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4.31 AVERAGE
4.31 AVERAGE
Though there are critiques you can make about how research in the book is characterized, ultimately it is a historiography and not a popular science book. As a piece of narrative it makes a simple point: most of our cynicism about humanity is a function of they way our understanding of human nature has been constructed from the outside in. That is, we learn about who we are from leaders, social scientists, & the media. Not out of malice, but as a form of professional opportunism and negligence.
If you’re a social scientist, you might enjoy hearing the update on the works of Milgram, Zimbardo, and Sherif among others; if not, you’ve likely still heard about some of these people through reputation. The book does a good job of exploring the ways that their work was both the result of scientific misconduct and negligence, even if the way it tries to reframe those findings is often speculative.
In that way the book offers a thoughtful critique of how power can lead individual humans astray. It’s a structural and systemic critique as well as a cultural and social critique. It invites the reader to imagine humanity as at its best when showing compassion for and building community with others and it offers compelling if not occasionally anecdotal evidence to support this. Personally, it gave me some food for thought and has left me wondering about how I can challenge myself to rely more on the pro-social tools in my cognitive toolkit rather than falling back on cynical aphorisms.
If you’re a social scientist, you might enjoy hearing the update on the works of Milgram, Zimbardo, and Sherif among others; if not, you’ve likely still heard about some of these people through reputation. The book does a good job of exploring the ways that their work was both the result of scientific misconduct and negligence, even if the way it tries to reframe those findings is often speculative.
In that way the book offers a thoughtful critique of how power can lead individual humans astray. It’s a structural and systemic critique as well as a cultural and social critique. It invites the reader to imagine humanity as at its best when showing compassion for and building community with others and it offers compelling if not occasionally anecdotal evidence to support this. Personally, it gave me some food for thought and has left me wondering about how I can challenge myself to rely more on the pro-social tools in my cognitive toolkit rather than falling back on cynical aphorisms.
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
This has some really interesting ideas and insights … and is also sometimes pretty badly blinkered by the author’s limited perspective. It’s packed with interesting accounts and interpretations of historical anecdotes andscientific studies.Worth the read, and for more than just feel-good reasons, but by no means a stopping point. (I am particularly troubled that no consideration seems to be given to the needs of various communities and groups wrt healing from the harm done by others.)
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Hmm. Twee dingen, te veel herhaling en heel informeel met z'n "maar toen vond ik dit" enz.
Ik ben al iemand die gelooft dat de meeste mensen deugen, te vertrouwen zijn, en het goede willen doen. Maar doordat het boek zo erg zijn best doet dat te bewijzen ga ik juist twijfelen of dat wel echt zo is..
Ik ben al iemand die gelooft dat de meeste mensen deugen, te vertrouwen zijn, en het goede willen doen. Maar doordat het boek zo erg zijn best doet dat te bewijzen ga ik juist twijfelen of dat wel echt zo is..