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De meeste mensen deugen

Rutger Bregman (Goodreads Author)

4.33 · Rating details · 15,608 ratings · 2,031 reviews

De mens is een beest, zeiden de koningen. Een zondaar, zeiden de priesters. Een egoïst, zeiden de boekhouders. Al eeuwen is de westerse cultuur doordrongen van het geloof in de verdorvenheid van de mens.

Maar wat als we het al die tijd mis hadden?

In dit boek verweeft Rutger Bregman de jongste inzichten uit de psychologie, de economie, de biologie en de archeologie. Hij nee ...more

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Paperback, 521 pages

Published September 2019 by De Correspondent

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Jul 25, 2020 Jenna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Jenna by: Shivam Kimothi

Shelves: philosophy, non-fiction, psychology

You know that person who's always so happy no matter what? Maybe it's the colleague who is bright and cheery at 8:00 every Monday morning when everyone else is struggling just to open their eyes and get their third cup of coffee down?

चाड्डा अमितशर्मा GIF - चाड्डा अमितशर्मा थेऑफ़िस GIFs

चाड्डा अमितशर्मा GIF - चाड्डा अमितशर्मा थेऑफ़िस GIFs

Or that really annoying person who always urges you to look on the bright side. Oh, your arm fell off? No worries, you have another! Oh, your second arm fell off too? Well, just think of all the fun you're going to have learning how to use your feet to open doors, ...more

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Nov 27, 2020 Trevor rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: social-theory, psychology

I wish I hadn’t recently read Calling Bullshit. According to that book, I really ought to be applying the sharpest possible criticism to this book. The reason being that this book confirms so many of my own prejudices. In fact, I’ve used many of the arguments used here (and even the same examples) in my own life. For example, over the last few years I’ve been asked to give the opening lecture on the importance of literacy to undergrad education students at work. Mostly, I look at how social clas I wish I hadn’t recently read Calling Bullshit. According to that book, I really ought to be applying the sharpest possible criticism to this book. The reason being that this book confirms so many of my own prejudices. In fact, I’ve used many of the arguments used here (and even the same examples) in my own life. For example, over the last few years I’ve been asked to give the opening lecture on the importance of literacy to undergrad education students at work. Mostly, I look at how social class impacts student literacy and how more equal societies have better literacy outcomes. But part of that lecture also involves me telling students about Pygmalion in the Classroom. This book covers that story too, explaining how Rosenthal gave a new kind of IQ test to some groups of students that would show which of them were about to go through something of a learning spurt and then out-perform their peers. The psychologists involved in the experiment then told the students’ teachers this was about to happen. And then, a while later, when the psychologists came back to check their results, they found that the kids identified had, indeed, done extremely well. It was just that there had never been a new kind of IQ test, the whole thing had been a test of teacher expectations and the impact of those on their students. The kids the teachers treated as if there were smart, ended up proving to be smart. Rosenthal did not believe it would be ethical to test the opposite hypothesis, you know, tell the teachers which kids were stupid and see what happens – which, given the other stories from the time documented in this book (the Milgram shock test and the Stanford Prison Guard extravaganza) he was clearly a social psychologist ahead of his time. All the same, we have the results of those experiments already – Claude Steele discusses those at length in his work on stereotype threat. Now, there’s a book you should read too.

The central contention of this book fits well with Rosenthal’s hypothesis that people often respond in ways that will confirm our expectations of them. Actually, even that is too soft a version of what this book argues. It actually argues that people mostly behave better than we expect them to. He does this by discussing how few people in wars actually end up shooting their guns. Of course, most professional soldiers now shoot to kill all of the time – but that’s because they have been trained to be basically inhuman machines. Getting a normal person to kill another normal person is a remarkably difficult thing to do. Given the suicide rates of returned soldiers, we probably shouldn’t be too proud of what we do to make them killing machines. His point throughout this book is that humans just don’t prove to be anywhere near as blood thirsty or as nasty as we like to think of ourselves.

The only people who come out of this book badly are BMW drivers – I did start off by saying this book goes out of its way to confirm all of my prejudices, didn’t I? The only time I thought I was definitely going to die while driving my car was when a BMW driver (presumably one with a very small penis) decided he could race past a tram on the wrong side of the road – a side of the road I was driving down with my two daughters and two of their friends. The only thoughts in my head at the time were the faces of the parents of the children in my car once their parents were told of their deaths in my car and a series of unprintable swear words followed by ‘….BMW drivers’.

I really liked this book. It presents interesting counterarguments to Jared Diamond, Steven Pinker and Richard Dawkins. How can that be a bad thing? You might decide to avoid this book because you are already certain it clearly presents an all-too-Pollyanna vision of human nature. You would be wrong to assume that. This is a lovely little book that is likely to make you question some of the things you think you know about what it means to be human. And that can’t be a bad thing either.
...more

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Jun 18, 2020 Mehrsa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

To be honest, I picked up this book to hate-read it. I thought it would be more Pinker and and that Lars guy saying how everything is better now and will everyone just shut up sort of stuff. But I actually really loved the book--that is, I loved the first 2/3rds of the book. The last 1/3rd was way too cute and optimistic for my cold cynical heart. The book is not making the claim that Pinker is making. The book is a point by point debunking of a Hobbsian worldview and the sham "studies" and stor ...more

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Jun 06, 2020 Emma rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Some great stories, but anecdotes don't make a sustained argument and the whole isn't entirely convincing. Even so, it's the perfect time for a healthy dose of optimism and if there's anything this book does well it's showing how hope and positivity can breed more. So go forth and be the good you want to see in the world. You might just inspire others to do the same.

ARC via Netgalley ...more

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Apr 10, 2020 Elzinus rated it liked it

Shelves: cultuur-kritiek

Bregmans book is immensely populair at this moment in Holland. The central thesis is clear from the title, freely translated: Most people are OK. Bregmans, is a journalist and historic from Holland who gained fame by explicitering the need for tax reforms at Davos. In this book he argues that most people are OK in two different ways.

1. By summarizing study results that proof our good nature, that is, an preference for social cooperative behaviour and aversion to violence
2. Secondly by trashing e ...more

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Jan 08, 2021 Clif Hostetler added it · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, history

If you wish to believe that people are naturally good but you can’t because of the counter examples in the news and you’ve been taught otherwise in history, sociology, and psychology school classes, then you need to read this book. This book makes a convincing case that humans are by nature friendly and peaceful creatures, and most of the counter examples are caused by pressures of civilization for which evolution of the human brain has left us ill-prepared.

Bregman makes the case that a probabl If you wish to believe that people are naturally good but you can’t because of the counter examples in the news and you’ve been taught otherwise in history, sociology, and psychology school classes, then you need to read this book. This book makes a convincing case that humans are by nature friendly and peaceful creatures, and most of the counter examples are caused by pressures of civilization for which evolution of the human brain has left us ill-prepared.

Bregman makes the case that a probable reason Homo sapiens prevailed during the prehistory era over Neanderthals, Denisovans, and Homo erectus is because we were hard-wired to be social, work in groups, and consider what’s best for the collective community. This predisposition worked well over many years while humans lived as hunter-gatherers. But these same tendencies led to violent behavior when subjected to the territorial concerns and concentrated populations of the civilized world. The predisposition for protecting the collective community in the hunter-gatherer world transformed into xenophobia in the civilized world.

The book attacks the commonly accepted truths about human nature described in the novel Lord of the Flies , and presents as a counter example a true historical instance of young boys marooned on an island in which successful cooperation was exhibited. Also, a reinterpretation of the true facts surrounding the famous 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese is provided that demonstrates the tendency of news articles to exaggerate and falsify sensational aspects of a story.

Bregman also deconstructs the bad science and/or lazy reportage contained in many famous sociological case studies that have claimed that civilization is but a thin fragile coating protecting us from dangerous human nature. Some of the better known debunked studies are the Stanford Prison experiment and the Milgram experiment. The book also makes the case that the chief motivation for soldiers to fight in war is the spirit of camaraderie, not ideology.

The second part of the book is devoted to proposing ways to structure work, school, and organizations that can utilize true human nature for optimum beneficial results. Many of these example argue that when we expect better, we very often get better. Examples given include an exemplary Norwegian prison, Nelson Mandela and the end of Apartheid in South Africa, challenging playgrounds for children, and unstructured schools.

Bregman repeatedly notes that even though civilization has bred into the human brain a suspicion of people outside of our own group, our prejudices tend to fall away once we come to know those “others.”

“Contact engenders more trust, more solidarity, and more mutual kindness. It helps you see the world through other people’s eyes.”

He also notes that,

“It’s when a crisis hits…that we humans become our best selves.”

...more

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Aug 24, 2020 Michael Perkins rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Given the now obvious drawbacks of the Electoral College, I think this is accurate...

The Framers were not really interested in democracy, as we now define it, but an ‘elective aristocracy.’

"Take the American Constitution: historians agree it ‘was intrinsically an aristocratic document designed to check the democratic tendencies of the period’. It was never the American Founding Fathers’ intention for the general populace to play an active role in politics."

============

What Happened to my Late Br ...more

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Jun 04, 2020 Krista rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, 2020, arc, netgalley

An idealist can be right her whole life, and still be dismissed as naive. This book is intended to change that. Because what seems unreasonable, unrealistic, and impossible today, can turn out to be inevitable tomorrow. It is time for a new realism. It is time for a new view of humankind.

With the subtitle “A Hopeful History”, Humankind is exactly the kind of optimistic read I think I needed right now. With so much negative going on, I keep hearing, “What do you expect? People are the worst, ...more

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May 20, 2020 Lou rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Rutger Bregman returns with one of the most anticipated nonfiction titles of the year. What makes this such a fantastic read is that it is equal parts fascinating and informative; many such books can be dry and tedious but Humankind avoids those pitfalls by employing a highly readable writing style to entice you to carry on turning the pages well into the night. At its heart, this is a book about human nature and on the whole is optimistic about life. I found it different from what I would usual ...more

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Aug 16, 2020 t. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, reviewed, owned-books, 20booksfor2020, history

Some books reach you at the right time and this book did exactly that. To be fair, the right time for a book offering a hopeful, optimistic view of humankind to reach me wasn’t that small of a window – I’ve been noticing how I, an usually optimistic person in my day-to-day-life, have become increasingly cynical when it comes to my fellow humans. And… can you blame me, in this economy, this pandemic, this global climate crisis, this political turmoil, etc. etc. etc.?

Just like I know you can’t bla Some books reach you at the right time and this book did exactly that. To be fair, the right time for a book offering a hopeful, optimistic view of humankind to reach me wasn’t that small of a window – I’ve been noticing how I, an usually optimistic person in my day-to-day-life, have become increasingly cynical when it comes to my fellow humans. And… can you blame me, in this economy, this pandemic, this global climate crisis, this political turmoil, etc. etc. etc.?

Just like I know you can’t blame me for losing hope in humanity, I also know there are many who feel the same, so I can’t be thankful enough for Bregman and his (almost suspicious) optimism to come around the corner with this book and the many receipts that show that, yes, humanity has a questionable record, no reason in denying that but, contrary to what has sadly become popular belief, most of us are actually pretty ok – even more than ok. There are good people – and they’re not the exception. And there’s definitely enough of a reason to keep hope alive.

"Remember that cynicism is just another word for laziness. It's an excuse not to take responsibility. Because if you believe most people are rotten, you don't need to get worked up about injustice. The world is going to hell either way."

In Humankind: A Hopeful History, Bregman discusses many of the studies in psychology that seemed to have cemented the idea that humanity is pretty much a lost cause. That, if briefly left to our own devices, we turn ugly and mean. As it turns out, many of these studies were rigged or forged to suit a certain preferred narrative. If a study proves that people are kind of ok, where’s the controversy in that? Where’s the exposure, the fame, the renown? Ah, but prove that people are just one step away from turning into savages – there’s a headline. But it’s not only scholars and their rigged studies that Bregman discusses. He also mentions real-life events that corroborated this pessimistic view of people. Turns out, what the media had reported wasn’t all that close to the truth. And not necessarily because they didn’t have all the facts, but rather because some facts got in the way of the narrative that has become the most suitable narrative, that with the highest shock value, and were quickly dismissed and forgotten.

“But the people behind Facebook, Twitter and Google know you well. They know what shocks and horrifies you, they know what makes you click. They know how to grab your attention and hold it so they can serve you the most lucrative helping of personalised ads.”

But more than Bregman’s argument about there being hope for humankind, what I appreciate most of this book is the way his optimism and drive to see things in a better light rubbed off on me. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve become more and more cynical and, while some people may have come to terms with or even like being that way, I don’t. I didn’t know just how much I wanted to fight that growing cynicism until I started reading this book and could feel that desire to believe in a better, kinder world rekindle. Perhaps my eagerness to believe Bregman’s arguments has clouded my judgement, and I know this whole review may sound too sugary, but whatcha gonna do.

Bregman starts his book by saying that, at its core, this is about a radical idea. That idea isn’t just that people are pretty decent. Because if his radical idea holds true and if we allow us to believe it, if we approach others trying to believe the best instead of the worst, if our default shifts from distrust to trust, if we behave towards those around us as if we expected them to be decent, even good, even nice, they may in turn start to behave in a decent, even good, even nice way. This is a form of the Pygmalion Effect, a phenomenon wherein high expectations lead to improved performance. Unsurprisingly, the contrary also holds true. Expect the worst of someone, and you may be unknowingly helping to make the worst become true.

"It's also one of the insidious mechanisms behind racism, because when you're subjected to low expectations, you won't perform at your best, which further diminishes other's expectations and further diminishes your performance."

Sure, not everyone will prove to be a sweetheart or a genius in disguise, and one person expecting the best of others won't turn our world into a Disney musical. But Bregman says, and I want to believe him, that there’s more to gain than to lose in adopting a more positive set of mind. And wouldn't it be nice to go around expecting not a scowl but a smile and giving one in turn? ...more

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Jun 01, 2020 Rhian Pritchard rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, non-fic, uplifting

This book has taken me nearly two months to read, not because it was difficult to read (it’s not, it’s beautifully written and translated) but because the ideas required quite so long to process fully. I don’t know if anyone has spoken to me in the last two months and NOT had me recommend this book to them wholeheartedly, even when I was only about a hundred pages in. It is like reading a book that confirms and reinforces, through meticulous research, discussion and sourcing, a secret truth I ha ...more

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May 18, 2020 Susy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-finished

1.5 stars
Never been happier to finish a book!
"What we look for is what we'll find", says Bregman. Hmm, could that be the case with his book and his "research"? He seems to want to sell his idea so (too) badly that he foregoes any scrutiny or nuance. There are a lot more points of criticism and I did start to write them all down, but my list was getting too long so I stopped. Besides, there are some excellent reviews already (be it in Dutch):
Bou's review
Lieke's review
Daniëlle's review
Amber's rev ...more

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Nov 01, 2020 Bryan Alkire rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Good book. It’s a contrarian take on human nature, that we’re better than evil. It basically attempts to counteract the popular takes of various events and human nature experiments. It works because it’s readable, more so than many books in the genre. I’s read about most of the things in this work, but there were a few insights I hadn’t considered before. So, I got something new to consider, always a plus. Of course, the danger of this book and any other book on humans is the confirmation bias o ...more

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Jan 25, 2020 Leonie rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction

must-read!

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Feb 29, 2020 Tine Putzeys rated it liked it

Once again, I'm in doubt about the number of stars to give this book.

I wanted to give it many many stars, I really did, because I like the premise that most people are inherently good. This has been my gut feeling for a long time, even if I get all kinds of opposite signals from the media and the f*ckers stealing my phone and breaking into my house.

Bergman does give us some great examples of people being awesome and lovely anecdotes for me to casually throw into random conversations. And if I Once again, I'm in doubt about the number of stars to give this book.

I wanted to give it many many stars, I really did, because I like the premise that most people are inherently good. This has been my gut feeling for a long time, even if I get all kinds of opposite signals from the media and the f*ckers stealing my phone and breaking into my house.

Bergman does give us some great examples of people being awesome and lovely anecdotes for me to casually throw into random conversations. And if I look at the reviews it's getting, I see many people are loving it and saying it helped "restore their faith in humanity" or that it's a good antidote to their cynicism. Which is great and I think this was the explicit aim of the author. So in that sense, good book.

You can argue about style. Yes it's written like an irritating click-baity internet piece, but then again, the author writes mainly for a digital audience, so that's probably what he's used to. If your target is the general population, the worst thing you could do is write in a dusty academic style. It won't wint prizes for its literary prose, but does that matter if everyone is reading it?

However, the main flaw is the same as most of these feel good books: what the f*ck do I do now. Bregman gets a small amount of bonus points, because he has the 10 rules epilogue, which gives you some guidance on how to use the content, but it seems to be too small-scale to matter.

Assuming the premise is correct and most people are inherently good, we still fall victim to our circumstances and the systems we live in. He briefly touches on this sometimes, like referring to how the wonderful Agora school could be shut down if it doesn't perform up to the educational standards in the country. And then he goes on to the next topic. Same for the rebels in the Columbian jungle. Now that they have returned to celebrate Christmas with their mother, the jungle is now taken over by drug lords and extreme right groups. Just leaving that hanging there and on to the next topic. SO WHAT NOW, my brain keeps screaming at me.

In the end, I think stars should represent how valuable the book was to me, no the general population. How much I liked reading it and how much I got from it and I can't in earnest give it four stars with my brain still screaming at me. Thank you mr. Bregman for the lovely anecdotes and for 'proving' my gut feeling about people is right, but I can only give you 3 stars. ...more

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May 16, 2020 Eddie Clarke rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, waterstones, psychology

Four stars. In the philosophical stand-off between Hobbes (human life is a war of all against all, papered over with the thinnest veneer of civilisation) and Rousseau (we were born noble savages and civilisation has corrupted us) Bregman comes down decisively in favour of Rousseau.

Such a flattering premise makes the book very enjoyable to read, at least in the first half.

The weakness of the book is that it is a string of nicely written and presented anecdotes/episodes/debunkings and then like a ...more

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Jan 29, 2020 Tzutopia rated it did not like it

Shelves: sociology

The narrative is contradictory, the opinions too black and white, and the book a lazy attempt at trying to make everything fit into this black and white narrative. Life is way more nuanced, and all that he tries to deny is just fact. Face it, don't try to blame the most ridiculous stuff, which most of the time was contradicting his own premise; that most people are good. ...more

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Dec 24, 2020 Rachel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, philosophy-religion, sociology-anthropology-ethics

“what seems unreasonable, unrealistic and impossible today can turn out to be inevitable tomorrow. It’s time for a new realism. It’s time for a new view of humankind.”

Alas I fear at times I have so much excitement, so many thoughts, and feelings about something that rather than flowing forth as eloquent musings they kind of jam up or join together becoming one terse phrase like "READ THIS!". Well that's the case here, nevertheless, I say enthusiastically "read this", I do believe your life will ...more

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Apr 15, 2020 David Wineberg rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Rutger Bregman set himself a really high-barrier task in his book Humankind. He wants to prove that Man is actually not violent, or bellicose, but peaceful, helpful and kind. To do it, he went back to all those famous, landmark social science studies we’ve all grown up believing. They show unequivocally that Man is selfish, self-centered, violent and wallowing in it. Bregman shows them to be faulty, false, staged or just plain bogus. It makes for an eye-opening journey readers will not soon forg ...more

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Jul 11, 2020 Matthew Hickey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020

The most profound book I’ve read in recent memory.

I recommend everybody read this and think deeply about what’s between its covers.

Life affirming and encouraging.

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Nov 08, 2020 Yani rated it it was amazing

By far, and I mean by far seriously, the best, most comforting, most relevant, and most thought provoking I have read in a long time! If I'd have to recommend one book to read at least once in your life, this would be it. Every page just rises your faith in humanity, and filled me with a warm glow. It tackles every prejudice about human nature, how it works, why we think they are true and why it's actually untrue. It advocates for a humane treatment of our fellow humans on every level of society ...more

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May 09, 2020 jeremy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: translation, gen-nonfiction

what if our negative ideas about human nature are actually a form of pluralistic ignorance? could our fear that most people are out to maximize their own gain be born of the assumption that that's what others think? and then we adopt a cynical view when, deep down, most of us are yearning for a life of more kindness and solidarity?

on one hand, dutch historian rutger bregman's new book, humankind: a hopeful history, is a thoughtful, engaging, wittily written effort. on the other, it reads as

what if our negative ideas about human nature are actually a form of pluralistic ignorance? could our fear that most people are out to maximize their own gain be born of the assumption that that's what others think? and then we adopt a cynical view when, deep down, most of us are yearning for a life of more kindness and solidarity?

on one hand, dutch historian rutger bregman's new book, humankind: a hopeful history, is a thoughtful, engaging, wittily written effort. on the other, it reads as an anecdotal, feel-good magical thinking polemic trying its best to prove a premise settled upon in advance (for which the necessary corroborative evidence was then collected after the fact). while many of bregman's debunkings (the stanford prison experiment, the milgram shock experiment, easter island, lord of the flies, etc.) are compelling in their own right, to then use them as a foundational argument that people are better than they seem is rather specious.

inevitably, human beings are indeed far kinder and altruistic than governments, corporations, or other dogmatic institutions would have you believe. thus, kudos to bregman for dispelling so many of the beliefs that have persisted not only popularly, but also in fields like social psychology. the argument that hey, people really aren't that evil or bad, just gullible and stupid is rather cold comfort, however. presuming that, in fact, humans are wired for kindness, beneficence, compassion, etc. (which does seem to be backed by considerable evidence), would a widespread understanding of such a point radically upend the world as we know it? or does it simply assuage our frustrations, pessimism, and/or latent guilt?

if an alien anthropologist descended upon our planet some century or millennium hence to discover anthropogenic climate change ravished the living world, or that the sixth extinction annihilated millions of species, or that rapacious capitalism turned the earth into a ruinous hellscape, or that some egomaniacal autocrat launched nuclear weapons... what might they conclude? that with all evidence to the contrary, the so-called most intelligent creatures on the planet destroyed not only themselves but lifeforms of all kinds despite their natural inclination for cooperation and kindness? perhaps a more trenchant take on humanity's psychological makeup would have delved a bit more deeply into how it is we're so adept at destroying ourselves, other humans, non-humans, and ecosystems alike.

inherent kindness or not, we've made a royal mess. to consider human's innate goodness while glossing over the ravages of capitalism, colonialism, empire, climate change, genocide, slavery, patriarchy, warfare, and the like seems, frankly, a sugar pill still too bitter to swallow.

(rutger himself, however, seems like a charming fellow and his takes on many issues, including ubi, taxation, work, social progress, are most commendable. and his clash with perennial moron tucker carlson is required viewing.)

*translated from the dutch by elizabeth manton (bregman's utopia for realists)

...more

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Feb 23, 2020 Lisa Wright rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: loved-it, great-non-fiction, recommending

HUMANKIND is a call-to-arms! We are not savages hidden beneath a thin veneer of civilization as cynics and controllers would have us believe. Bregman makes an excellent case that humans are actually rather amiable creatures who have been manipulated into believing we are wicked. No, we are no angels. We have a strong preference for those who are like us and are easily turned against the "other." But we are also quick to help when given the chance.

Bregman refutes the studies and most famous incid ...more

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Aug 03, 2020 Mathilde rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I really enjoy this book as it gave me optimism at a time where it feels everything is going to sh*t. Bregman discusses the fundamental nature of humankind and presents evidence of goodness. Many times I did feel as if it was too good to be true. But until I can disprove any of his claims and the proofs he accompanies them with, I will be believing in the goodness that is present in each of us.

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Jul 17, 2020 Kristin Van den Eede rated it really liked it

Reading this book felt wholesome, like a healthy dose of idealism – scratch that, realism! Most people are okay, and if I didn’t already feel that way, Bregman sure as hell convinced me with this book. It’s basically hours of meditation and therapy and insights from dozens of self-help books, all wrapped up into one cogent, eloquently written text.
If I had to name one drawback, though, it would be that the book could be about 1/3 shorter and 1/3 less anecdotal. Contrary to Harari, Bregman under ...more

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Oct 26, 2020 Pascal rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book literally changed my worldview. Highly recommended.

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Jun 13, 2020 Shivam Kimothi rated it liked it · review of another edition

Bergman says that our pessimistic view of humanity is a placebo. The placebo effect states that things have the potential to be true if we believe in them. He says that we have been made to believe that humans are motivated by self-interest and are inherently evil. By whom? By the psychologists who are motivated by selfish reasons and are seeking prestige and acclaim by proving so. And because we are made to believe this, we think it is true.

The book puts forward a radical idea: that humans, dee ...more

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Oct 28, 2019 Wendy Hoenkamp rated it it was amazing

Shelves: moral-progress-is-a-fact

I hope this will become one of the most important books in the history of humankind. It's a true page-turner and gave me the same addicted feeling as i.e. when reading Harry Potter.
I've been a big fan of Bregman's work since about 2011. If you also have been following his journalism, and especially if you attended his book promo tour (in October 2019 in The Netherlands), you won't hear a whole lot of new things. Even if you have been following him for that long, it doesn't matter. Because this ...more

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Feb 14, 2020 Robyn Maire rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I listened to this on audiobook and I must say I love the voice of this author. He tells the story in a way that makes it feel like he is talking to you. In a captivating way he argues for the good in humanity and like the title suggest that ‘’de meeste mensen deugen’’ (most people are good). In a way that is scientifically underpinned and using lots of historic examples. The author debunks a lot of things you think you know about, with the latest information available. From Machiavelli, the Pyg ...more

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Jul 25, 2020 Nacho Santos rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Humankind: A Hopeful History By Rutger Bergman

It’s been almost 2 months since I last finished a book. This book is a great comeback to this lost momentum.

I believe this is the next required read. To me it is as essential as Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. It breaks down so many of the beliefs we hold true and debunks them in such an understanding way. For example, did you know the Stanford prison experiment was pushed by Zimbardo to be that way? Or the Nobel winning prize book, the lord of the fli Humankind: A Hopeful History By Rutger Bergman

It’s been almost 2 months since I last finished a book. This book is a great comeback to this lost momentum.

I believe this is the next required read. To me it is as essential as Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. It breaks down so many of the beliefs we hold true and debunks them in such an understanding way. For example, did you know the Stanford prison experiment was pushed by Zimbardo to be that way? Or the Nobel winning prize book, the lord of the flies is an unclear depiction of human nature. This book tackles what we think about human nature, specifically, how in the back of our minds we think everyone is selfish or only in it for themselves, with stories and clear logic.
 I learned that beliefs regarding the “evilness” of human nature is false. Bergman showed me time and time again, we are good. Today, our culture never pushes that idea. We heard of the Stanford prison experiment but we haven’t heard of the dozens of others that tried to confirm it? The ones where that result never happened, where the prisoners actually had a smoke with the guards. What more, the Stanford prison experiment laid the foundation for what the prison system and mentality is today. We do not know most of the stories that debunk these “facts” because they apparently aren’t “news worthy”. It is a “nocebo”, when we believe something false and then that information actually makes up the world we are in, being detrimental to all of us.

We haven’t heard of the Christmas truce of 1914. During WW1 when British, German, and French soldiers in the trenches were each expecting a surprise attack on Christmas Day, the British heard choirs of Germans singing. It was a life changing moment for all of them during a time where they were supposed to be killing one another. Following that, the French and British sang carols out in the dark night, they then all met up going through no mans land, the space they have been sacrificing their lives to keep.

These are only a few of the stories mentioned, yet they are so essential. We are reminded to “think as carefully about what information you feed your mind as you do about the food you feed your body.” Remember, social media and the news is not a real picture of the world we are in. Look outside, talk to a friend, and you’ll find that people, the world, is better than what our culture makes it seem to be.

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About Rutger Bregman

Rutger Bregman

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Rutger Bregman is a Dutch historian, author and journalist. He studied at Utrecht University and the University of California, Los Angeles and is known for popularizing topics related to social and economic innovation measures and their history through, among others, universal basic income and shorter work weeks.

Rutger Bregman is a journalist at The Correspondent, and one of Europe's most prominen ...more

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“Van de mooiste dingen in het leven krijg je alleen maar meer als je ze weggeeft: vertrouwen, vriendschap, vrede.” — 5 likes

“what seems unreasonable, unrealistic and impossible today can turn out to be inevitable tomorrow. It’s time for a new realism. It’s time for a new view of humankind.” — 3 likes

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