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Humankind: A Hopeful History • Rutger Bregman & Preben Thorø
Discover a hopeful history of human nature, challenging myths about violence and cooperation, and exploring the psychology of war and peace.
- Researchers have found that war is not the norm in human history, but rather the exception.
- Humans are naturally inclined towards peace and cooperation, and it’s often only when circumstances are extreme that we turn to violence.
- Even in times of war, soldiers often have a strong desire to make peace and stop fighting.
- The idea that humans are naturally violent is a myth, and that our violent behavior is often driven by specific circumstances and factors.
- The Stanford Prison Experiment showed that ordinary people can be transformed into brutal and sadistic individuals under the right circumstances.
- The guards in the experiment were not motivated by ideology or a desire to harm, but rather by a desire to do their job and maintain order.
- Humans have a natural revulsion towards violence and killing, and it takes a lot of effort to overcome this instinct.
- In many cases, soldiers who have been trained to kill are left feeling traumatized and unable to cope with the moral implications of their actions.
- The idea that leaders are inherently evil is also a myth, and that many leaders are motivated by a desire to do what they believe is best for their country or people.
- Humans have made tremendous progress in recent centuries, and extreme poverty has halved since the 1980s.
- The risk of war and violence is still present, but it’s not inevitable, and there are many things we can do to reduce it.
- Humans have a natural inclination towards cooperation and friendship, and this is essential for our survival and success.
- The idea that humans are naturally selfish and individualistic is also a myth, and that we are capable of great altruism and selflessness.
- The natural world is full of examples of cooperation and mutualism, and humans are no exception.
- The book “Humankind” by Rutger Bregman is a great resource for learning more about these ideas and how they can be applied in practice.