@philosophyminis: The Golem Effect is a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy, where if you imagine somebody as being cruel, or mean, or bad, then their behaviour will meet your expectations. We will all rise or fall depending upon what others expect of us. In his 2019 book Humankind, Rutger Bregman argues that something similar is happening when we view ourselves as a species. Bregman argues that for centuries we've been telling ourselves a story where humans are the villains. Since at least Thomas Hobbes, there's been a narrative that human nature is cruel, egoistic, and violent. It's what Bregman calls the 'veneer theory,' where most people, given half a chance, will regress to a kind of brutish and selfish nature. But Bregman argues that almost all of the case studies and experiments people used to support this theory are, at best, far more nuanced, and at worst completely flawed. Almost all of our institutions – our schools, our prisons, and our workplaces – are built on the assumption that humans need to be watched at all times and need to be kept in control. The reason why this narrative is so tenacious is because fear, sensationalism, and misery make for great headlines, and they sell so well. And also, if you are the ones in power, then you want to justify your power by saying it's necessary. Bregman argues that humans are actually far more cooperative and altruistic if they're given half a chance. Sure, some people, some of the time, will be cruel, but Bregman argues that most people, most of the time, are good, honest, and kind.

Jonny Thomson

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Tuesday 16 September 2025 14:15:00 GMT