In this brief talk, Arthur C. Brooks distinguishes two kinds of diversity. The first, more visible form—differences in race, religion, and sexual orientation—is commonly celebrated and is correlated with people who claim to value diversity; these individuals tend to have friendships that are demographically varied. However, the same people often have homogenous networks when it comes to political attitudes and social values. Brooks argues that this superficial diversity amounts to “looking different while thinking the same.” He introduces a second, less popular form of diversity: diversity of attitudes and beliefs. He contends that this attitudinal diversity is far harder to achieve but yields the greatest societal benefit, and that many who champion diversity actually avoid it because they prefer the easier, visible kind.
