The Local

There are more new books at the Odessa library as of this week. Most of them are pure escapism, which isn’t a bad thing during times like these. You can read that as meaning “pandemic” or just “winter in Eastern Washington” as you wish.

One book, though, may just be one of the best books you’ll probably never read. Our recent (and seemingly endless) election cycle has illustrated the deep divisions running through our society. I am often uncomfortable to discover that people I consider to be good friends are on the other side of a seemingly unbridgeable divide. It’s not so much what they believe that makes me uncomfortable; it’s that I have such a hard time understanding how they can believe it. And of course, the probability that they feel the same way about me.

While I was spending an unconscionable amount of time on Facebook one day, thoroughly disheartened by all the anger and harsh words, I saw a post by one of what I call my Minnesota cousins. He mentioned that he had read a book called “The Righteous Mind” by Jonathan Haidt, and it had helped him not just understand where other people were coming from; it also helped him to communicate with people on the other side of the chasm. The subtitle of this work is “Why good people are divided by politics and religion.”

I admit that I’m something of a psychology wonk, and I actually enjoyed following Haidt as he walked me right into discovering that I’m a liar. Talk about uncomfortable! I frequently pontificate on how my social and political beliefs are based on hours, days and even years of critical thinking and scrupulous research. Dr. Haidt has shown me just how wrong I have been. And so have you, and he, and they. All of us.

I haven’t even finished the book. I keep having to stop to let things sink in before I can proceed. It helps a lot to know that the last 125 pages are acknowledgements, notes and references. I had to get another copy for the library, because I couldn’t keep myself from using my highlighter.

Now I want to know. Are you brave enough to read this book?