Community News

Why do ideas such as ‘fairness’ and ‘freedom’ mean such different things to different people? Why is it so easy to see the flaws in others’ arguments and less in our own? 

In an effort to address these questions and ease social divides, One World One Family of Chelsea has organized a Community Read of Jonathan Haidt’s The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion.  

“Though the book was published 10 years ago, it reads like it was written yesterday. The topic seems dry and academic, but the book is incredibly readable and engaging,”  said OWOF President Joanne Ladio

Haidt argues that the reason we find it so hard to get along is that our minds are designed to be moral, and  we are hard-wired to be moralistic, judgmental, and self-righteous.

Haidt examines where our morality might come from, why we think ‘ours’ differs from ‘theirs’, whether this is true, and perhaps most importantly, what we can do about it.  (From a review by Rebecca Litchfield.)

Since 2012, Haidt has referred to himself as a political centrist. Haidt is involved with several efforts to help bridge the political divide and reduce political polarization in the United States. He is currently the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership, based in the Business and Society Program at the New York University Stern School of Business.

Community Read participants will meet online to discuss one-third of the book each month for the next three months. Discussions of the book will take place on August 15, September 15, and October 15 over Zoom.  Each meeting will be from 7-8.30 pm.  The Zoom link is here:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83660415889?pwd=Y9zasOUD7jMafj7UTRQ7ZCYOaBGOT9.1

Copies of the book are available locally at Serendipity Books and through the Chelsea District Library.  OWOF will have a number of copies to loan as well. 

For more information, email OWOF at owofchelsea@gmail.com