The Coddling of the American Mind

Greg Lukianoff, a First Amendment expert, and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt make the case that shielding university students from discomfort is hurting them. They trace campus troubles to three Great Untruths: that what does not kill people makes them weaker, that feelings are always to be trusted, and that life is a fight between good and evil people. These ideas, they say, clash with psychology and old wisdom, and the culture of safetyism built on them hinders young people's development. The authors look at fearful parenting, unsupervised play, social media and polarization, and propose remedies such as the Chicago principles on free speech and the basics of CBT. It expands an essay the two wrote for The Atlantic.

Andrew Huberman has read it and called it a deeply important book, and Jay Shetty said it suits anyone who, like him, hopes for more unity in the world. Mark Manson put it on his list of five books explaining why the world seems so broken, noting it is more than an attack on social media.