The Hive Switch “When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.” (Martin). Wolves and humans are very similar; we are both highly social pack animals who are able to activate what Jonathan Haidt refers to as the “hive switch” in his book “The Righteous Mind”. This switch is what allows a single being to make a sacrifice for the greater whole. All college freshmen should read chapter 10 which is aptly named “The Hive Switch”. This chapter would give them valuable insight into how to achieve happiness and perform in groups, necessary skills for college. It will also help them become better people in the outside world. Haidt uses military analyses, and his own experiences to portray this information. He encourages the reader to just let go and become a part of the whole. Haidt uses various military stories to illustrate the hive switch in action. William McNeil testimony describes it as a “sense of pervasive well-being” where a soldier would be completely willing to give their life to allow the team to survive. …show more content…
Haidt mentions the moment when “I becomes we”. There’s no better way to express this occurrence. It is truly an awe inspiring effect where one loses their own personal ambitions, and works for the good of the group. The hive switch has been evidenced throughout history mainly in military situations such as the Greek phalanx which was a military formation that aided the smaller armies of Alexander the Great against much larger foes. A phalanx formation is a combination shield wall and spear hedge which allowed every solider to become part of a living wall of destruction. The hive switch causes every solider to act in unison and march forward until the enemy was no more. The switch causes them not only to think but to act in the most selfless way possible, sacrificing whatever they must to achieve their goal. This scales down to a class room level quite simply, in group work it means not being afraid to take the brunt of the work if means the success of the group. It means giving up your weekend to ensure a good grade for the group. It is this selflessness that is lacking in the world, not only in the classroom but the in society as a whole. Humanity has become an extremely individualistic society where the part is greater than the whole. People care only about their own gain and maybe the gains of those that would also benefit them. I believe that incoming freshmen should read chapter 10 because actions must be taken to slow and stop humanities selfishness. Imagine the good that could be done it every one forgot their self-interests, and does what is best for the campus. By heading this chapter we could change the course of humanity and start on the road to a better, happier, world. Haidt states that happiness doesn’t come from outside sources, nor does it come from within.
Haidt hypothesizes that happiness comes from between and is a mixture of the two sources. In order to be truly happy you must find the right relationship between yourself and your local environment and yourself and the world at whole. We must become what Haidt quotes Durkheim idea of homo duplex where humans exist on both an individual plane and a societal one which determines the emotional reactions. I’m not entirely sure on how it functions on this campus but in my hometown of Brockton MA everyone is so individualistic that no is happy. This creates a very hostile environment and causes many other problems. The information in this chapter would help prevent such an environment from sprouting on campus, because the only way to achieve true happiness and avoid such a fate is through developing relationships on both
planes. “When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.” Humans are pack animals who lost their pack. We have become such an individualist and selfish society and it will be our downfall. We must, as a race, stop our current behavior and become homo duplex. We must relearn to lose our individual identities and become a cog in the overall machine that is life. Chapter 10 of Jonathan Haidt’s The Righteous Mind holds the tools to aid us in reactivating the hive switch and becoming not only happier but more productive team member and better person in general. Those are the reasons I believe that all incoming freshmen should read this.
In “It Takes a Tribe” by David Berreby, he claims that humans are born with the urge to belong, and our experiences in life subconsciously shape who we are, placing us in groups. Berreby first provides examples of stereotyping and states how judging groups is a serious problem today, comparing it to prejudice and racism (par. 1-2). He moves forward to discuss how easily humans adapt to their surroundings and how this causes us to be placed inside these “exclusive” groups (par. 4-5). Berreby uses “college loyalty” and “school spirit” as examples of this, showing that colleges are the perfect place to study this behavior as they are strong comparisons to this behavior in the rest of the world (par. 8-9). Berreby also shares that “us” vs. “them”
A beehive without a queen is a community headed for extinction. Bees cannot function without a queen. They become disoriented and depressed, and they stop making honey. This can lead to the destruction of the hive and death of the bees unless a new queen is brought in to guide them. Then, the bees will cooperate and once again be a prosperous community. Lily Melissa Owens, the protagonist of Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees, faces a similar predicament. While she does not live in a physical hive, the world acts as a hive. She must learn to work with its inhabitants, sharing a common direction, in order to reach her full potential. The motif of the beehive is symbolic of how crucial it is to be a part of a community in order to achieve
Burns still cannot find happiness. Ultimately, highlighting the importance love for something dear to one can have, which for many people becomes their reason for existence; in Mr. Burns’ case, he already possesses everything in the world which is the sole reason he has no desire to protect and cherish something. Secondly, in Alfie Kohn’s essay, students deserted their social lives and interests in fear of what is to come. For example, students began associating themselves with clubs “because they thought membership would look impressive”; with college in mind “[their] even forgetting-what they enjoyed doing” in order “to squeeze out another few points on the G.P.A or the SAT” (Kohn, 7). Concerned and depressed students begin to believe that the only way to achieve greatness in life is to give up and sacrifice things you love for the better future, but are not able to realize that the cycle will only repeat once they get to university and later in life. Therefore, outlining why it is better to be satisfied with something that brings pleasure into your life instead of being miserable for the rest of your life. Thirdly, in Barwick’s essay, Mr. Burns only views things has pathways leading to other things in life,
The struggle between happiness and society shows a society where true happiness has been forfeited to form a perfect order.
The philosopher Aristotle once wrote, “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” This famous quote compels people to question the significance of their joy, and whether it truly represents purposeful lives they want to live. Ray Bradbury, a contemporary author, also tackles this question in his book, Fahrenheit 451, which deals heavily with society's view of happiness in the future. Through several main characters, Bradbury portrays the two branches of happiness: one as a lifeless path, heading nowhere, seeking no worry, while the other embraces pure human experience intertwined together to reveal truth and knowledge.
In chapter four of Johnathon Haidt’s book The Righteous Mind, Haidt talks about five different topics. Of these five, there are three that I am going to discuss; 1.) We do care about what others think about us, even if we do not think we do. 2.) We as humans will always tend to be dishonest when we think we can get away with it, and 3.) We will reason with anything to justify our original thought. His main thesis for this chapter is that our intuitions come first, then our strategic reasoning.
Happiness plays an important and necessary role in the lives of people around the world. In America, happiness has been engrained in our national consciousness since Thomas Jefferson penned these famous words in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (Jefferson). Since then, Americans have been engaged in that act: pursuing happiness. The problem however, as Ray Bradbury demonstrates in his novel Fahrenheit 451, is that those things which make us happy initially may eventually lead to our downfall. By examining Guy Montag, the protagonist in Fahrenheit 451, and the world he lives in we can gain valuable insights to direct us in our own pursuit of happiness. From Montag and other characters we will learn how physical, emotional, and spiritual happiness can drastically affect our lives. We must ask ourselves what our lives, words, and actions are worth. We should hope that our words are not meaningless, “as wind in dried grass” (Eliot).
In Walter B. Shurden’s The Baptist Identity, he looks at four of the core elements, or freedoms, that shape and mold Baptist theology and their identity. The four core concepts he explores in his book are Bible freedom, soul freedom, church freedom, and religious freedom. While looking at these four values, he examines how they mold and shape the Baptist identity and how they came to be. The origin to each of these values in the Baptist tradition is addressed as well as their benefits and draw backs. He explains their purpose and necessity in the Baptist denomination and how it effects the denomination as a whole.
Happiness has always been a desirable goal throughout our lives, but each actions we take might just affect the happiness of others. When humans seek happiness, we always seek for things that make us feel alive, or things that brings us the greatest comfort. Our contentment comes with the act of selfishness since we choose to prioritize our happiness above all other. We willingly classify happiness in two different types of meaning, both physical and mental happiness. People ought not be in title to happiness because it is classified in general as a physical desire by many people. Contentment is always known to be a physical satisfaction in life instead of a self-inducing satisfaction for life.
In today’s ever changing world people must adapt to change. If an organization wants to be successful or remain successful they must embrace change. This book helps us identify why people succeed and or fail at large scale change. A lot of companies have a problem with integrating change, The Heart of Change, outlines ways a company can integrate change. The text book Ivanceich’s Organizational Behavior and Kotter and Cohen’s The Heart of Change outlines how change can be a good thing within an organization. The Heart of Change introduces its readers to eight steps the authors feel are important in introducing a large scale organizational change. Today’s organizations have to deal with leadership change, change in the economy,
Along with life and liberty, the pursuit of happiness is among the most fundamental ideals in American society. The men who founded the United States of America in the late 18th century listed these three values as “unalienable rights” for the citizens of the new nation they created. In a recent study looking at the pursuit of happiness, Lyubomirsky, Sheldon, and Schkade stated, “If it is meaningful and important to pursue happiness, then it is crucial to find out how this can be accomplished” (2005, p. 126). In later work, Sheldon and Lyubomirsky (2006) observed that little research has been done to uncover the exact methods in which happiness increases. The views offered in these prior projects are vital to the current investigation because there is evidence that even though happiness is pursued, happiness is not accomplished by the majori...
MLA: Wallis, Claudia, et al. “The New Science of Happiness.” Time. 17 Jan. 2005. Academic Search Premier. Yale University Library. 11 Jan. 2006.
In the book, The How of Happiness, author and researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky sets her book apart from other self-awareness books by being the first to utilize empirical studies. She uses data gained through scientific method to provide support for her hypothesis. This hypothesis consists mainly of the idea that we have the ability to overcome genetic predisposition and circumstantial barriers to happiness by how we think and what we do. She emphasizes that being happier benefits ourselves, our family and our community. “The How of Happiness is science, and the happiness-increasing strategies that [she] and other social psychologists have developed are its key supporting players” (3).
In connections to question #2, I think Haidt is trying to say that by generating cross-level coherence within ourselves (linking the physical, psychological, and sociocultural conditions/levels together) , it will allow us to gain a sense of meaning and create vital engagement (contribute to the greater good and play a role in society). Essentially,
...ome very valid points. I think he wrote it to help the reader out. He wanted to open the reader's eyes to these issues so they wouldn't be searching for happiness in the wrong places. But, is there a "right" place to look for happiness? This is never clearly answered in the essay but we are left with some helpful insight.