Humankind Summary

Are humans inherently selfish and violent, or have we misunderstood our true nature?

1. Crisis Reveals Camaraderie, Not Chaos

When disaster strikes, we often expect pandemonium and self-centered behavior. However, historical examples and studies show that humans bond and cooperate more during crises rather than tearing each other apart.

• During the German Luftwaffe’s bombing of London, contrary to expectations of mass hysteria, the British showed remarkable calm. Instead of descending into chaos, people adapted by helping each other and going about their daily routines.
• In September 2001, following the Twin Towers attack, New Yorkers exhibited incredible solidarity, risking their own lives to save others in a moment of crisis.
• A study by the Disaster Research Center reviewed 700 disasters and discovered that antisocial behavior lessened, while communities came together to provide mutual support.

Examples

• Empty psychiatric wards prepared for Londoners during the Blitz.
• Decreased suicide rates and increased camaraderie in wartime Britain.
• Neighborly rescues during Hurricane Katrina.

2. Mankind Isn't as Selfish as We Think

The notion that humans are motivated purely by self-interest is a persistent myth, but studies show a much brighter side of human nature.

• The news and cultural narratives often depict the worst parts of humanity, skewing our perception. After disasters like Hurricane Katrina, the media incorrectly painted victims as looters, when in reality, many were helping each other survive.
• An experiment where researchers tested participants’ belief in altruism found that people underestimated the goodness of others. Even when statistics proved otherwise, participants stubbornly attributed selfish motives to kind actions.
• These examples prove that the idea of pervasive selfishness is more rooted in perception and negativity bias than in reality.

Examples

• Media coverage wrongly accusing Hurricane Katrina survivors of anarchic behavior.
• Studies showing people insist altruistic acts, like returning a lost wallet, must be selfishly motivated.
• Field research confirming solidarity after disasters instead of increased crime.

3. The News Acts Like a Nocebo for Our Perception

The relentless negativity of daily news distorts our view of humanity. Just as negative expectations harm health through the nocebo effect, news programming feeds societal pessimism.

• News outlets prioritize sensational stories, often focusing on violence, conflict, and scandal. This selection bias conceals the everyday kindness that permeates society.
• A similar pattern emerges in fiction. For instance, in "Lord of the Flies," children are portrayed as savages when left to their own devices. But real-life parallels, like the 1966 story of stranded boys in the Pacific, show children collaborating to survive.
• By repeatedly spotlighting destruction and mayhem, both news media and fictional accounts lead us to mistakenly believe that selfishness and cruelty dominate human behavior.

Examples

• The perpetual negative headlines we see in news outlets.
• William Golding’s fictional premise in "Lord of the Flies" versus the real story of Pacific island children.
• The public’s skewed view of the world shaped by biased news consumption.

4. Humans Are Hardwired for Kindness

Far from being inherently corrupt, humans come with ingrained tendencies toward tolerance and cooperation, rooted in evolution.

• Archaeological findings suggest that early humans' lives were marked by harmony, not Hobbesian chaos. Hunter-gatherer societies relied on collaboration to survive rather than brutal strength.
• The very structure of our faces and anatomy also supports our cooperative nature. Unlike aggressive animals, humans developed softer, friendlier faces over time.
• Our capacity for social learning, a key measure of intelligence, distinguishes us from other species and allows us to work together effectively.

Examples

• Cave paintings that depict hunting scenes but no warfare.
• The evolution toward friendly, rounder human facial features.
• Studies showing babies outperform monkeys in "social learning" puzzles.

5. Property and Civilization Bred Violence

Prehistoric humans lived relatively peaceful lives until civilization brought property, farming, and hierarchies, creating conditions for conflict.

• Early human settlements led to disputes about land and resources. Skeletal remains and cave art from this period reveal the emergence of violence driven by property ownership.
• Before agriculture, people were nomadic, sharing and collaborating across groups. With settlement came fixed territories and xenophobia.
• Civilization also introduced hierarchies, allowing rulers to maintain power and wage wars. Hunter-gatherer groups, on the other hand, often used methods like shaming to dismantle potential power imbalances.

Examples

• A shift in archeological remains to evidence of wartime injuries after the advent of farming.
• Nomads mingling freely versus the suspicion bred in settled communities.
• The rise of fortified structures and symbolic depictions of war in cave art.

6. Empathy’s Double-Edged Nature

Humans’ empathy can bind communities but also lead to exclusion and violence.

• Consider German soldiers in World War II, who weren’t motivated by Nazi ideology but by loyalty and camaraderie with their peers.
• Empathy creates tight-knit groups but simultaneously excludes those outside the group. It becomes easier to rationalize harm directed at outsiders.
• This limited capacity for empathy has historically fueled atrocities, showing how our deeply human trait can result in both help and harm.

Examples

• Research on Nazi soldiers fighting not for ideology but for their allies.
• The exclusionary nature of empathy compared to widespread compassion.
• Historical events like the Holocaust where in-group loyalty enabled out-group violence.

7. Killing Doesn't Come Naturally

Even in life-or-death situations like war, many people find it incredibly hard to harm another human being.

• History records numerous occasions where soldiers hesitated to fire their weapons. Studies show most combat deaths result from indirect sources like bombings, not direct combat.
• In the Battle of Waterloo, the use of bayonets was minimal, despite their ubiquity.
• The famous 1914 Christmas Truce illustrates soldiers’ reluctance to kill; they chose camaraderie and celebration over violence.

Examples

• Colonel Samuel Marshall's interviews revealing most WWII soldiers avoided shooting.
• The low rate of bayonet-inflicted wounds during historical wars.
• The Christmas Truce of World War I and its implications for human behavior.

8. Our Misconceptions of Human Nature Run Deep

If we continue to believe in selfishness and violence as base human instincts, we risk encouraging these very traits.

• Punitive systems based on mistrust, like harsh prisons, fail to rehabilitate and instead foster recidivism.
• Norwegian prisons, centered on trust and dignity, significantly reduce re-offenses compared to more punitive models.
• When people are treated as capable and moral, they often rise to meet those expectations – proving how powerful belief in human goodness can be.

Examples

• The harsh conditions in American supermax prisons and their 60% recidivism rate.
• Norway's Halden Prison, providing humane conditions and achieving a 16% recidivism rate.
• High re-offense rates linked to environments of mistrust and dehumanization.

9. A Hopeful Future with a New View of Humanity

Adopting a positive view of human nature can transform prisons, schools, workplaces, and governments to be much more effective and fair.

• When we assume people are trustworthy, they are more likely to behave responsibly. This principle applies to businesses, where companies that trust employees often see better outcomes.
• Critically rethinking societal structures enables more efficient solutions. Norwegian-style prisons, for example, not only help prisoners but save money.
• A focus on humanity’s inherent goodness could pave the way for more equitable and cooperative social systems.

Examples

• The trusting environment of Halden Prison fostering low crime rates post-release.
• Schools implementing restorative justice programs and witnessing reduced conflicts.
• Companies adopting flat hierarchies and finding higher employee satisfaction and productivity.

Takeaways

1. Recognize and challenge negativity bias by seeking out positive examples of human behavior in daily life, such as stories of kindness and altruism.
2. Support local initiatives that promote community building and collaboration, as crises highlight the importance of solidarity.
3. Advocate for systems that trust and empower people, whether in prisons, workplaces, or schools, as trust fosters responsibility and reduces harm.