The Righteous Mind

The rider (reasoning) evolved to serve the elephant (intuition).

You can’t change people’s minds by utterly refuting their arguments.

Elephants rule, although they are sometimes open to persuasion by riders.

If you want to change someone’s mind about a moral or political issue, talk to the elephant first.

The moral reasoning is not the source from whence either disputant derives his tenets; it is in vain to expect that any logic, which speaks not to the affections, will ever engage him to embrace sounder principles.

Intuitions come first, strategic reasoning second.

You’ve got to talk to their elephants.

Moral reasoning is a cognitive process, as are all forms of judgment. The crucial distinction is really between two different kinds of cognition: intuition and reasoning.

In other words, under normal circumstances the rider takes its cue from the elephant, just as a lawyer takes instructions from a client.

The first principle of moral psychology is Intuitions come first, strategic reasoning second.