The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom

by Jonathan Haidt

With my students Holly Hom and Evan Rosenberg, I conducted a study among several groups at the University of Virginia.37 We found that there was strong support among students for increasing diversity for demographic categories (such as race, religion, and social class), even among students who described themselves as politically conservative. Moral diversity (opinions about controversial political questions), however, was much less appealing in most contexts, with the interesting exception of seminar classes. Students wanted to be exposed to moral diversity in class, but not in the people they live with and socialize with. Our conclusion from this study is that diversity is like cholesterol: There’s a good kind and a bad kind, and perhaps we should not be trying to maximize both. Liberals are right to work for a society that is open to people of every demographic group, but conservatives might be right in believing that at the same time we should work much harder to create a common, shared identity. Although I am a political liberal, I believe that conservatives have a better understanding of moral development (although not of moral psychology in general—they are too committed to the myth of pure evil). Conservatives want schools to teach lessons that will create a positive and uniquely American identity, including a heavy dose of American history and civics, using English as the only national language. Liberals are justifiably wary of jingoism, nationalism, and the focus ...