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I read “Humankind” by Rutger Bregman and now think this is not true.

• HerbManic 6mo ago
  Thanks for the recommendation, I will check that out.
  • teekert 6mo ago
    If anything, it’s a lot more optimistic about human nature than what we’re used too. It’s refreshing and well argued. Worth a read!
    • HerbManic 6mo ago
      That is good to know. My original post was a bit reductionist, I do generally feel that people try to do good and are much more co-operative than adversarial. It is just that we can be dragged into a defensive/attack position easily if we do not keep an eye on that. I suspect that despite all the issues of the world, we are slowly heading to a future that will be much more peaceful.
      • teekert 6mo ago
        I think so too. The book gives a lot of examples of where and how the beautiful sides op human nature surface in difficult times. It also argues that at least some of the things we hold as true (ie civilized behaviour is a thin layer of veneer) are not true. One example is that we often think that as in "Lord of the Flies", a book that shaped us in a way, civilization slowly drains from the group as they become more primal when hunger sets in and oversight is lost. But Rutger finds an example of a real group of stranded kids, who thrived and generally showed admirable behaviour. That's just one of the examples.