Humankind: Are Humans Kind?

Last week when I was complaining about Jeff Bezos and writing about applesauce and reading more poetry, a kind anonymous commenter left me an intriguing comment: 

"Hi Bonny,

Long time reader but lurker. Love your book reviews and your hitchikers, although I am yet to start one of my own.

May I recommend the book "Humankind", by Rutger Bregman, as an excellent antidote (rather than a temporary escape) to the current state of the world?"

I replied:

"Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and the book recommendation. I'm heading to a used bookstore tomorrow to look for some Ted Kooser poetry books, but I've just borrowed Humankind from my library and will start listening to it tonight. I could surely use an antidote to the current state of things and I'm hopeful that this book might provide it. The subtitle (A Hopeful History) sounds promising!"

And then she replied with an even more thoughtful comment:

"Thank you for taking the time to reply to an anonymous comment so kindly.

I have been thinking over my wording and I think rather than antidote, maybe a better description of the effect of "Humankind" is that it has made a permanent change in my state of mind; it is easier to take the news with a grain of salt sometimes, ignore it without guilt when I need to, and find a place of mental comfort. It has made it much easier to be hopeful about the future."

I will always read and consider kind, helpful, and thoughtful comments, especially those that contain book recommendations. This was especially nice, since most of the previous anonymous comments I've gotten have called me a crazy Democrat, berated me for talking about politics, and telling me I need to stick to knitting. This was a welcome change!

So I did read the recommended book and I've thought about it for a couple of days. I'm sharing my review here in case some of you might also be interested in a hopeful book.

Humankind by Rutger Bregman is an engaging and optimistic read that challenges the notion that humans are fundamentally selfish or cruel. The book is filled with fascinating anecdotes—from real-life Lord of the Flies scenarios to historical acts of kindness—but it lacks a strong foundation in scientific studies to back up its central claim: that “most people, deep down, are pretty decent.”

One of the book’s big weaknesses for me is that Bregman never clearly defines what it means to be “pretty decent.” Does this mean we should expect people to be kind and helpful in most situations? Or simply that they have the capacity for decency under the right conditions? Without a more concrete definition, his argument feels slippery.

The author does discuss the Holocaust as evidence of the human capacity for evil, and argues that power, influence, and survival play a bigger role than a lust for violence in the decisions people make. He suggests that social conformity and camaraderie between soldiers may explain the Holocaust, but the Holocaust was just too big and beyond horrendous to be explained simply by wanting to conform. Bregman thinks that the idea that humans are inherently selfish may have created a self-fulfilling prophecy. These all seem to be a matter of degrees, and I think that power influence, survival, and a rather large capacity for evil and cruelty all played a part in the Holocaust.

While I appreciated the book’s hopeful perspective—especially in an era where cynicism, selfishness, and just plain cruelty often dominate—some real-world events have made me question his thesis. If more than half of people in the US vehemently resisted something as straightforward as mask mandates during COVID-19, can we really say that “most people” are fundamentally good? It seems more accurate to say that some people are decent some of the time.

That said, Humankind offers a much-needed dose of optimism, and Bregman is a gifted storyteller. If you’re looking for an uplifting perspective on human nature (even if it’s a bit idealistic), this book is worth a read. Just don’t expect a deeply scientific or airtight case for its claims. Three and a half stars rounded up.

And because it's Friday at the end of a long week and this post only has one picture of a book cover, here are a couple of photos of adorable Valais Blacknose sheep. 

 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!