Tim has written a book called “What’s Our Problem? A Self-Help Book for Societies,” in which he describes how and why we’ve lost our collective grip—and how we might regain it.

One of the key themes of the book is self-censorship. How have we arrived at a moment in which more than 63 percent of American college students say their campus climate prevents some people from saying things they believe? How is it that, in our liberal democracy, seven out of 10 say a professor should be reported if they say something offensive?

In the chapter we’ve excerpted below, Tim uses the tale of a made-up land called Hypothetica to show how easily people can be forced into saying—and eventually thinking—the same things.

[I think a certain level of self-editing is not just reasonable but expected. People should discipline themselves against a constant torrent of their id getting vented. The question is whether one feels compelled to do that in order to present themselves in a responsible manner, or whether one is being intimidated into silence or compelled speech. This essay is helpful to understand the consequences of the latter, which is getting a lot more common, especially in Academia and social media. — Ed]