Book Club for Humans

Are people worse off when they're "safer"?

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Sick of the brainrot and trying to read more? Looking to meet like-minded people or debate unlike-minded people? Or do you just want something to fill in your Wednesday night? Come down to the book club for humans!

This month we’re reading The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt.

Synopsis:

• Something has been going wrong on many college campuses in the last few years. Speakers are shouted down. Students and professors say they are walking on eggshells and are afraid to speak honestly. Rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide are rising. How did this happen?
• First Amendment expert Greg Lukianoff and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt show how the new problems on campus have their origins in three terrible ideas that have become increasingly woven into American childhood and education: What doesn’t kill you makes you weaker; always trust your feelings; and life is a battle between good people and evil people. These three Great Untruths contradict basic psychological principles about well-being and ancient wisdom from many cultures. Embracing these untruths—and the resulting culture of safetyism—interferes with young people’s social, emotional, and intellectual development. It makes it harder for them to become autonomous adults who are able to navigate the bumpy road of life.
• Lukianoff and Haidt investigate the many social trends that have intersected to promote the spread of these untruths. They explore changes in childhood such as the rise of fearful parenting, the decline of unsupervised, child-directed play, and the new world of social media that has engulfed teenagers in the last decade. They examine changes on campus, including the corporatization of universities and the emergence of new ideas about identity and justice. They situate the conflicts on campus within the context of America’s rapidly rising political polarization and dysfunction.

Guidelines

• To attend, you have to be a human (pets probably aren’t allowed at the venue ☹ )
• You can come if you didn’t finish the book, but the discussion is based on having read the book (you will hear spoilers)
• Open philosophical discussion, including for controversial topics, is welcome but be respectful
• Feel free to come 20ish minutes early and stay after to get to know people!

Note: Location is tentative and may change. The ticket cost is to cover fees for the meetup platform, any additional will be used for the group (book raffles, a pitcher, snacks, etc.)

If meetup's paypal option isn't working, you can pay in cash (just let me know you're coming over DM or in the comment)