How Gender Affects Your Ideals with Greg Lukianoff and Rikki Schlott

Cancel culture, fueled by a decline in free speech and a lack of viewpoint diversity in higher education, is a destructive force that needs to be addressed through rationality, open discourse, and a cultural shift away from victimhood

Questions to inspire discussion

• What is the main focus of the video?

  —The video focuses on cancel culture, free speech, and the need for a cultural shift away from victimhood.

• What is the book discussed in the video?

  —The book discussed in the video is "The Coddling of the American Mind," which examines cancel culture, free speech, and the need for a cultural shift away from victimhood.

• What is the impact of cancel culture on higher education?

  —Cancel culture dominates higher education and hinders free speech and viewpoint diversity.

• How does cancel culture affect mental health?

  —Cancel culture has a negative impact on mental health due to its stifling effect on free speech and open discourse.

• What is the solution to address cancel culture?

  —The solution to address cancel culture is through rationality, open discourse, and a cultural shift away from victimhood.

Key Insights

Challenges in Higher Education and Educational Practices

• 🤔 The speaker commends Greg for pointing out that the current approach of hyper-protecting and infantilizing young people is not effective and goes against the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy.
• 😡 The self-esteem movement in schools produced neurotic narcissists and led to a decline in literacy rates, highlighting the negative consequences of misguided educational practices.
• 💡 Telling the truth requires letting go of what you want and being open to the unknown, which can lead to true adventure and meaningful experiences.
• 🤔 The fact that Steven Pinker felt the need to establish an organization to promote free speech at Harvard suggests that the university has become dreadful in terms of allowing open discourse.
• 🏫 The decline of prestigious institutions in the United States, such as Ivy League schools and the state school system in California, is seen as a complete catastrophe and is hard to believe.
• 😡 The rising cost of higher education and the burden of student debt border on criminal, as administrators exploit students' future financial prospects.
• 😳 The rise in self-destructive neuroticism among young people is a cataclysmic phenomenon that needs to be addressed.
• 😔 The demoralization of young people by labeling their ambitions as pathological and world destroying, along with the vision of a necessary apocalyptic future, has had a detrimental effect on their well-being.

Impact of Cancel Culture and Free Speech

• 💡 Cancel culture succeeds by making the cost of dissent so high that it effectively silences opposing arguments without the need for persuasion.
• 😱 The expression of psychopathic and narcissistic behavior has no constraints on social media, enabling the trolls and online criminals who possess dark tetrad personality characteristics to thrive and potentially bring down the entire system.
• 🌐 The rise of politically correct authoritarian doctrine and cancel culture may be exacerbated by the emergence of female-dominated institutions and the immense technological capacity that enables reputation savaging and gossiping on social media.
• 😬 The speaker expresses concern about the potential loss of free speech in Canada, stating that it is already gone.
• 💡 "If you think you can just get rid of bad ideas on campus through legislation, well, I've got bad news for you. They're already trying to do that all across the country."
• 😱 The speaker argues that telling people what they must say is a thousand times worse than telling them what they can't say, highlighting the importance of free speech.
• 💪 "Just courage is contagious and cancel culture thrives off of making everyone feel alone and as though they're the only person around them that thinks the way that they do."

Effects of Toxic Femininity and Gender Dynamics

• 💬 The authors discuss the difference between feminine and masculine tendencies in relation to free speech, highlighting the rarely discussed phenomenon of toxic femininity.
• 🚺 Female administrators and professors in higher education institutions may infantilize their students and misuse their protective instincts, which can be a concerning phenomenon.
• 😮 "If no one gets to be successful, then everyone gets to be miserable."

Clips

• 00:00 📚 The authors discuss their new book on cancel culture, free speech, and the need for a cultural shift away from victimhood, with a focus on the reality and historicity of cancel culture, its use as a tactic to win arguments without persuasion, and potential solutions, while also discussing the decline of free speech and liberalism on the left, the dominance of cancel culture in higher education, the growing divide between young men and women in political affiliation, and the speaker's personal experience with generational trends and the mental health crisis.
  • The authors discuss their new book "The Coddling of the American Mind" which examines cancel culture, the impact of free speech on mental health, and the need for a cultural shift away from victimhood.
  • The book discussed in the video is a follow-up to "The Coddling of the American Mind" and focuses on the reality and historicity of cancel culture, its use as a tactic to win arguments without persuasion, and potential solutions, with the authors having different political beliefs but a shared commitment to classical liberalism, free speech, and pluralism.
  • The speaker discusses the decline of free speech and liberalism on the left, the dominance of cancel culture in higher education, the growing divide between young men and women in political affiliation, and the speaker's personal experience with generational trends and the mental health crisis.
  • The speaker discusses their decision to drop out of NYU due to a stifling environment and the realization that there are multiple pathways to success, commending Greg for pointing out the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy and the lack of psychologists speaking out against cancel culture.
  • The speaker discusses the idea that on social media, women tend to engage in more subtle forms of antisocial behavior, such as reputation-savaging and gossiping, due to their inability to physically fight, and that this behavior is enabled and amplified on social media platforms, posing a potential risk to society.
  • Men tend to exhibit more physical aggression while women tend to engage in relational aggression, and women are generally more skeptical of freedom of speech, which is concerning as universities become more feminized, so it is important to recruit more women who support freedom of speech; furthermore, attacks on free speech are often tied to emotional harm and the need to protect people's feelings, which may be more aligned with female proclivities.
• 19:10 📚 Females in higher education may exhibit manipulative and authoritarian tendencies due to a lack of historical precedent and the influence of low verbal intelligence and a feminine temperament, emphasizing the need for rationality and a balanced representation of genders in education.
  • The internet has made everyone's private data public, and using a VPN like ExpressVPN can help protect your data from being collected and sold by third parties.
  • Females in higher education may exhibit manipulative and authoritarian tendencies, potentially due to a lack of historical precedent and the influence of low verbal intelligence and a feminine temperament.
  • We need to emphasize rationality in education from a young age and strive for a more balanced representation of genders in higher education to address the negative effects of prioritizing emotions and the feminization of the education system.
  • The speaker discusses the feminization of institutions, including higher education, and expresses hope that as society becomes more feminized, people will recognize the downsides and push back against them, noting that there are women who are already championing against cancel culture.
  • Constructive ways of arguing and alternative educational methods, particularly post-COVID, offer hope for countering the politicization and feminization of schools and universities and improving higher education.
  • Elite schools are no longer reliable indicators of intelligence or work ethic, as high GPAs can be achieved without actually learning anything, and alternative ways of education should be considered to showcase the abilities of hardworking individuals.
• 37:55 📚 The emergence of digital currencies and IDs, the potential replacement of traditional universities, the impact of technology on reputation and cancel culture, the positive and negative consequences of social media, the potential for positive shifts through public discourse, and the diminishing control over psychopaths and manipulative individuals when people are separated.
  • The G20 plans to implement digital currencies and IDs, allowing governments to track purchases, restrict certain products, and seize money, leading concerned Americans to invest in physical gold.
  • A new university called Peterson Academy aims to provide objective assessments of cognitive ability and conscientiousness, which could potentially replace traditional universities and have significant economic value; it is important to recognize that men and women have similar levels of cognitive ability, and utilizing the full potential of both genders would benefit society.
  • The emergence of female-dominated institutions and the rise of cancel culture may be exacerbated by the immense technological capacity that enables reputation savaging and gossiping, potentially amplifying the detrimental effects of rapid sex transformation in our institutions.
  • The introduction of social media and the internet has allowed for billions of additional people to participate in global conversations, leading to both positive and negative consequences, such as cancel culture, and there is no way to avoid this chaotic period.
  • The expansion of public discourse through technological advancements, such as the printing press and social media, has the potential to solve problems and lead to positive shifts, although there may be a lag before institutions catch up.
  • Psychopaths and manipulative individuals are kept in check by the threat of physical confrontation, but this control diminishes when people are separated, leading to increased aggression.
• 48:20 📚 Online communication lacks consequences, anonymity raises concerns about digital identity and free speech, positive higher education reform includes legal regulations, open debates, and reducing bureaucratic obstacles, criticisms of free speech on college campuses now involve students, a de-bureaucratized university can help reduce censorship but experimentation is needed, politically correct courses contribute to the distortion of higher education.
  • Online communication lacks iterability, allowing individuals to engage in harmful behavior without consequences.
  • Online trolls often hide behind anonymity, but separating anonymous users from those with verified identities raises concerns about digital identity and the erosion of free speech, particularly in Canada.
  • Concrete steps towards positive higher education reform include passing legal regulations that will withstand judicial scrutiny, engaging in open debates on controversial topics during orientation, and reducing bureaucratic obstacles that hinder freedom of speech.
  • The speaker discusses how in the past, criticisms of free speech on college campuses primarily came from administrators, but now it also involves students, often in collaboration with administrators.
  • A de-bureaucratized university with more free speech and due process can help reduce incidents of censorship, but there is a need for experimentation in finding more efficient and cost-effective ways to identify the best and hardest working individuals, as legislation alone cannot eliminate bad ideas on campus, and there are instances where compelled speech and restrictions on academic freedom have been challenged in court.
  • People who have taken politically correct courses are more likely to be politically correct authoritarians, and the control of the education system by radical leftists is a major factor in the culture war, as faculties of education have a monopoly on teacher certification and teach ideological and unfounded beliefs, leading to the distortion of higher education.
• 59:06 📚 The speaker criticizes the education system for promoting destructive fads and discusses the personal attacks faced by women on social media, while also emphasizing the importance of courage, authenticity, and meaningful connections in combating cancel culture and finding personal growth.
  • The Hallow app allows users to explore and engage with the Bible's teachings, literature, and community, providing daily readings, reflections, and guided meditations for spiritual growth.
  • The speaker criticizes the education system for promoting destructive and anti-scientific fads, while also discussing the personal attacks and misogyny faced by women on social media.
  • The speaker discusses their experience with backlash and criticism from different political forums, particularly from left-leaning Bill Maher fans, and mentions their positive working relationship with a colleague who they initially only communicated with through email and phone calls.
  • Courage is contagious and can help combat cancel culture by showing young people that they are not alone in their beliefs and encouraging them to be open, honest, and critical of their own ideas.
  • The speaker discusses how hedonism is not a reliable source of meaning in life as it can lead to impulsivity, alienation, and inability to cope with suffering, suggesting that relationships and interests are also important for sustenance.
  • Being authentic and speaking the truth may come with short-term consequences, but it ultimately leads to personal growth, meaningful connections, and new opportunities.
• 01:12:14 📚 Cancel culture can have devastating effects on academic debates, as seen in the case of a Harvard professor who stepped down after expressing her views on biological sex, highlighting the lack of trust in experts and the rise of individuals prioritizing honesty and integrity; Harvard and other elite institutions have performed poorly in creating an environment conducive to open discussion, with Harvard receiving a below-zero score on campus freedom according to a study by Fire, while organizations like FIRE have had success in advocating for free speech on campuses.
  • Cancel culture can have devastating effects, as seen in the case of a professor at Harvard who stepped down after expressing her views on biological sex, highlighting the potential destruction of credibility in academic debates.
  • The speaker discusses the lack of trust in experts and the rise of individuals who prioritize honesty and integrity, using examples like Jay Bacher at Stanford, and also mentions Harvard receiving a below-zero score on campus freedom.
  • Harvard's score on freedom of speech is less than zero according to the largest study of student opinion conducted by Fire, which evaluates universities based on their written policies, cancellation of professors, and targeting of students.
  • Harvard and other elite higher education institutions have performed poorly in terms of creating an environment conducive to open discussion and have been criticized for being soft on violence and response to speech.
  • Schools can receive negative scores on supporting students' free speech and handling disinvitations, which is a rare occurrence and was unexpected in this case.
  • Some schools, like Princeton and Harvard, have a mixed record on free speech, with Princeton firing a tenured professor for calling BLM a hate group and Harvard consistently ranking poorly, while organizations like FIRE have had success in advocating for free speech on campuses.
• 01:21:36 📚 Higher education institutions are facing criticism for their shift in values and the erosion of academic freedom, leading to a decline in free speech, lack of viewpoint diversity, and loss of faith among young people.
  • The speaker discusses how systems often do not align with their intended purpose, using examples such as the lack of monitoring in government social services and the high percentage of charity funds used for running the organization, and expresses concern about the fear of speaking out at Harvard due to political correctness.
  • Harvard University, once a great institution, has become dreadful and obstructive to excellence, as evidenced by the need for a whole organization to facilitate free speech and the suggestion that alumni should stop giving money to the university.
  • Higher education institutions in the United States and Canada are facing criticism for their shift in values and the implementation of mandatory diversity training, which has led to concerns about the erosion of academic freedom and the infringement on individual rights.
  • There is an ideological enterprise pushing universities and political institutions in a progressive direction, causing corruption and a decline in free speech on campuses, with the trend line showing that it has been getting worse since 2001.
  • Higher education is facing issues of lack of viewpoint diversity, cancel culture, conformity, and the requirement of additional political litmus tests, leading to a loss of faith in the system among young people.
  • Higher education has become corrupt and expensive, with administrators exploiting students by raising tuition fees and providing subpar online education during the pandemic.
• 01:36:50 📚 The pandemic and social media have fueled cancel culture and negative behavior, leading to a cultural regression and tearing down of individuals, particularly affecting young people, with a focus on self-consciousness, self-referential language, and negative emotions, but there is hope for change.
  • The pandemic and reliance on social media have fueled rampant cancel culture and antisocial behavior, leading to a cultural regression and tearing down of individuals, making 2020 a life-changing experience for young people.
  • The speaker discusses the correlation between self-consciousness, self-referential language, and negative emotions, suggesting that focusing too much on oneself can lead to misery.
  • The speaker discusses the ongoing consequences of growing up in the digital age, particularly for women, highlighting the prolonged adolescence, depressive atmosphere, and negative impact on interpersonal relationships, as well as the changing dynamics between genders and the overall bleak state of their generation.
  • Demoralizing young people by labeling their ambitions as pathological and promoting a necessary apocalyptic future has led to self-hatred, but there is hope as more individuals are standing up and making their voices heard.
  • The speaker hopes that the book "The Cancelling of the American Mind" will help prevent the potential catastrophe of a culture where success is not admired, leading to everyone being miserable.
  • Thank you for watching, I hope you found this discussion useful and engaging, and if you want to continue the conversation, join us on the daily wi plus side.

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