Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman

[PrincessMommy]

I heard an interview with the author this morning on BBC and I think it might be the balm I need. I thought others might be looking for something more uplifting to read too.   It is set to be released on June 2nd.  I can't find the BBC interview to post here.  

But, you may have heard story "The Real Lord of the Flies" about 6 boys who were shipwrecked for 15 months back in the 1960s.  The story is part of this book.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/may/09/the-real-lord-of-the-flies-what-happened-when-six-boys-were-shipwrecked-for-15-months

I've heard so many people say they've lost faith in humankind.  That makes me so sad that we only hear awful stories and awful/stupid things people do.  Not that we should stick our heads in the sand but social media and the news make it seems to concentrate on the worst stuff.

From the Book's Amazon page:

Quote

If there is one belief that has united the left and the right, psychologists and philosophers, ancient thinkers and modern ones, it is the tacit assumption that humans are bad. It's a notion that drives newspaper headlines and guides the laws that shape our lives. From Machiavelli to Hobbes, Freud to Pinker, the roots of this belief have sunk deep into Western thought. Human beings, we're taught, are by nature selfish and governed primarily by self-interest.

 

But what if it isn't true? International bestseller Rutger Bregman provides new perspective on the past 200,000 years of human history, setting out to prove that we are hardwired for kindness, geared toward cooperation rather than competition, and more inclined to trust rather than distrust one another. In fact this instinct has a firm evolutionary basis going back to the beginning of Homo sapiens.

 

 

[PrincessMommy]

3 hours ago, Dreamergal said:

Thank you for this.

I've been lucky enough to live in two countries and two cultures in my life. I was born and raised in a country where the scale of poverty, disease and other problems look overwhelming on the outside. But I've always seen normal people practice little acts of kindness throughout the day like putting extra rice for a beggar who would come around regularly, teaching their domestic help to read, paying fees for their kids, giving clothes both old and new, putting out food for birds and street dogs, driving around a cow that is just sitting in the middle of the road. These are done by people of all religions as just a way of life. They don't make statements, they don't set out to save the world, they just do ordinary acts of kindness as part of their days and normal lives.

When I came to America, I was all alone especially during holidays. Parents who never met me took me in when their kids brought me home as I had no place to go for holidays and it was too long to travel. I've been given Christmas presents, shared thanksgiving with families who barely knew me, given rides to church, taught skills like driving, had a father of a friend work so much with me to rid me of my fear of water so I could swim when an adult instructor could not teach me. These are again people are not just one ethnicity. It's not always been rosy, I've also faced my share of racism, had some unpleasant experiences when I travelled but on the whole I will always say people are nice. They smile, they help. J've stood in places with a baffled expression on my face in many places around the world in grocery stores, airports, train stations and people have helped me or asked if I need help often in a language I did not know. Most people are nice, kind, helpful and even a pandemic or bad news all over the world can convince me otherwise.

 

This is a lovely memory. Thank you for sharing it with us. 

[Carol in Cal.]

I love that article and pre-ordered the book based on it.