***Post written by Michael Crane, Treasurer for WSPA***

The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting up a Generation for Failure By Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt

In case you haven’t noticed, we now have a generation of young “adults” still living with their parents, playing endless video games and complaining that “society” owes them free health care, student loan forgiveness, a high paying job even if you demonstrate very few marketable skills, and of course a “safe space” in case their fragile little egos are bruised by a harmless joke or slight.

The authors take an astute look into how this happened and the forces that perpetuate this toxic mindset.  First Amendment expert Greg Lukianoff and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argue cogently with facts and figures how three terrible ideas have increasingly been woven into American childhood and education:  What doesn’t kill you makes you weaker; always trust your feelings; and life is a battle between good people and evil people.

As I read the book, I couldn’t help but ponder how our public-school system, especially Special Education, under the guise of “education” is harming our children.  If we shield our children from the everyday stressors of life, they are not equipped with real life when they become adults.  Perhaps this partially explains the rise in suicide and drug abuse.   This rise of Safetyism is a virus that should be snuffed out.  Anyone working in education should read this book and then ponder all of the ways we may be contributing to this epidemic and then work tirelessly to undo this corrosive mindset.