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Jonathan Haidt

Jonathan Haidt Quotes

Psychologist

Jonathan Haidt is an American psychologist known for his research in moral psychology and social psychology. His work focuses on moral judgment, political ideology, and religious beliefs. Haidt's book, 'The Righteous Mind,' explores the evolution of morality and ideology and how they shape human behavior and social structures.

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Famous Jonathan Haidt Quotes

“The final moment of success is often no more thrilling than taking off a heavy backpack at the end of a long hike. If you went on the hike only to feel that pleasure, you are a fool. Yet people sometimes do just this. They work hard at a task and expect some special euphoria at the end. But when they achieve success and find only moderate and short-lived pleasure, they ask is that all there is? They devalue their accomplishments as a striving after wind. We can call this the progress principle: Pleasure comes more from making progress toward goals than from achieving them.”

“In real life, however, you don't react to what someone did; you react only to what you think she did, and the gap between action and perception is bridged by the art of impression management. If life itself is but what you deem it, then why not focus your efforts on persuading others to believe that you are a virtuous and trustworthy cooperator?”

Ifs Thinking Life Believe Art Real Action Effort Focus Perception Management Real Life Impression Why Not Gaps Virtuous Trustworthy Persuading

Book:The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom

Source: The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom

“Once you understand the power of stimulus control, you can use it to your advantage by changing the stimuli in your environment and avoiding undesirable ones; or, if that's not possible, by filling your consciousness with thoughts about their less tempting aspects.”

Ifs Use Consciousness Environment Advantage Aspect Avoiding Filling Our Environment Stimulus Tempting Undesirable

Book:The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom

Source: The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom

“When you hear someone criticize a policy on the other side, thats fine. But when you start hearing motive-mongering and demonization, stand up to it just as you would if it were something that was racist or sexist. If we avoid the demonization, disagreements can be positive.”

Ifs Sides Policy Fine Hearing Motive Racist Criticize Disagreement Being Positive Sexist

Author:Jonathan Haidt

“If I believe that abortion is wrong, and I want to convince you that it's wrong, there's no reason I should recount to you my personal narrative of how I came to believe this.”

Ifs Want Should Believe Reason I Believe Narrative Abortion Convince No Reason

Author:Jonathan Haidt

“If I have a mission in life, it is to convince people that everyone is morally motivated - everyone except for psychopaths.”

People Ifs Missions Convince Motivated Psychopath Missions In Life

Author:Jonathan Haidt

“If you get something for nothing, part of you may be pleased, but part of you moves your hand to give something back.”

Ifs Giving May Hands Moving

Book:The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom

Source: The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom

“If you think half of America votes badly because they are stupid or religious, you are trapped in a matrix ... Take the red pill, learn some moral psychology and step outside the moral matrix.”

Ifs Thinking America Religious Half Moral Steps Psychology Stupid Red Vote Trapped Pills

Author:Jonathan Haidt

“If you are in passionate love and want to celebrate your passion, read poetry. If your ardor has calmed and you want to understand your evolving relationship, read psychology. But if you have just ended a relationship and would like to believe you are better off without love, read philosophy.”

Ifs Want Believe Philosophy Passion Psychology Passionate Celebrate Evolve Better Off Without Love Passionate Love Ardor

Author:Jonathan Haidt

“If you think that moral reasoning is something we do to figure out the truth, you’ll be constantly frustrated by how foolish, biased, and illogical people become when they disagree with you.”

People Ifs Thinking Moral Figures Foolish Reasoning Disagree Frustrated Biased Illogical Moral Reasoning

Book:The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion

Source: The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion

“If you grow up in a WEIRD society, you become so well educated in the ethic of autonomy that you can detect oppression and inequality even where the apparent victims see nothing wrong.”

Ifs Wells Grows Growing Up Ethics Victim Oppression Educated Inequality Autonomy Well Educated

Book:The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion

Source: The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion

“If our goal is to understand the world, to seek a deeper understanding of the world, our general lack of moral diversity here is going to make it harder. Because when people all share values, when people all share morals, they become a team.”

People Ifs World Inspiration Motivation Values Understanding Goal Moral Team Share Diversity Harder Deeper Deeper Understanding

Author:Jonathan Haidt

“Even if you have a brain predisposed to liberalism, you might end up with some conservative friends or find inspiring conservative role models who could be very influential on you, and that could send you down a different track in life.”

Ifs Different Ends Might Brain Roles Models Track Conservative Liberalism Role Models Influential

Author:Jonathan Haidt

“If you have high IQ, you're really good at finding post-hoc arguments to support your feelings of truthiness.”

Ifs Feelings Support Findings Argument Posts

Author:Jonathan Haidt

“If you have a personality predisposed to liberalism, you might gravitate more to the artsy crowd or the anti-establishment crowd. And then those peers will affect you, and they will give you values, and you will copy them.”

Ifs Giving Might Values Personality Crowds Liberalism Copies Establishment Peers

Author:Jonathan Haidt

“In accounts of men in battle, there is an incredible adrenaline rush from group-versus-group conflict. The fervor and passion of partisans is clearly rewarding; and if it's rewarding, it involves dopamine; and if it involves dopamine, then it is potentially addictive.”

Ifs Men Passion Groups Battle Conflict Accounts Incredibles Versus Partisans Adrenaline Dopamine Fervor Adrenaline Rush

Author:Jonathan Haidt