    5 жыл бұрын

    I’ve only done one for the Egoscue book called Pain Free, but I’ll put the others on my list for future videos. Thanks for the comment!

  • @kelvinize
    @kelvinize4 жыл бұрын

    I am a conservative and my position on Birth control has nothing to do with collective thinking. Or thinking about family unity. It has to do with the fact that I consider the fetus a human life as any other.

  • @user-hu3iy9gz5j

    @user-hu3iy9gz5j

    3 жыл бұрын

    Sure about that?

  • @TCsHouse

    @TCsHouse

    3 жыл бұрын

    Then in a century they’ll be in the history books. Wondering how humanity let the great abortion holocaust happen... Never learn. Smh.

  • @ChrisJones-vh4sw

    @ChrisJones-vh4sw

    3 жыл бұрын

    I think she's talking about condoms & you're talking about abortion

  • @mikehansen4666

    @mikehansen4666

    Жыл бұрын

    Your reaction is a wonderful example of the elephant and rider hypothesis. You’re elephant is intuitively repulsed by birth control and your rider is providing a reason that’s not logically connected. If birth control prevents creation of the fetus, there is no fetus to destroy, so birth control should not be morally objectionable based on your argument.

  • @Dartagnan4012

    @Dartagnan4012

    Жыл бұрын

    @@mikehansen4666 I think what he means is that people say abortion IS birth control, and abortion is objectionable on the care harm and liberty oppression grounds with respect to the child. In the case of birth control meaning something that prevents a pregnancy from happening in the first place I don't think he would find a problem with it.

  • @josephl6289
    @josephl6289 Жыл бұрын

    Lol you'll love the Blank Slate

  • @etsramblings
    @etsramblings2 жыл бұрын

    Excellent summary! Height should recognize, though, that conservatives' fear of gun control is also predicated on a care/harm category; to remove weapons from law abiding people will result in more harm performed by bad people who won't hand over their own weapons.

  • @Spinach_D
    @Spinach_D Жыл бұрын

    The argument against killing babies is not some abstract family cohesion theory, it’s about saving the life of an individual.

  • @m3po22
    @m3po229 ай бұрын

    You should read The evolutionary psychology behind politics next. You'd probably hate it, but I'm waiting to hear good arguments against it.

  • @m3po22

    @m3po22

    9 ай бұрын

    Oh this is five years ago. Well. You've probably read other books in this time

  • @marblejarchannel

    @marblejarchannel

    9 ай бұрын

    I’ll check it out! Thanks for the recommendation.

  • @bobbysands5385
    @bobbysands53859 ай бұрын

    Scope of argument is important. Chalking gun control off to Liberty/Oppression for conservatives doesn't consider life preservation. In today's world I would never want to be without a gun to protect my family. Speaking of today's world, Haidt may want to take another look at the way he distributes the 6 moral values. The words in the list of 6 have taken on broad new meanings. Great book to check out is Psychology of Totalitarianism. Nice recap though.

  • @drtomasaragon
    @drtomasaragon5 жыл бұрын

    You are amazing! I agree with your review! Consider reading Professor Lisa Feldman Barrett's "How Emotions are Made." You will then understand the neuroscience that complements Haidt's book. I wrote a book review that include links to her TED talks (taragonmd.github.io/2018/06/11/how-emotions-are-made-the-secret-life-of-the-brain/). Great work!

  • @marblejarchannel

    @marblejarchannel

    5 жыл бұрын

    This is great -- thanks for the recommendation. I'll check it out!

  • @betrayedsevastopol
    @betrayedsevastopol Жыл бұрын

    It is very simplified model without considering dynamic features and dialectic contradictions. Just for children or bad educated people. In reality the liberal features of system of values is just a starting point. It is changing during the conflict. E.g/.as result In reality sometimes liberals a much more cruel in relation to children than conservators.

  • @GoDrex
    @GoDrex3 жыл бұрын

    we need a balance between liberal and conservative. an entirely liberal or conservative society won't survive.

  • @LouveniaMusic

    @LouveniaMusic

    2 жыл бұрын

    Idk, conservatives can see more categories than liberals. Kinda seems like they might understand the big picture a bit better. I do think both sides add variety though.

  • @mikehansen4666

    @mikehansen4666

    Жыл бұрын

    I think either of those societies might survive, they just might not be particularly pleasant to be a part of. Especially for a person that doesn’t share the groups morals or beliefs.

  • @Liberty-rn4wy
    @Liberty-rn4wy5 ай бұрын

    She is very objective here. It is a very good video. But I would add something to her comment on abortion. American women since about 1955 have become more depressed, anxious, and unhappy with each passing decade. Why? Compare let's say an orthodox Muslim woman or Amish woman (two very conservative cultures) with let's say a modern "career woman" in NYC or LA. Who is happier? I would argue that the Amish or Muslim woman, as they have fewer choices (that sounds horrible to my libertarian "elephant," but I am afraid it is true. Too many choices can be great but also harmful. I am not arguing for collectivism, being Amish or Muslim. I am just saying that there are clear benefits to women (and some big negatives) to those cultures.

  • @marblejarchannel

    @marblejarchannel

    5 ай бұрын

    Hi, there. Interesting train of thought and certainly something backed up by some research that too many choices make us unhappy (see The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz). I guess what I would ask is -- does that make men super miserable since they have lots of choices? Why gender the discussion?

  • @Liberty-rn4wy

    @Liberty-rn4wy

    4 ай бұрын

    @@marblejarchannel I think because I was responding to the abortion issue and that is framed as a woman's issue not a man's issue.

  • @marblejarchannel

    @marblejarchannel

    4 ай бұрын

    @@Liberty-rn4wy That makes sense!

  • @m3po22
    @m3po229 ай бұрын

    10:50 Pro-gun also comes from the care/harm moral foundation. Jonathan Haidt hasn't captured all of the differences between liberals and conservatives in the moral foundations. An important difference is also how threats are assessed. Liberals grow up mostly in environments that are insulated from nature to a degree that physical violence cannot be understood with nuance, because when it does erupt, it's such a departure from everyday life that it tends to cause PTSD rather than something that can be learned from. As a result, liberals don't understand violence very well, which is bad when they're trying to understand criminals and war. For example, recommending police shoot legs instead of shooting to kill. Like, wtf.

  • @suerawley3141
    @suerawley31412 жыл бұрын

    I thought this book was eye opening as well. Read it a handful of years ago and it helped me understand my conservative friends. I have since taken some points from the book to a discussion where I said that both left and right come to different viewpoints based on their sets of values, not from a place of hate. And then I was called names for being an evil hateful lib, and walked away. *sigh* more people need to read this book and get back to assuming that most people are good.

  • @babalabwaale
    @babalabwaale2 жыл бұрын

    Moral decision making Liberal and conservatives

  • @edwardharvey7687
    @edwardharvey768710 ай бұрын

    I know that you are trying awfully hard to both sides the issue, as Haidt does. But the matter of the fact is that the conservative opposition to Black men kneeling during the singing of the national anthem was almost entirely racist in nature. There are no atheist churches telling atheists to hate Christians but there are plenty of Christian churches telling Christians to hate atheists, and liberals. There are no liberal propaganda outlets that feed false and misleading information to liberals on a daily basis but there are plenty of Right-wing propaganda outlets feeding false and misleading information to conserves on a daily basis. But then that is the nature of psychology isn't it, people making things up. I am sure it has a lot to due with the crisis of credibility that psychology is facing, fake studies, made up silliness, the apparent narcissistic bent that is common among public psychologists.... Let us just pretend that everyone is good and we just have different opinions. What a load of hogwash. Like pretending that the Trump isn't a criminal and is just being picked on because it has a different opinion. It is a load of hogwash.

  • @gwc6953
    @gwc69532 жыл бұрын

    I'm a anarchist I thrive of the negativity of the human race Most conservatives just don't want gays or black people in their community and that's not something that should be forgiven

Келесі