Today is the US publication day of my new book HUMANKIND, A HOPEFUL HISTORY. It feels strange to be publishing it right now, on #BlackOutTuesday, in the midst of a pandemic, while police are engaging in the most savage violence. /1 [thread] 
A summary of the book in one sentence would be: ‘Most people are decent, but power corrupts.’
Could be a summary of this moment as well. We see the extraordinary courage of millions of protesters, and the total corruption of those who are supposed to ‘protect and serve’. /2
Could be a summary of this moment as well. We see the extraordinary courage of millions of protesters, and the total corruption of those who are supposed to ‘protect and serve’. /2
We've been here many times before. For centuries Western culture has been permeated by the idea that we humans are just selfish creatures. That cynical image of man has been proclaimed in many places - in films and novels, in history books and in scientific research. /3
Frans de Waal, the great primatologist, calls it ‘veneer theory’ - the idea that civilisation is just a thin veneer and that, during a crisis (a natural disaster, a pandemic, etc.) we reveal our true selves - that we become violent savages. /4
For so long, veneer theory has been used to justify hierarchy, racism and oppression. We see it right now: those in power want us to focus on isolated acts of looting and vandalism. That want us to believe that we need them to restore 'law and order'. /5
They want us to watch CNN and FOX all day, because they know people who watch a lot of cable news are scared – and it's easier to rule people who are scared. /6
But who are the real savages right now? We've seen police cars ramming through crowds, officers knocking down an elderly man with a cane, shooting at journalists etc. etc, while the President himself cheered them on. We've seen the corruptive effects of power everywhere. /7
What do those in power fear the most? I think they fear the opposite of fear. Which is hope. That's why I believe it's an act of defiance to keep believing in the good of humanity. /8
To remember that most people are decent. To focus on the overwhelming majority of courageous and determined citizens who are protesting peacefully. /9
They are the living proof that society is *not* weak. That it's incredibly strong and resilient. In times of crisis people pull together - I know of no other sociological fact we have so much evidence for. /10
We’ve got more than 700 case studies, for example, of people cooperating on a massive scale after natural disasters. And we’ve seen the same behaviour during this pandemic. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.111… /11
Nobody knows where this will end. It's easy to imagine a dark path ahead of us. Still, I hope readers may find some comfort in the ideas of the scientists and activists in my book, because there's hope in our history as well.
Power corrupts, but most people are decent. /12 [end]
Power corrupts, but most people are decent. /12 [end]
