Rider and Elephant: Education Imbalance

Haidt uses the rider-and-elephant metaphor to show schools train reasoning but free play trains automatic social skills and virtues.

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Transcript

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Transcript

Episode notes

I sat down with social psychologist and bestselling author Jonathan Haidt to examine how overprotective parenting and unfettered access to social media have stunted the development of Gen Z. A decades-long obsession with safety has replaced unsupervised outdoor play with online binging—and now we’re faced with a younger generation that’s more anxious, less confident, and robbed of the independence and resilience needed to grow into capable adults. What will it take for America to raise free, competent, and happy children again?

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Follow Jonathan on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/JonHaidt

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Outline:

[0:00] Introduction

[0:49] The origin of “The Coddling of the American Mind”

[2:13] What does it mean to be an adult?

[10:22] Why parents should avoid over-scheduling

[12:24] Is Gen Z actually that unique?

[16:30] Social media’s impact on kids’ mental health

[20:09] Looking beyond depression and anxiety

[22:15] Do fragile kids become failed adults?