Ancient Wisdom Is Needed Today More Than Ever. Here Is My Book About It.

Jon Haidt · 13 Oct 2026

Jon Haidt did not write this page.

Every claim below was made in this piece, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.

Our reading
The ancients knew little worth preserving about physics or chemistry, but they were insightful about consciousness, relationships, suffering, and human nature.

Their wordsThe ancients knew little worth preserving about physics or chemistry, but they sure were insightful about consciousness, relationships, suffering, and human nature more broadly.
Our reading
Modern digital technologies are weakening or breaking the chain by which each generation passes its accumulated wisdom to the next.

Their wordsEvery human society has passed down the accumulated wisdom of prior generations to the next one, with modifications and additions along the way. But modern digital technologies are weakening or even breaking that chain of cultural transmission.
Our reading
If societies accept the ongoing digitalization of childhood, education, dating, work, and life, the prospects for widespread flourishing are poor.

Their wordsIf we sit back and accept the ongoing digitalization of childhood, education, dating, work, and life, then the prospects for widespread flourishing are poor.

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