"CBT changed-and probably saved-my life. And CBT has a lot in common with freedom of speech. CBT works by challenging distorted thinking patterns, and so does free discourse. When we suppress ideas, we suppress opportunities to test reality."
"The way we figure out truth is a process of checking and rechecking. And it doesn't work if you just talk to people you already agree with. If you want to know the truth about the world, you have to let people contradict you."
"When we shield ourselves from opposing viewpoints, we may think we're trading truth for comfort. But that comfort is short-lived."
"Cancel culture, Lukianoff contends, is an expression of cognitive fragility."
Free speech serves as a psychological necessity, according to Greg Lukianoff, who emphasizes its importance beyond legal rights. He connects free speech to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which challenges distorted thinking patterns. Suppressing ideas limits opportunities for truth-seeking and cognitive calibration. Tolerating opposing viewpoints is crucial for critical thinking and emotional regulation. Cancel culture reflects cognitive fragility, as seen in protests against speakers like Shlomo Bar-Yoshafat, which aim to silence dissenting opinions rather than engage with them.
Read at Psychology Today
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