What Arianna's Reading In February: Human Beings, Good Or Bad?

It's that time again to see what Arianna's reading next, and tomorrow she'll reveal Huffington Post's Book Club selection for February. Set aside some extra time and get out your reading glasses because this one is a door stop -- but you won't want to miss it. The author of this book will challenge everything you ever thought about human nature, the history of civilization and its destiny on our planet.

Here's the the question that we'll be exploring in February: Is the true nature of human beings aggressive, mean and entirely self-serving? Or is there evidence of another way to look at things? I've worked with Columbia University professor Robert Thurman many times over the last 20 years, and he often asks whether or not "survival of the fittest" means "survival of the meanest." His argument goes something like this: Who is dominating the planet? The creature with fangs and claws or the creature that has evolved dexterous fingers best suited to gentle touch?

The February pick takes a look at history from a different perspective: not as one of successive periods of war, but one of successive periods of trust. It's a history of empathic connection. The Dalai Lama has argued that basic human nature is affectionate, and that none of us would survive beyond birth if that weren't the case. From this new look at history, we will see that we survive only when we care for and trust each other.

February's book pick is going to make you feel optimistic about the future, so join us for a month of discussion with scientists, economists, politicians and other great minds to celebrate the birth of a new species: Homo Empathicus. Look for Arianna's blog tomorrow, February 3rd, announcing her choice.

 

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Comments

[jozzie]

08:06 PM on 02/03/2010

We are a very suggestible lot, we humans. If we're told that we are competitive and that we live in a dog-eat-dog world, we comply with the suggestion. If we're told we're essentially empathetic, we'll comply with that too.

The truth is we're all those things. What the trends bear at the moment is what we'll follow.

[c-tom]

10:13 AM on 02/03/2010

"Mean" is our true nature to be mean. I've never heard that idea before. Are we all just big meanies? Or maybe it's meant in the sense of miserly or small. Is it my true nature to be small? No clearly by the bathroom scales it is to be big.

[colorado620]

06:50 PM on 02/02/2010

Why do I care what Arianna is reading in February?

[RGKahn]

06:05 PM on 02/02/2010

I was told that in nature there was neither good or bad, but there were actions and their consequences The use of the terms goodness and/or badness are our way of categorizing their effects on us.

[Dave4ObamaSinceDay1]

01:38 PM on 02/02/2010

Who are you now? Oprah?

[Artos]

11:14 AM on 02/02/2010

I hate to be the pin that bursts your idealistic bubble, but humans are by nature into self preservation as is a predominant trait in nature. This is in and of itself neither good nor bad it just is. Religionists will tell you that we are born sinful and must plead for forgiveness from a Deity. That they do their darnedest to enjoy every sin before asking is one of the most interesting of phenomenon. The real dilemma is this, that even so called good people are as responsible for the problems that our world faces.as those who rely on their baser instincts. Thurman has a completely false and human biased egocentric view. Humans are prime only because of those soft fingers, which they have found to be immensely useful in destroying almost all other life.Our fingers may be suited to a gentle touch but we seem to be better at using them in a destructive way. On the other hand my cat has reached out to touch my face and sometimes through no fault of his own he does scratch me, but i can always sense his desire to touch me out of his love for me. That he scratches me matters less than the fact that he means well and I can see that to be true. Humans can reach out to touch you and then slap you in the face.

[MarkInIrvine]

10:59 AM on 02/02/2010

"How We Decide" by Jonah Lehrer.