is something I worry about in retirement. I know I need to keep my mind active and for the most part I do, but I think it's in short spurts. Like I see something on the internet or tv or hear it on the radio and it's short and sweet and to the point and then I don't investigate it further. Plus I think it is dumbed down for the masses and I certainly include myself in that group.
Well if you listen to Jonathan Haidt your brain cells will be working overtime, which is not such a bad thing.
He is into moral psychology. That in itself was a new field to me. Lesson #1.
I first heard him on the NPR show On Being with Krista Tippet. He is a fascinating speaker. I wish people like him were more available in our area. I ended up taking notes and not necessarily because I wanted to keep his words forever, but because I retain better by writing things down.
If you are curious about the liberal and conservative divide, the definitions of each and how we got here, he has some very interesting viewpoints. Back in the 60s our Republicans and Democrats were not so strictly defined. There were more liberal Republicans and more conservative Democrats but slowly after Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act everything began to become more purified.
It is now easy to assign the left with liberal and Democrats and the right with conservative and Republican. He feels that the identification of personalities is more the fit with left or right and then that leads to a political affiliation because we wish to cleave with our own kind. Which is why I loved going to political rallies with my peeps. Duh on my part.
He defines a liberal as liking variety and diversity and enjoying the chaotic and embracing change. The liberal's room is messier.
The conservatives tend to like order and predictability without a lot of change.
I've always considered myself a liberal, but he got me to thinking maybe I'm a liberal conservative because I kind of fit in both categories. However he does go on to allow that we may be liberal in certain areas and conservative in another. We don't have to be a straight ticket, so to speak.
Another fascinating point he makes in one of his talks is that we, people with concerns, will never make any headway if we continue to converse and have discourse with others of a like mind. Diversity is needed to understand another's viewpoint and it can't be through debate. He believes emotions fuel our political action and emotions don't lend themselves to reasoning. If we ate a meal with our fellows of opposing thought we would first develop a relationship and possible from there we could begin to tolerate their viewpoints with an open ear. We need to get out of our echo chambers where we think we know what is being said and truly get with people who believe differently and understand how and why they think as they do.
Haidt gave me so much to think about and I want a chance to do some of my actions over again, because I can see that I let emotions carry me away to not listening, thus leading to no doing.
He is an energizing speaker with powerful thoughts. Well worth some time.
Here are some resources for further study concerning his body of work and theories.
Moral Psychology and the Misunderstanding of Religion
TED talks
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