#181 - Rutger Bregman - Humankind: Are We Good Or Evil?

Winston Churchill

Indexed context: The host discusses the psychological impact of violence on soldiers during wars, referencing the book 'The Second World War' to highlight historical…

Frans de Waal

Indexed context: The host mentions 'Chimpanzee Politics' to illustrate how power dynamics in human leadership can mirror those observed in primate behavior. By compar…

SLA Marshall

Indexed context: The host discusses the psychological difficulty soldiers face when it comes to committing acts of violence, referencing SLA Marshall's findings in 'M…

Guest: Rutger Bregman

Episode summary

Rutger Bregman is a historian & an author. It's a common-held view of humanity that humans are adversarial. Shaven chimps competing with each other for resources, held together by a veneer of politeness & society. Rutger disagrees and suggests that deep down humans might actually be quite nice. Expect to learn why soldiers don't fire their weapons in war, what happens when the real world Lord Of The Flies happens, how bombing a city doesn't weaken the inhabitants and much more...

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Winston Churchill

The host discusses the psychological impact of violence on soldiers during wars, referencing the book 'The Second Wor…

Frans de Waal

The host mentions 'Chimpanzee Politics' to illustrate how power dynamics in human leadership can mirror those observe…

SLA Marshall

The host discusses the psychological difficulty soldiers face when it comes to committing acts of violence, referenci…

Humankind, a hopeful history

Rutger

The host discusses the challenges people face in accepting the positive ideas presented in 'Humankind' due to societa…

Humankind

Rutger Bregman

The host mentions 'Humankind' to highlight a shift in scientific perspectives regarding human nature, moving from cyn…

Rousseau

The host discusses the contrasting views of Thomas Hobbes and Jean Jacques Rousseau regarding human nature and civili…

Lord of the Flies

William Golding

The host mentions 'Lord of the Flies' to illustrate the pervasive belief that human nature is inherently selfish, esp…

Bullshit Jobs

David Graeber

The host briefly explains that the term 'bullshit job' is an academic concept introduced by David Graeber. This menti…

cynical view of human nature(2)definition of bullshit jobs(1)human behavior in wars(1)philosophical views on civilization(1)power and leadership dynamics(1)researching shipwrecked kids(1)societal programming and trust(1)violence in warfare(1)

Book mentions9

Media mentions1

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What is #181 - Rutger Bregman - Humankind: Are We Good Or Evil? about?

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What are the main takeaways from #181 - Rutger Bregman - Humankind: Are We Good Or Evil??

These themes are drawn from the indexed episode description and linked mentions for #181 - Rutger Bregman - Humankind: Are We Good Or Evil?.

The conversation centers on cynical view of human nature.
A second recurring theme is definition of bullshit jobs.
Referenced books include The Second World War by Winston Churchill and Chimpanzee Politics by Frans de Waal.
Related interests include Historians and psychology enthusiasts and Individuals interested in psychology, leadership, and political behavior..

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Which books are mentioned in #181 - Rutger Bregman - Humankind: Are We Good Or Evil??

The Second World War by Winston Churchill, Chimpanzee Politics by Frans de Waal, and Man Against Fire by SLA Marshall are the clearest linked books in this episode, each tied back to source cards and timestamps where available.

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Deep Dive(6)Passing Reference(2)Critical Analysis(1)

Related interests

Historians and psychology enthusiastsIndividuals interested in psychology, leadership, and political behavior.Military historians and psychology enthusiastsIndividuals seeking to understand societal behavior and promote kindnessReaders interested in psychology, sociology, and philosophyPhilosophy enthusiasts and social theorists

Books Mentioned

The full list below is ranked by how useful each mention is to a listener: stronger recommendation language, clearer source context, and better timestamp support rise first.

Winston Churchill

Best for Historians and psychology enthusiastsOften cited around human behavior in wars

Indexed context

I start the book with the example of Great Britain at the eve of the Second World War, where also the elites, including Churchill, believed that people wouldn't be able to handle the bombing war.

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: human behavior in wars

For: Historians and psychology enthusiasts

Indexed context: His estimate was that only 15 to 25% of soldiers actually shot.

The host discusses the psychological impact of violence on soldiers during wars, referencing the book 'The Second World War' to highlight historical evidence of soldiers' reluctance to kill. This exploration serves to question the nature of human violence and the mechanisms that compel individuals to act against their instincts.

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Frans de Waal

Best for Individuals interested in psychology, leadership, and political behavior.Often cited around power and leadership dynamics

Indexed context

Frans de Waal, a primatologist, wrote a book called Chimpanzee Politics in which he described the politics of a zoo in the Netherlands and compared it to the US Congress.

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: power and leadership dynamics

For: Individuals interested in psychology, leadership, and political behavior.

Indexed context: Frans de Waal, you know, he's my fellow Dutchman, he's a primatologist and he's been studying chimpanzees and bonobos now for decades.

The host mentions 'Chimpanzee Politics' to illustrate how power dynamics in human leadership can mirror those observed in primate behavior. By comparing political behavior to that of chimpanzees, the host emphasizes the corrupting influence of power and the complexities of leadership styles.

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SLA Marshall

Best for Military historians and psychology enthusiastsOften cited around violence in warfare

Indexed context

The excerpt discusses SLA Marshall's book 'Man Against Fire', which explores the reluctance of soldiers to shoot during combat and the psychological factors involved.

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: violence in warfare

For: Military historians and psychology enthusiasts

Indexed context: His estimate was that only 15 to 25% of soldiers actually shot.

The host discusses the psychological difficulty soldiers face when it comes to committing acts of violence, referencing SLA Marshall's findings in 'Man Against Fire.' This book highlights the low shooting rates among soldiers during combat and the subsequent implications for military training and PTSD.

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Humankind, a hopeful history

Rutger

Best for Individuals seeking to understand societal behavior and promote kindnessOften cited around societal programming and trust

Indexed context

The book is mentioned as being number two on the Sunday Times bestseller list and is suggested for people to check out.

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: societal programming and trust

For: Individuals seeking to understand societal behavior and promote kindness

Indexed context: I think the main challenge people are going to have in swallowing the ideas in humankind is going to be getting past first the societal programming.

The host discusses the challenges people face in accepting the positive ideas presented in 'Humankind' due to societal negativity and programming. They emphasize the importance of kindness and connection in overcoming these barriers, highlighting the book's hopeful message.

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Humankind

Rutger Bregman

Best for Readers interested in psychology, sociology, and philosophyOften cited around cynical view of human nature

Indexed context

The speaker mentions their new book 'Humankind', which explores the idea that humans are not as nasty as often thought.

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: cynical view of human nature

For: Readers interested in psychology, sociology, and philosophy

Indexed context: So my new book is really about a sort of silent revolution that has taken place in science, right?

The host mentions 'Humankind' to highlight a shift in scientific perspectives regarding human nature, moving from cynicism to a more hopeful view of humanity's cooperative abilities. This book challenges long-standing beliefs about selfishness and promotes the idea that trust and cooperation can lead to a more egalitarian society.

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Rousseau

Best for Philosophy enthusiasts and social theoristsOften cited around philosophical views on civilization

Indexed context

The excerpt discusses Rousseau's arguments that civilization is a disease and suggests that he was right on many points compared to Hobbes.

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: philosophical views on civilization

For: Philosophy enthusiasts and social theorists

Indexed context: Now, usually Hobbes has been described as the realist, right? As the smart, rational guy. And Rousseau has been described as the crazy revolutionary as the, uh, romantic idealist.

The host discusses the contrasting views of Thomas Hobbes and Jean Jacques Rousseau regarding human nature and civilization. Rousseau's perspective is highlighted as a radical challenge to the traditional belief that civilization is inherently beneficial.

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Lord of the Flies

William Golding

Best for Readers interested in psychology and sociology.Often cited around cynical view of human nature

Indexed context

The speaker discusses the fictional 'Lord of the Flies' and its themes, comparing it to a real-life story of kids shipwrecked on an island.

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Sentiment: Critical Analysis

Trigger: cynical view of human nature

For: Readers interested in psychology and sociology.

Indexed context: Western culture is just permeated with the idea that people are selfish.

The host mentions 'Lord of the Flies' to illustrate the pervasive belief that human nature is inherently selfish, especially during crises. This reference serves to contrast with emerging scientific perspectives that emphasize human cooperation and friendliness.

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Bullshit Jobs

David Graeber

Best for Academics and students interested in job market studiesOften cited around definition of bullshit jobs

Indexed context

This term, by the way, bullshit job is an academic term coined by the anthropologist David Graeber. So it's a real academic thing right now.

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Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: definition of bullshit jobs

For: Academics and students interested in job market studies

Indexed context: This term, by the way, bullshit job is an academic term coined by the anthropologist David Graeber.

The host briefly explains that the term 'bullshit job' is an academic concept introduced by David Graeber. This mention serves to validate the term's legitimacy in academic discourse.

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Utopia for Realists

Best for Readers interested in social commentary and real-life storiesOften cited around researching shipwrecked kids

Indexed context

The speaker mentions promoting their new book, 'Utopia for Realists', while discussing a story about kids shipwrecked on an island.

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Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: researching shipwrecked kids

For: Readers interested in social commentary and real-life stories

Indexed context: I was about to promote my new book, sort of my previous book, utopia for realists.

The host mentioned 'Utopia for Realists' while discussing the serendipitous nature of his research journey. He was promoting this book during a tour in Australia, which coincidentally led him to uncover an intriguing story about shipwrecked children.

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Book picks by email

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The Second World War

Modern Wisdom · 56:41

Indexed context: The host discusses the psychological impact of violence on soldiers during wars, referencing the book 'The Second World War' to highlight historical…

Chimpanzee Politics

Modern Wisdom · 30:32

Indexed context: The host mentions 'Chimpanzee Politics' to illustrate how power dynamics in human leadership can mirror those observed in primate behavior. By compar…

Man Against Fire

Modern Wisdom · 34:58

Indexed context: The host discusses the psychological difficulty soldiers face when it comes to committing acts of violence, referencing SLA Marshall's findings in 'M…

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Mentioned at 56:41

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Winston Churchill

The host discusses the psychological impact of violence on soldiers during wars, referencing the book 'The Second World War' to highlight historica…

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Mentioned at 30:32

Check price on Amazon Jump to mention

Frans de Waal

The host mentions 'Chimpanzee Politics' to illustrate how power dynamics in human leadership can mirror those observed in primate behavior. By comp…

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Mentioned at 34:58