What You'll Learn:
The majority of people all over the world take it for granted that people are bad. But what if we have it all wrong? Dutch historian Rutger Bregman examines findings from the social sciences and argues that the data strongly suggests that people are good by nature.
Key Insights:
- Pessimism is not true realism because it doesn’t square with the facts.
- It’s not the fittest, but the friendliest that survive.
- Violence over the millennia illustrates how our love of togetherness and connection can be exploited, but it’s hardly natural.
- One of the most famous experiments in the history of psychology dimmed our view of human nature. It was also a hoax.
- Watching the news is bad for your health.
- Hope and kindness are subversive.