Are humans inherently good or bad? For centuries, a cynical view of human nature has profoundly shaped our societies and our understanding of ourselves. But what if this deeply ingrained belief is fundamentally flawed? What if, at our core, we are decidedly good?

In 'Rutger Bregman Offers a Hopeful History of Humankind,' presented by Personal Development ProSkills.training in partnership with the Next Big Idea Club, renowned historian and author of Humankind: A Hopeful History, Rutger Bregman, invites you on an illuminating journey to rethink your assumptions about your fellow human beings – and yourself.

This comprehensive 10-lesson, 19-page course, complete with graded assessments, is designed to challenge entrenched beliefs and illuminate groundbreaking scientific findings that unequivocally support humanity’s innate goodness.

Throughout this course, you will explore:

• Challenging the Cynical Narrative: Discover how our trust in others has been eroded by a faulty self-image and how modern news outlets distort our perception of violence and cruelty by focusing solely on the sensational and negative. Learn about the negativity bias and availability bias, psychological phenomena that hardwire us to pay attention to negative stimuli and overestimate the prevalence of featured issues, fostering a cynical worldview.
• The Untold Story of Civilization: Bregman presents a powerful argument: that civilization, not our intrinsic human nature, is the true source of many societal ills. Explore how settling into urban life led to a plummet in health and happiness, the rise of infectious diseases, modern warfare, and widespread distrust – overturning the conventional view of civilization as purely progressive. You'll learn that for the vast majority of human history (the first 95%), war and disease were virtually unknown.
• Irrefutable Evidence of Human Goodness:
  • Evolved for Friendliness: Uncover compelling insights from anthropology and biology demonstrating that humans have evolved to be friendly through self-domestication. This process favoured the kindest and most agreeable individuals, making friendliness our 'true superpower' for collaboration and progress.
  • Violence is Not Innate: Debunk the pervasive 'veneer theory,' which claims our civilized nature is merely skin-deep. Evidence reveals most people find it profoundly difficult to commit violence, even in extreme circumstances, and are often traumatized by it, suggesting cruelty runs counter to our nature.
  • Dispelling Famous Myths: Gain crucial new perspectives on notorious psychological experiments like the Stanford Prison Experiment, the Robbers Cave Experiment, and the Milgram Experiment. Learn how their popular conclusions are often misrepresented, and researchers had to 'go to great lengths' to manipulate participants into negative behaviours.
  • The Power of Collective Help: Challenge the overblown bystander effect and discover robust evidence, including CCTV analysis, demonstrating that in life-threatening emergencies, an 'inverse bystander effect' frequently occurs, leading to more, not less, collective intervention and aid.

By the culmination of this course, you will be empowered to dismantle cynical worldviews and embrace a new realism rooted in the scientific truth of humanity's inherent goodness. This profound shift in understanding carries massive implications for how we organize every aspect of our lives – from our educational institutions and justice systems to our businesses and democracies – inspiring us to build a better, more egalitarian, and genuinely democratic society. It's time for a new view of humankind.

Enrol today to transform your perspective and contribute to a more hopeful and trusting world!