For centuries, humans have operated under the notion that we are inherently selfish, violent, and evil. What if this belief is a self-fulfilling prophecy?
We need to put the “kind” back in humankind.
Author Rutger Bregman says that humans are in fact kind by nature. We are hardwired to do good. One problem is that many of us have lost sight of our goodness. When we operate on the false notion that everyone is evil, it breeds actual evil. How might the world be different if we believed that most people are inherently kind?
To change, we need only to look for the good in others. The next time you’re faced with a problem, try to assume the best in others by extending the benefit of the doubt.
For more on Bregman’s ideas about kindness, check out our Instaread on Humankind.
