Sunday, October 16, 2011

Can You Believe It?


Thank your lucky stars you are living now for you are far less likely to get clubbed over the head when you walk out your front door (or visited by any other form of violence) than at any time since Neanderthal Man walked out of his cave. Steven Pinker, the well known and respected Harvard cognitive psychologist/historian, argues this in his soon-to-be published book, The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined. The reason you may hold a contrary view, Dr. Pinker explains, is that we are daily bombarded by the media's reporting of global crimes and wars.

I'm looking forward to reading his book, if I can lift it (700+pages) because I have long thought that, despite all the miseries in the world, things/people are looking up. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I hoped such was the case, but now, using statistical methodology, Dr. Pinker offers a scientific point of view.

What I glean from reading summaries and pre-release reviews, Dr. Pinker sees humans in constant struggle between good and evil (different vocabulary, but let's give a nod here to Dr. Freud) with good getting the upper hand. What really has caught my attention is Dr. Pinker's identification of five inner demons and four better angels involved in the struggle. The demons are: sadism, revenge, dominance, violence for gain and violence for an ideology. The angels are: self-control, empathy, morality and reason. What therapist, worth the name, hasn't dealt with these demons and angels within the self and within clients? It's a tidy list, don't you think?

8 comments:

Jesse said...

Very tidy. I'm going to tuck this away for those depressing party conversations (contradiction in terms?)about how it's all just getting worse. I really like it that I've never been hit over the head with a club.

Bridget said...

Yeah, no hitting is a good thing. I know about those dark conversations and in my world they seem to be increasing...hard times all around. Still, as one reviewer, quoting C.P. Snow, remarked we need to guard against "sentimental pessimism."

Aileen said...

I have just had Raisinettes in hot movie popcorn for the first time. I have died and gone to heaven. (A little trouble when my friend tried to steal some. But I just hit her over the head with a club.)

Bridget said...

Violence in service of a benefit. Being as it was Raisnettes in popcorn, it is understandable...still, for world peace we may have to eliminate this dangerous treat introduce by Liz.

Kim said...

Liz, thank you for visiting my blog and for commenting. I absolutely love your blog and...I too love "goobers" in my butter popcorn(smile)and try my best not to indulge (much). I will tell my readers about you also, please stay in touch.

Liz said...

thanks so much, kim..we love making contact with great bloggers such as yourself....guess i was not so original about the popcorn thing after all. :)

Anonymous said...

Sorry i have not commented till now, i have been reading your blog for a although now though. It has turn into part of my morning routine.

Bridget said...

Thanks, Anonymous. I like that picture of our blog with coffee. Glad you reading us.