The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion

Everyone cares about fairness, but there are two major kinds. On the left, fairness often implies equality, but on the right it means proportionality—people should be rewarded in proportion to what they contribute, even if that guarantees unequal outcomes.

People bind themselves into political teams that share moral narratives. Once they accept a particular narrative, they become blind to alternative moral worlds.

Empathy is an antidote to righteousness, although it’s very difficult to empathize across a moral divide.

Our moral thinking is much more like a politician searching for votes than a scientist searching for truth.

When you put individuals first, before society, then any rule or social practice that limits personal freedom can be questioned. If it doesn’t protect somebody from harm, then it can’t be morally justified. It’s just a social convention.

We’re born to be righteous, but we have to learn what, exactly, people like us should be righteous about.