Chapter 1: Human Nature (excerpts)

Some things about human beings are undeniable.  Take this statement about a human smile: 

“A smile someone once said, costs nothing but gives much. It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it and none is so poor that he cannot be made rich by it. Yet a smile cannot be bought, begged, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired to smile at you. . . Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.” (Dale Carnegie, p60)

Can any one of us deny the truth in these words? Do it now, please try smiling and tell me that you don’t feel a bit better. It’s human nature. 

Some people dedicate their lives to helping us better understand our “human nature”- “the general psychological characteristics, feelings, and behavioral traits of humankind regarded as shared by all humans”.  The work they do involves how humans best learn, cope, and thrive. They also grapple with that little word called  “happiness”.  

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David Brooks, author of “The Road to Character,” helps me further summarize by saying, “Over the past few years, geneticists, neuroscientists, psychologists, sociologists, economists, anthropologists, and others have made great strides in understanding the building blocks of human flourishing” (Brooks, The Social Animal.) 

I believe the current research and scientific findings about human nature are “revolutionary”- “involving or causing a complete or dramatic change”. They hold the key to unlocking the door to becoming your best self, and also to helping fix America’s problems. I will explain how.   

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Please remember several things in your life. 1. Ignorance alone is what is causing all of the undesired outcomes in our society. 2. The people who are behaving this way - it is not their fault. The fact is that “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about” (Ian Maclaren.) 3. The largest weapon we have to improve the world is empathy. As you develop your empathy (and other skills that build your integrity, and character) you begin to ensure your well-being. The more you understand the secrets that strengthen your brain, you can take yourself to higher levels of personal satisfaction and success. At the highest levels, you become a leader, capable of re-igniting the internal flame of goodness that resides in others, particularly those people who need it most.

As more of you gain these skills, the part of the human brain we need will become stronger over time,  and eventually our whole species will evolve for the better. It will become more typical for your kids, (my grandkids) and their children to be born internally wired to handle the demands of society. Politics and life, for everyone, will become easier when everyone is educated. Keep learning and your generation can truly change the world forever. And if that isn’t enough for you, you should know that the work that keeps us mentally strong just so happens to be the stuff of happiness.