The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt is a fascinating work of moral psychology. Drawing from convincing international research and evolutionary biology, the book explains why deeply held values direct tribal groups, much more than reason or argumentation. The best metaphor is the rider and the elephant. Our minds are made up of a rider (reason, logic) on an elephant (emotions, instinct, intuitions). The elephant is mostly in charge, but the rider can mildly direct the elephant. Most often, the rider backtracks and rationalizes the decisions the elephant makes. With several clever examples, Haidt demonstrates this in the most skeptical readers (provided the reader isn't a psychopath). It's a wild journey.
More than that, it's a helpful read if you're frustrated with our polarized society. In fact, I recommend pairing The Righteous Mind with Ezra Klein's Why We're Polarized. The latter focuses on structural division; the former on instinctual human nature. Both books are light on possible solutions, but there is some comfort to be taken in their clear-eyed assessment of the problem. At a basic level, they demystify the seeming madness of the other side. Notably, both writers are liberal. (I have not heard of a conservative writer that attempts to accomplish what Haidt and Klein are getting at.) That said, both--and especially Haidt--are generous in their understandings of those big, right-leaning swathes of our populace.
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