Understanding Society
A Radical Idea
EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION
Which planet do we inhabit? On one, passengers escape a smoking aircraft by helping strangers; on the other, panic leaves everyone fighting alone. In this passage from Rutger Bregman’s Humankind: A Hopeful History, Doug presents social psychologist Tom Postmes’s estimate that 97 percent expect the second scenario. Orderly evacuations — including the World Trade Center stairwells on September 11, 2001 — support his more hopeful answer.
A Note on the Original Text
Doug’s writings are presented as originally written. Spelling, punctuation, and grammatical irregularities have been retained to preserve his words and the integrity of the original record.
ORIGINAL WRITING
The content in this post is based on the book Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman.
“This is a book about a radical idea.
An idea that’s long been known to make rulers nervous. An idea denied by religions and ideologies, ignored by the news media and erased from the annals of world history.
At the same time, it’s an idea that is legitimized by virtually every branch of science. One that corroborated by evolution and confirmed by everyday life. An idea so intrinsic to human nature that it goes unnoticed and overlooked.
If only we had the courage to take it more seriously, it’s an idea that just might start a revolution. Turn society on its head. Because once you grasp what it really means, it’s nothing less than a mind bending drug that insures that you will never look at the world the same again.
So what’s the radical idea?
That most people, deep down, are pretty decent.
I don’t know anyone who explains this idea better that Tom Postmes, professor of Social Psychology at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. For years he’s been asking students the same question.
‘Imagine an airplane makes an emergency landing and breaks into three parts. As the cabin fills with smoke, everyone inside realizes: We’ve got to get out of here. What happens?
On Planet A, the passengers turn to their neighbor to ask if they’re okay. Those needing assistance are helped out of the plane first. People are willing to give their lives. Even for perfect strangers. On Planet B, everyone’s left to fend for themselves. Panic breaks out. Children, the elderly, and people with disabilities get trampled underfoot. Now the question: Which planet do we live on?
‘ I would estimate about 97% of people think we live on Planet B, says Professor Postmes. ‘The truth is, in almost every case, we live on Planet A.
Doesn’t matter who you ask. Left wing or right, rich or poor, uneducated or well-reasoned—all make the same error of judgment. They don’t know. Not Freshman. Nor Juniors, nor grad students, not professionals in most cases, nor even emergency responders, Postmes laments. ‘And it’s not for a lack of research. We’ve head this information available since World War 2.’
Unlike the movie Titanic, the evacuation was quite orderly. One eyewitness recalled, ‘there was no indication of panic or hysteria, no cries of fear, and no running to and fro.”
As the Twin Towers burned on September 11, 2001, thousands of people descended the stairs calmly, even though they knew their lives were in danger. They stepped aside for the firefighters and the injured. And people would actually say, ‘no, no, you first. People would actually say, no, no, please take my place.
There is a persistent myth that by their very nature, humans are selfish, aggressive, and quick to panic. It’s what Dutch biologist Frans de Waal likes to call veneer theory: the notion that civilization is nothing more than a thin veneer that will crack at the merest provocation. In actuality, the opposite is true. It’s when crisis hits—when the bombs fall or the floodwaters rise—that we humans become our best selves.”