adrastheia 's review for:

Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman

3.5

hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad

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 the author convincingly argues that humans are naturally good, cooperative, and driven by a deep sense of empathy and community. He does this by skillfully dismantling some of psychology's most infamous experiments—Milgram, the Stanford Prison Experiment, Robbers Cave, and the like—and, honestly, he makes a compelling case for optimism.

Then, I turn on the TV.

And there it is. One person is being cheered on for throwing fascist salutes like it’s the halftime show, another is whipping up hatred with precision, and a third—who just came to power in my own country—is nonchalantly suggesting we should ditch international human rights agreements if they "prevent us from doing what is necessary."

The contrast is... unsettling.

I think I'll stick to books from now on. Maybe even build a nice little book fort, never come out again. The outside world is getting a little too surreal for my taste.