Scan barcode
Reviews
Survival of the Nicest: How Altruism Made Us Human and Why It Pays to Get Along by Stefan Klein
bookph1le's review
4.0
If you want to feel better about humanity, read this book. More complete review to come.
Full review:
The popular narrative about human interaction these days seems to go something like this: we live in an ever more dangerous and cruel world, and the selfish are bound to win in the end. While a lot of what you can see in the media seems to support this theory, Klein has waded into the fray to offer up an alternative, one that makes the future of the human race look a lot more hopeful: it's actually the altruists who will win out in the end. Naturally, this claim will probably make cynics scoff, but Klein has a lot of research to back up his theory, and I'd also argue that it's not so much that altruists don't exist as that media isn't all that fond of talking about them. The more you read this book, the easier it is to identify the everyday acts of kindness and generosity to which many of us are privy, if only we learn to look for them.
Divided into two parts, You and I and All of Us, the book considers altruism from a variety of angles, considering the narrower aspects of person to person altruism and the wide angle of altruism amongst larger communities. The book opens with a fascinating anecdote about a New York who throws himself on the subway tracks in order to save the life of a man who is a total and complete stranger--with his young daughters as witness. Klein discusses how that man, Wesley Autrey, couldn't really explain why he'd done what he did, and it's a fair bet that most people would feel mystified about what would motivate someone to take such a risk for someone they don't know--until Klein delves into the science that indicates that most of us are actually hardwired to be altruistic. Cynics might say there's no such thing as true altruism because the altruist always derives some sort of benefit from their act of altruism, and this book offers some support for that view. As Klein illustrates, doing good makes us feel good, so we do, inf act, benefit from doing something for others even if it's to our own detriment.
How can such a trait be useful? Here Klein takes us through history and considers basic social structures, and there's a great deal in these sections that just plain makes a lot of sense. People tend to be more generous when times are good, which makes sense, but Klein offers data on why generosity in times of need can lead to the survival of a group. Societies that are more stingy tend to collapse much faster than those that have good social structures in place. Considering the current American political discourse, many might consider this view sheer blasphemy, but it makes sense. Klein offers the example of a society ravaged by natural disaster. A society that comprises a majority of egocentrics will see larger casualties of these egocentrics for the simple fact that they're more plentiful. However, their plight is further exacerbated by the egocentrics' refusal to share their limited resources, which leads to additional casualties. On the flip side, in a more altruistic society, more people are likely to survive because they pool and share their resources. If these two populations come together, the end result will be a larger number of altruists, and the phenomenon of "group selection" will take over, ensuring the numbers of altruists continue to grow. It's an interesting subject to contemplate, and it has large implications for those who are concerned with creating functional social structures that will endure in the long-term.
However, Klein points out that there is a limit to most altruism. While there are certainly those who will give and give no matter how harmful it is to them, most altruists will give until they feel they are being taken in, at which point they'll want to punish the freeloaders. Klein shows how this helps create a more stable society because it leads to enacting laws against crimes like theft and murder. There are social implications here as well, as most of us who live in society are constrained in our actions by our fears about how those actions will be perceived. If we know others will frown on a behavior, we'll usually do our best to refrain from behaving in that manner. Thus, altruism does have its limits, but those limits actually contribute to creating a more stable societal environment.
If you're a fan of neuroscience and psychology, this is a book that should appeal greatly to you. Klein cites a lot of research and evidence, but he does so in a way that doesn't require a PhD in order to grasp the concepts. What struck me most about the book was this question: what if, instead of always giving voice to those who sow discord, we gave much larger megaphones to the Dalai Lamas and Malala Yousafzais of the world? Klein talks about how people who engage in practices like meditation and considering the interconnectedness of the world are, on the whole, happier and lead more fulfilled lives than those constantly pursuing the material. It makes me hope that at some point we'll get off the treadmill of endless consumption and focus our energy on what we can do to make the world a better place for all.
(One small critique: in my ARC, the diagrams were still in German. It didn't totally negate their value, but it did make some of them a little less useful, though I thought some of them were unnecessary in the first place. Hopefully, the translation problem has been resolved in the general release version.)
Full review:
The popular narrative about human interaction these days seems to go something like this: we live in an ever more dangerous and cruel world, and the selfish are bound to win in the end. While a lot of what you can see in the media seems to support this theory, Klein has waded into the fray to offer up an alternative, one that makes the future of the human race look a lot more hopeful: it's actually the altruists who will win out in the end. Naturally, this claim will probably make cynics scoff, but Klein has a lot of research to back up his theory, and I'd also argue that it's not so much that altruists don't exist as that media isn't all that fond of talking about them. The more you read this book, the easier it is to identify the everyday acts of kindness and generosity to which many of us are privy, if only we learn to look for them.
Divided into two parts, You and I and All of Us, the book considers altruism from a variety of angles, considering the narrower aspects of person to person altruism and the wide angle of altruism amongst larger communities. The book opens with a fascinating anecdote about a New York who throws himself on the subway tracks in order to save the life of a man who is a total and complete stranger--with his young daughters as witness. Klein discusses how that man, Wesley Autrey, couldn't really explain why he'd done what he did, and it's a fair bet that most people would feel mystified about what would motivate someone to take such a risk for someone they don't know--until Klein delves into the science that indicates that most of us are actually hardwired to be altruistic. Cynics might say there's no such thing as true altruism because the altruist always derives some sort of benefit from their act of altruism, and this book offers some support for that view. As Klein illustrates, doing good makes us feel good, so we do, inf act, benefit from doing something for others even if it's to our own detriment.
How can such a trait be useful? Here Klein takes us through history and considers basic social structures, and there's a great deal in these sections that just plain makes a lot of sense. People tend to be more generous when times are good, which makes sense, but Klein offers data on why generosity in times of need can lead to the survival of a group. Societies that are more stingy tend to collapse much faster than those that have good social structures in place. Considering the current American political discourse, many might consider this view sheer blasphemy, but it makes sense. Klein offers the example of a society ravaged by natural disaster. A society that comprises a majority of egocentrics will see larger casualties of these egocentrics for the simple fact that they're more plentiful. However, their plight is further exacerbated by the egocentrics' refusal to share their limited resources, which leads to additional casualties. On the flip side, in a more altruistic society, more people are likely to survive because they pool and share their resources. If these two populations come together, the end result will be a larger number of altruists, and the phenomenon of "group selection" will take over, ensuring the numbers of altruists continue to grow. It's an interesting subject to contemplate, and it has large implications for those who are concerned with creating functional social structures that will endure in the long-term.
However, Klein points out that there is a limit to most altruism. While there are certainly those who will give and give no matter how harmful it is to them, most altruists will give until they feel they are being taken in, at which point they'll want to punish the freeloaders. Klein shows how this helps create a more stable society because it leads to enacting laws against crimes like theft and murder. There are social implications here as well, as most of us who live in society are constrained in our actions by our fears about how those actions will be perceived. If we know others will frown on a behavior, we'll usually do our best to refrain from behaving in that manner. Thus, altruism does have its limits, but those limits actually contribute to creating a more stable societal environment.
If you're a fan of neuroscience and psychology, this is a book that should appeal greatly to you. Klein cites a lot of research and evidence, but he does so in a way that doesn't require a PhD in order to grasp the concepts. What struck me most about the book was this question: what if, instead of always giving voice to those who sow discord, we gave much larger megaphones to the Dalai Lamas and Malala Yousafzais of the world? Klein talks about how people who engage in practices like meditation and considering the interconnectedness of the world are, on the whole, happier and lead more fulfilled lives than those constantly pursuing the material. It makes me hope that at some point we'll get off the treadmill of endless consumption and focus our energy on what we can do to make the world a better place for all.
(One small critique: in my ARC, the diagrams were still in German. It didn't totally negate their value, but it did make some of them a little less useful, though I thought some of them were unnecessary in the first place. Hopefully, the translation problem has been resolved in the general release version.)
More...