Jonathan Haidt

Date of Birth: October 19, 1963

Zodiac Sign: Libra

Biography

Jonathan Haidt is an American social psychologist, author, and professor known for his research on the psychology of morality and the moral foundations of politics. Born in New York City, Haidt earned his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992. He has taught at the University of Virginia and is currently a professor at the New York University Stern School of Business. Haidt has written several influential books, including “The Happiness Hypothesis” and “The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion.” He is a co-founder of the Heterodox Academy, an organization that promotes viewpoint diversity and constructive disagreement in higher education.

5 Interesting Facts about Jonathan Haidt

1. Jonathan Haidt co-authored the Moral Foundations Theory, which suggests that human moral reasoning is based on innate, modular foundations.

2. He is a frequent public speaker and has given several popular TED Talks, including “The Moral Roots of Liberals and Conservatives.”

3. Haidt’s book “The Righteous Mind” was a New York Times bestseller and has been translated into multiple languages.

4. He has received numerous awards for his research, including the Templeton Prize in Positive Psychology.

5. Haidt is an advocate for “viewpoint diversity” in academia, encouraging universities to embrace a range of perspectives.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Jonathan Haidt

1. “Morality binds and blinds.”

2. “The most powerful force ever known on this planet is human cooperation—a force for construction and destruction.”

3. “When people feel that they are being judged unfairly, they react with moral outrage.”

4. “We are deeply intuitive creatures whose gut feelings drive our strategic reasoning.”

5. “Happiness comes from between. It comes from getting the right relationships between yourself and others, yourself and your work, and yourself and something larger than yourself.”