A radical idea.......

At the moment I am reading a book titled ''Humankind: A

hopeful history'' by Rutger Bergman.

''So what is this radical idea? That most people, deep

down, are pretty decent.'' He writes.

Hmm. Really?

He also writes: ''It's when crisis hits - when the bombs

fall or the floodwaters rise - that we humans become our

best selves.''

Is this author for real? By now I am starting to wonder if

I really want to continue reading the book.

I mean, is there not enough evidence for the absolute opposite?

Is it not when we are put under tremendous pressure

that we start barricading ourselves in and view everyone

that is not one of ''us'' as highly suspicious and

potentially serious enemies?

According to the author Rutger Bergman, this is not really

so, but we are trained to see selfishness everywhere,

and so we do. He suggests that we are highly influenced by

''information bias''. News, for instance, seldom has leading 

headlines beginning with: ''Good News everybody!"

Why not? Probably because the news is about the exceptional:

 disasters, uprisings, terrorist attacks, murders, wars, famines,

and all that other ''exceptional'' stuff.

In my experience, the more time I spend wading through

different news outlets/sites the more down heartened I

seem to become.

 Slowly and stealthily compassion fatigue sets in and before

long what little hope and ''can-do-attitude'' I may have

possessed gives in to cynicism and ''what's the point anyways?''

Seems to me that the News is like scratching a scab; it's

itchy so I scratch it, but when I do, the wound opens up

again and the pain comes back.

However, some time ago I found a story that I use to remind

myself that ''deep down, most people are pretty decent.''

During the Blitz in London during the second World War,

St. Paul's Cathedral somehow managed to survive.

One of the caretakers of the Cathedral remembers how

he and other caretakers used to do all they could to protect

it. 

Risking their own lives they would extinguish fires,

build supports, sandbag where ever sandbagging was needed,

tape up/cover with boards and planks precious

 stained glass windows, store away irreplaceable antiquities,

artefacts, books, hymnals, etc. etc.

Night after night, day after day, working side by side

men and women, youth and children cared for their

city under siege. Seeking refuge in bomb shelters,

in subway tunnels, they shared whatever little food, tea,

 coffee, blankets, clothing, rations, etc. etc. they had with each other.

''Keep calm and carry on'', we fight our enemy together 

their motto.

The tremendous threat upon the survival of the British people 

during the WW II has left a legacy of numerous

true stories of people behaving very decently toward

each other. 

Two aliens watch Earth from their planet.

''Look at those Earthlings how they keep fighting

and destroying each other,'' says one Alien to another.

''Yes, I know. But the minute they think that we are

about to attack them they somehow manage to

join together as One. What's up with that?'' responds the other

Alien.

''I don't know. Why don't they just stop their fighting since

they obviously know how to?''

So, why don't we?

''Human nature is complex.

Even if we do have inclinations toward violence,

we also have inclinations toward empathy,

to cooperation, to self control.''

(Steven Pinker)

Perhaps it is time for us join Rutger Bergman and

adopt his radical idea that ''deep down people

are pretty decent.''

''Comprehensive research on human behaviour

suggests that we're instinctively cooperative

and willing to act out the good of our

social groups,'' reports The Scientific American.

Or: ''We initially feel compelled in a situation to

put others before ourselves.''

Although it may be true that human nature

has a number of flaws, (and just how many there are

will be evident if you google quotes on it)

I have to note that reading Rutger Bergman's book

 ''Human kind, a hopeful history'' in which he suggests

that we toss out the ''cynic'' in exchange for a more

brave and positive stance of viewing people 

in general as pretty decent......... makes me feel a 

whole lot better and far more hopeful for the future.

about the images: Top>Boy with the Golden Heart

Edited version of original acrylic on canvas 

Middle> St. Paul's Cathedral, acrylic

on large canvas from a photo take during the Blitz

Bottom> Teddy talks.....watercolor/ink on paper