MAIN IDEA:

This book is about human psychology, and here is the author’s definition of its main idea:” An idea that’s long been known to make rulers nervous. An idea denied by religions and ideologies, ignored by the news media and erased from the annals of world history. At the same time, it’s an idea that’s legitimised by virtually every branch of science. One that’s corroborated by evolution and confirmed by everyday life. An idea so intrinsic to human nature that it goes unnoticed and gets overlooked. If only we had the courage to take it more seriously, it’s an idea that might just start a revolution. Turn society on its head. Because once you grasp what it really means, it’s nothing less than a mind-bending drug that ensures you’ll never look at the world the same again So what is this radical idea? That most people, deep down, are pretty decent.”

The book includes a detailed review of many well-known experiments and events that are believed to demonstrate human culpability and show that, in many cases, these experiments were staged to prove preexisting conclusions or real events misinterpreted for similar purposes. At the end of the book, the author, based on the material discussed in the book, provides what he called:” TEN RULES TO LIVE BY.”

Here are the rules:

MY TAKE ON IT:

This book is very interesting to me because it describes the manipulation of data and context that leads people to believe all kinds of lies about human nature and behavior. The reality is pretty simple: humans are the product of multilevel evolution when change occurs at the individual level under evolutionary pressure at two levels: individual and group survival. Humans are selfish at both levels, sometimes prioritizing individual survival but sometimes group survival, which could mean self-sacrifices to save others in the group. However, humans are often nasty to outsiders, all the way to the genocidal level. It used to make lots of sense because resources were limited, and individuals and groups often could survive only at the expense of others. It does not make sense anymore because scientific achievements of the last few centuries provide sufficient resources for all. Now, we are at the beginning of the big adjustment, after which all humans will be included in one big group, and no individual will need to fight others for resources. We need to learn to tolerate others in exchange for being tolerated by others, which means getting rid of all kinds of hierarchical structures and attempts to impose on others our own beliefs, whether these beliefs are religious or behavioral or whatnot. It will not come easy and probably cost lots of blood, sweat, and tears, but self-annihilation is the only alternative. Humanity needs to change the paradigm from the survival of the fittest individuals and groups at the expense of the less fit others to the prosperity of all because the weapons available to the less fit could obliterate all.