#412 — Better Things & Better People

Do you ever get the sense that the world is getting worse over time? In Enlightenment Now, psychologist Steven Pinker says you might be falling prey to psychological biases that are distorting your perception. Because, he argues, things are actually getting better by every measure.

Pinker provides statistics on such factors as health, wealth, equality, human rights, happiness, peace, and freedom, to show that all of those things have improved over time, all around the world. And he says the driving forces of this progress are reason, science, and humanism— values that are derived from the European Enlightenment.

In this guide, we’ll delve into the data Pinker presents to show why he believes humanity is on the path of progress. Throughout, we’ll compare his ideas to those of other scholars, provide counterpoints, and update some of the statistics with more current data.

The 21st century will bring changes and challenges unlike any humans have encountered before. Globalism and technological innovations are changing the structures of societies worldwide—and the changes are happening quickly. If people don’t face these challenges and help shape the future, the world could have a class of obsolete workers whose jobs have been automated and people could lose their ability to make their own decisions. In 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, Yuval Noah Harari highlights the biggest challenges in the modern world, and he offers advice on making sense of and navigating such transitional times.

In this summary, you'll learn how algorithms like Netflix movie recommendations are teaching you to distrust your own judgment, why religion can’t solve 21st-century challenges, and how automation will threaten the jobs of humans in every industry.

What lies at the core of human nature? If you stripped away civilization, would we be fundamentally compassionate creatures? Or would we cheat, lie, and steal, with only self-interest in mind? In Humankind, historian Rutger Bregman suggests that most of us think of humans as naturally deceitful and cruel, seemingly with a lot of evidence to back us up: Throughout history, groups of humans have gone to war, committed genocide, and owned slaves.

But despite our history of evil, Bregman argues that humans are fundamentally good. In this guide, we’ll go into detail on why he thinks this, explaining his claim that humans evolved to be kind, not to kill. We’ll discuss his critique of Killer Ape Theory and the Stanford Prison Experiment, two pieces of evidence that often justify the idea that humans are inherently evil. We’ll also compare his view of human nature with those of other authors such as Philip Zimbardo (The Lucifer Effect) and Daniel Kahneman (Thinking, Fast and Slow).

Shooting selfies on vacation. Posting Facebook updates on our kid's graduation from pre-school. Garnering awards and promotions to add to our LinkedIn profiles. Guess what, America? We've become self-obsessed. In David Brooks’s The Road to Character, the New York Times columnist suggests we take a good hard look at ourselves and remember that we weren't always so narcissistic.

Brooks outlines the moral shift that took place after World War II when we transitioned from honoring humility, self-discipline, and public service to worshiping at the altar of "the Big Me." He also reminds us that our current self-focus isn't even making us happy. To help us recalibrate our moral compasses, Brooks details the lives of war heroes, civil rights activists, advocates for the poor, writers, and deep thinkers who've tackled the work of building moral character, then outlines a 15-point plan to help us live more virtuous—and ultimately happier—lives.

From ancient kingdoms to modern corporations, we humans have gathered in organizations to lift ourselves from barbarism into the modern age. However, those same organizations have restricted individual freedom and led to rampant overconsumption. Is there a way to preserve the benefits of modern civilization while staying true to our humanity?

In Reinventing Organizations, business consultant Frédéric Laloux identifies an emerging breed of company that operates from a new set of rules. Instead of serving an ego-driven focus on power, these visionary organizations embody principles of self-direction and individual authenticity while following a collective higher purpose. Laloux claims that humanity is on the cusp of a new paradigm in how we organize ourselves and suggests ways that businesses can adapt to this transition that will elevate how we work and how we live.

In this guide, we explain the practices and values Laloux says are inherent in the next level of human organization. In addition, we’ll contrast Laloux’s ideas to those of other experts in leadership, business, and personal well-being.

What lies at the core of human nature? If you stripped away civilization, would we be fundamentally compassionate creatures? Or would we cheat, lie, and steal, with only self-interest in mind? In Humankind, historian Rutger Bregman suggests that most of us think of humans as naturally deceitful and cruel, seemingly with a lot of evidence to back us up: Throughout history, groups of humans have gone to war, committed genocide, and owned slaves.

But despite our history of evil, Bregman argues that humans are fundamentally good. In this guide, we’ll go into detail on why he thinks this, explaining his claim that humans evolved to be kind, not to kill. We’ll discuss his critique of Killer Ape Theory and the Stanford Prison Experiment, two pieces of evidence that often justify the idea that humans are inherently evil. We’ll also compare his view of human nature with those of other authors such as Philip Zimbardo (The Lucifer Effect) and Daniel Kahneman (Thinking, Fast and Slow).

Most Americans see billionaires as neither good nor bad for the country, according to a survey. However, the number of people who have a negative view of the ultra wealthy is growing. While some argue that billionaires are good for the economy because they invest in businesses, create jobs, and support charitable causes, others contend that billionaires unfairly influence policy-making and create harm in their pursuit of profit.

What are the greatest threats to democracy today? How do healthy democratic states descend into illiberalism and authoritarian rule—and how can defenders and proponents of democracy prevent this from happening?

In Shortform’s Master Guide to Threats to Democracy, we’ve synthesized the ideas and recommendations of some of the world’s leading political scientists from across the ideological spectrum to bring insight to this important—and timely—question. We’ll explore forces like polarization, the decline of democratic norms, and extreme wealth inequality that combine to weaken and undermine democratic institutions.

We’ll also examine some of the ways proponents of democracy can promote stronger and healthier democratic institutions through specific institutional reforms, new economic policies to combat inequality, and actions at the individual and grassroots levels to overcome the social divisions that corrode democracy.