The Coddling Movie

If you’d like to help un-coddle our culture, now is a great time to do it. We’ve cut subscription prices to help us reach more students, parents, and others with our message of free speech, anti-fragility, and hope. Check us out on Substack: thecoddlingmovie.substack.com

That knot in your stomach when an idea challenges you? That’s not something to avoid. It’s where thinking actually begins. Discomfort isn’t the enemy of truth. It’s the signal you might be getting closer to it. By Hector Herrera👇 thecoddlingmovie.substack.com/p/hooray-for-c…

What if the problem with modern media isn’t what’s reported… but what’s left out? Rob Rosen looks at how selective storytelling shapes what we think we know — and why partial truths can be more misleading than outright lies.👇 thecoddlingmovie.substack.com/p/crimes-of-om…

At some point, we decided tree stumps were too dangerous… and common sense had to be replaced by rulebooks. The result? Safer playgrounds and less capable kids. Read Lenore Skenazy’s latest at TCM👇 thecoddlingmovie.substack.com/p/lawsuits-vs-…

It feels like everything is escalating — because it is. Each side sees the other as a threat, so norms start to feel optional… and every reaction becomes fuel for the next one. A clear, grounded look at how we got here — and why it’s so hard to stop. thecoddlingmovie.substack.com/p/the-outrage-…

LGBT heresy can get you excommunicated. The crowd that often admonishes people to “Be Kind” would do well to take their own advice. Ryan Self reflects on what happens when gay voices challenge progressive orthodoxy.👇 thecoddlingmovie.substack.com/p/lgbt-heresy-…

The Oscars are coming up soon. You may think nobody watches anymore — and that they don’t matter. Unfortunately, both claims are myths. Ted Balaker on why the silly ceremony still shapes Hollywood, culture, and the stories we’re told.👇 thecoddlingmovie.substack.com/p/unfortunatel…

Should cats live inside—or roam free? Ted Balaker takes a fun look at the indoor-vs-outdoor cat debate and what it reveals about modern safety culture. Have we started coddling our pets the same way we coddle kids? Read the piece here 👇 thecoddlingmovie.substack.com/p/should-you-c…

At the Toy Fair, the old buzzword STEM is out. The new one? “MESH” — toys designed for kids’ mental, emotional, and social health. Apparently even playtime now needs a therapist. By Lenore Skenazy. thecoddlingmovie.substack.com/p/toys-as-ther…

A 6-year-old rode his bike alone for two hours. Crisis — or just childhood? Our fears keep rising. Crime mostly hasn’t. What kids actually need to grow: independence, risk, and a little freedom. By Lenore Skenazy👇 thecoddlingmovie.substack.com/p/mom-vs-dad-l…

What happens when boys aren’t allowed to work things out? One middle-school conflict became a lesson in testosterone, hierarchy, rough-and-tumble friendship — and the cost of overprotection. Read the new essay by LB The Happy Underachiever. thecoddlingmovie.substack.com/p/dear-helicop…

What does a life well lived require? On the eve of climbing Aconcagua, Ed Campbell reflects on chosen difficulty, commitment, and the work of becoming. An inspiring new guest post by Ed over at TCM👇 thecoddlingmovie.substack.com/p/life-as-beco…

“Do it. If you’re not walking out, what are you doing?” A California high school senior describes how activism isn’t optional in school anymore—it’s expected. A rare, inside look at how conformity is trained long before college. Read the full essay👇 thecoddlingmovie.substack.com/p/im-a-high-sc…

“Academic outcomes” are down. Staffing is up. But before arguing about the numbers, ask the real question: Who defines outcomes? A necessary reality check from The Reason We Learn. thecoddlingmovie.substack.com/p/what-are-edu…

What would you be afraid to tell your therapist? For some patients, it’s wanting to lose weight. When ideology enters the therapy room, honesty leaves. This essay explores how self-censorship took hold—and what’s quietly undoing it. By Ted Balaker thecoddlingmovie.substack.com/p/therapists-e…

Why I chose America. After living under other systems, studying the record, and seeing what freedom by design actually produces. A new immigrant’s reflection on the privilege—and responsibility—of the American experiment. By Hector Herrera 🇺🇸 thecoddlingmovie.substack.com/p/why-i-chose-…

People keep asking how communism could ever take root in America. This is how: An education system that teaches kids to hate capitalism, fear independence, and confuse obedience with virtue. By The Reason We Learn ↓ thecoddlingmovie.substack.com/p/you-asked-ho…

Jacob Savage’s viral essay claimed DEI cost a generation of white men their careers. Pazit Cahlon responds—agreeing the harm is real, but asking a deeper question: What do we teach our children when systems fail—and disappointment follows? Read ↓ thecoddlingmovie.substack.com/p/dei-destroye…

When murder is framed as moral, something has gone terribly wrong. The Reason We Learn examines how critical pedagogy teaches students to see opponents as enemies—and violence as virtue. Read: thecoddlingmovie.substack.com/p/the-educatio…

@sundancefest starts today—and once again, it celebrates “diversity” while excluding dissent. Ted Balaker on how the festival embraces every identity except intellectual diversity—and why 92% of America never makes the cut. Read: thecoddlingmovie.substack.com/p/sundance-emb…

What happens when your literary hero embraces the very groupthink her family history should warn against? L.B. The Happy Underachiever reckons with Min Jin Lee, socialism, Asian-American elitism, and the cost of confusing collectivism with compassion. thecoddlingmovie.substack.com/p/when-your-he…