A Culture of Safetyism Undermines Intellectual Growth and Endangers Student Mental Health
In their book, The Coddling of the American Mind, Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff identify three greet untruths that are commonplace on campus and are harming students: The Untruth of Fragility (what doesn't kill you makes you weaker), The Untruth of Emotional Reasoning (always trust your feelings), and The Untruth of Us Versus Them (life is a battle between good and evil people). These untruths are too often embedded in campus culture, and among students they lead to increased anxiety, decreased resilience, and a polarized worldview.
The untruth of fragility directly contradicts the common saying "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Shielding children from discomfort, conflict, and challenge prevents them from developing the psychological and social skills needed to navigate adversity. Students need to be exposed to ideas that challenge their preconceptions and learn to use reason and evidence to evaluation claims to truth. Cancel culture is antithetical to this fundamental goal of pedagogy.
“Trust your emotions” is a dangerous guide to sound decisions. While our emotions provide essential input to decision making, critical thinking requires that emotions be regulated by reason and evidence. Over-reliance on feelings can lead to impulsive actions, irrational fears, and a distorted perception of reality. Students must learn to acknowledge their emotions while also grounding them in reason and evidence.
The untruth of us versus them is perhaps the most prevalent and dangerous of the three great untruths. It frames controversies as battles between good and evil, with one's own group always being the "good" side. This kind of thinking leads to intolerance, prejudice, and an inability to engage with those who hold different viewpoints. This overly simplistic “thinking” plagues our politics and our universities should be training students to resist this approach and to instead address controversy through civil discourse and respect for diverse perspectives.
Haidt's work suggests that by unlearning these "Great Untruths" and embracing more balanced perspectives, individuals can become more resilient, intellectually curious, and better equipped to navigate the complexities of the modern world.
on mental health problems with safety culture.