Analysis: The Coddling Of The American Mind

“The Coddling of the American Mind” is an informative article about why college students are protesting against words and ideas that are harmful to them. The argument for it is that it negatively impacts their education and mental health. Micro aggression is the term they use to describe these harmful words or action. The words or actions may not have malicious intent but to some people it may. They refer to this as a trigger or words that may “trigger” a recurrence of past trauma. Some students want reform in the school system. They want to take the controversial ideas taught in the classroom and throw them away. They want some kind of way to punish those who say the wrong or harmful words. The article calls this idea, “vindictive protectiveness”. To simply put it is creating a society where everyone must think before they speak or face charges of insensitivity or aggression. The counter argument to this is takes away our freedom of speech.
Why go to college if you don’t want to learn? If we censor everything harmful then we become more ignorant of the world. The article mentions cognitive behavioral therapy which teaches good critical thinking skills. It offers good solution to trigger warnings. I think this therapy needs to be use more often because it teaches us to think more objectively rather than subjectively. Think subjectively distorts our way of thinking especially in the classroom. This way of thinking offers a solution to overcoming our fears and hypersensitivity. It is unfair that teachers and administration have to make adjustment to their course because someone feels offended. I find some of the examples given where people are being charged with harassment completely ridiculous. I believe by coddling the American mind is a disservice to students. We don’t live in a Utopia where everyone says nice things. The sooner students learn this, the better of they will be in the