The Righteous Mind

Please, we can get along here. We all can get along. I mean, we’re all stuck here for a while. Let’s try to work it out.

My goal in this book is to drain some of the heat, anger, and divisiveness out of these topics and replace them with awe, wonder, and curiosity.

It is the realization that we are all self-righteous hypocrites: Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?

Morality binds and blinds.

the mind is divided, like a rider on an elephant, and the rider’s job is to serve the elephant.

If you think that moral reasoning is something we do to figure out the truth, you’ll be constantly frustrated by how foolish, biased, and illogical people become when they disagree with you.

Moral intuitions arise automatically and almost instantaneously, long before moral reasoning has a chance to get started.

Keep your eye on the intuitions, and don’t take people’s moral arguments at face value.

The rider is a lawyer, and the elephant is the client.

Moral intuitions are automatic and precede reasoning.