Book Review by Jas: Uncomfortable Ideas by Dr. Bo Bennett

Prepare for a Bumpy Ride.

Many of our ideas about the world are based more on feelings than facts, sensibilities than science, and rage than reality. We gravitate toward ideas that make us feel comfortable in areas such as religion, politics, philosophy, social justice, love and sex, humanity, and morality. We avoid ideas that make us feel uncomfortable. This avoidance is a largely unconscious process that affects our judgment and gets in the way of our ability to reach rational and reasonable conclusions. By understanding how our mind works in this area, we can start embracing uncomfortable ideas and be better informed, be more understanding of others, and make better decisions in all areas of life.

Some uncomfortable ideas entertained in this book:

  • Political correctness can be harmful
  • Identity politics is a dangerous game
  • Morality is functionally democratic
  • Victims often do share some of the responsibility
  • God is a far more horrifying character than Satan
  • There is no such thing as freewill
  • Americans are manipulated into being pro-war
  • Non-whites can be racist, and women can be sexist
  • Some people do “choose to be gay”
  • Sometimes the bad guys win
  • Obese people are not perfect the way they are
  • It’s okay to find inappropriate jokes funny

Facts don’t care about feelings. Science isn’t concerned about sensibilities. And reality couldn’t care less about rage.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A bumpy ride indeed. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the content, it still manages to make one think critically about certain things, and that is always a good thing. What’s more, it is being presented in a non-threatening, clear, balanced, and objective way. A great way to tackle uncomfortable ideas.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Very eye-opening. Making us question the things that make them uncomfortable and why, is what we all need. Love it!”

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Definitely a book that requires some time for the readers to read and reflect on many uncomfortable aspects of life. I certainly enjoyed reading this book and took time to ponder upon the questions summarized at the end of the book. Many of the ideas discussed are something I have questioned myself before and as we humans have biasness, these questions may not always have a truthful answer and we may also find ourselves conflicting what we said in the past just because we now think differently and therefore think what was not acceptable in the past can now be accepted. I think it is especially true when it comes to relationships and polyamarous relationships. It can be a very difficult subject to handle but while polyamarous relationships are certainly possible, I would question the level of fulfillment one gets out of relationships as a whole, when attention is divided between many parties involved.
Likewise, the author has also mentioned that extreme feminism can cause people to question the reason behind the movement in the first place, which I agree.
I think this book is worth reading from the perspective of a professional who wrote the book to encourage people to embrace different ideas.

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