---
title: "The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt"
tags: competition cooperation hive literature-notes organization people psychology
date: 2020-12-08 16:58:30
---

# The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt

# The Righteous Mind | Jonathan Haidt | Talks at Google

[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2APK3tlPL_0)

"Mystical experiences are an off button for self. When self is 'off' a person becomes a cell in a larger body."

1. Intuitions come first, strategic reason second
2. There's more to morality than harm and fairness
3. Morality binds and blinds

Selfish: Our mind has many mechanisms that make us adept at promoting our own interests, in **competition with our peers**.

Varieties of Religious experiences/Self transcendent experiences
- Loss of worry
- Joy and peace
- World looks new and beautiful
- Moral commitment, desire to serve

Different methods to get it
- Meditation
- Psychedelics

## Hive method of co-operation
- No competition within the hive
- Able to function as a 'super-organism'
- Yields massive efficiency

Synchronized physical movement is found to be a psychological 'hive' sync. Think dances, religious motions, Army drills etc. This will bind teams more closely.

### Benefits of hivishness
1. Higher Social Capital: Higher Productivity and flexibility
2. Higher Employee moral: Lower costs(Lower turnover, less litigation, better recruiting and retention)

### Costs/Risks of Hivishness
1. Too much time hiving -> Lower productivity
2. Love of group -> less concern for other stakeholders(?)
3. More Loyalty -> More cover-ups, more pressure on whistle blowers(?)
4. More Group think(or more trust and hence freedom to diverge)

### How to grow a hive
1. SHared fate, shared sacrifice
2. Free riders should be punished and quickly. Generally this is done thru gossip - which is a positive thing in hivish orgs.
3. Heightened similarity(Uniform, commonalties)
4. Moving together/synchrony
5. Healthy Competition
6. Noble Mission

#### Leader Behavior
- Must be worthy of respect, admiration, and awe
- Impartiality: followers can trust and cede control
- Self-sacrifice: Shows shared fate
- Eloquence: noble words uplift and inspire



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### Tags
#competition #cooperation #hive #literature-notes #organization #people #psychology