Many people aren’t inherently good. At the end of the day, most people look out for their own interests. History is just recorded events of people behaving badly.
This fact seems to bother most people though. We have people who randomly lash out at people because of a real or percieved transgressions. Then, there’s conservative evangelical Christians and far-left SJWs who try to change the world (and fail). Last, we have a group of recluses and introverts, who just drop out of society to avoid all the drama.
I don’t get it. I think there are better ways to deal with flawed human nature. Instead of feeling helpless or unsuccessfully trying to change people, why don’t we use human destruction to our advantage?
First, we should study on what makes humans tick. Humans as a group and individual humans. Read a bunch of sociology and psychology stuff. Ev psych especially. Read The Prince by Machiavelli. Don’t just read the stuff! ABSORB it, and integrate the information into your life. With this knowledge you can protect yourself, because you can predict peoples behavior.
Another reason not to worry - - - most people have some good in themselves deep down. I mean, those who are clinically psychopathic are only 1% of the population, right? Just stay on their good side. And those few really bad people? They can be manipulated into acting good if the circumstances are right.
Lean how to fight, or use a weapon, if shit really hits the fan. Learning some prepper skills won’t hurt either.
Last but not least. Figure out a way you financially profit from people’s vices. Get in those industries, or create your own venture. It’s quite rewarding.
Probably true, but there’s a difference between looking after our own interests and hurting others.
Like most people I spend most of my time looking after myself, but that never means stealing or cheating others, or committing other acts of harm. Society has done a good job of civilizing us such that we can live in cities of millions of people and generally get by just fine.
The thing is, it’s not that I’m scared of human destruction per se; it’s that I want to see the opposite: progress. I want to see the next scientific discovery, awesome piece of architecture, innovative new electronic device, great piece of music etc etc.
When humans put aside our differences and work together, we can make rapid progress, even from terrible starting conditions. Imagine what the world would already be like if we hadn’t taken (and continue to take) so many backward steps.
Also, I’m not one of those guys who thinks the breakdown of society would be some fun adventure romp, where it’s just me and my dog until I encounter a hawt girl in tattered rags (that still somehow has perfect hair and makeup). I know in reality I’d either be dead or wishing I was dead.
Evolutionary psychology is considered woo by a lot of people, including psychologists and sociologists. My opinion is that it tries to portray social constructions as biology and thus is worthless.
*Well I know how to drink my whiskey and wine
Know just how to keep my soul in line
But what about destruction that we all face
What do we do when it all goes to waste
Can you tell me how the story goes?
No one can tell me
'Cause nobody knows
Nobody knows*
My experience has been that an overwhelming majority or people don’t pay any particular attention to me, unless I approach them, and if non-threatening, they response in a perfectly civil manner.
The thing I love about the Kinsey Scale is I believe it works for all facets of the human psyche.
Nobody is 100% good and nobody is 100% bad. We are all varying degrees in between.
I think though, the more we invest in a healthy society, the more people we will have leaning towards 100% good. Because I believe the number one factor that leads people to do unsavory things is, hardship.
People have good reason to fear the destruction of the world. Anyone who lived through the Cold War and the US and USSR squaring up to each with the capability of unleashing a nuclear winter on the world may recall the unease that this caused. At times it was quite palpable.
That threat is still there. The capability still exists and there is good reason to worry about the destructive mentality of some political leaders. Who knows what sort of horrible disease could emerge from the labs or some crazed regime. It seems quite rational to be worried about such things and work towards a peaceful world.
I read this book about the US nuclear missile program. Some events describe were so close to causing a total disaster! We were lucky.