The Identity Trap

This is NOT yet another diatribe against "wokeness." It is, instead, a thoughtful, nuanced analysis of the intellectual foundations of what the author calls "the identity synthesis" (and others call "identity politics," or other names). Not only is it fascinating in its own right; it is also a model of the nearly-lost art of intellectual critique. It is clear where Mounk's sympathies lie, but he is does his best to present his opponents' views in the most respectful, dispassionate way possible, before he points out the limitations and contradictions of their thinking. Readers who enjoyed this book should also enjoy… show more.

Mounk’s book is not about mental health per se, but I found that he provided a clear, compassionate framework for understanding the current obsession with identity politics – which, in my experience, relates to our current mental health crisis.

Prioritizing race, gender, and other aspects of identity means that we focus less on universal aspects of the human experience. As a therapist, I know that understanding our suffering from a universal perspective brings healing and transformation. We lose so much when we lose this.

Mounk’s book helped clarify my thinking about identity politics, and I didn’t find it narrow or… show more.

In the United States today it often seems like our discourse around race and gender is hopelessly polarized. Either you believe that racism is just as bad as it was in the 1950s, or you believe that we live in a completely post-racial society in which racism and intolerance are things of the past.

What is most refreshing about The Identity Trap is its deliberate and successful effort to break out of this binary. In the book, Political Scientist Yascha Mounk explains how he believes the modern political left has mistakenly remade itself around an ideology that positions racial identity… show more.