

#249
Mentioned in 68 episodes
The better angels of our nature
Why Violence Has Declined
Book • 2011
In this book, Steven Pinker presents a detailed argument that violence has significantly decreased over the course of human history.
He uses extensive data and statistical analysis to demonstrate this decline in various domains, including military conflict, homicide, genocide, torture, and the treatment of children, homosexuals, animals, and racial and ethnic minorities.
Pinker identifies four key human motivations – empathy, self-control, the moral sense, and reason – as the 'better angels' that have oriented humans away from violence and towards cooperation and altruism.
He also discusses historical forces such as the rise of the state (which he terms 'Leviathan'), the spread of commerce, the growth of feminist values, and the expansion of cosmopolitanism, which have contributed to this decline in violence.
He uses extensive data and statistical analysis to demonstrate this decline in various domains, including military conflict, homicide, genocide, torture, and the treatment of children, homosexuals, animals, and racial and ethnic minorities.
Pinker identifies four key human motivations – empathy, self-control, the moral sense, and reason – as the 'better angels' that have oriented humans away from violence and towards cooperation and altruism.
He also discusses historical forces such as the rise of the state (which he terms 'Leviathan'), the spread of commerce, the growth of feminist values, and the expansion of cosmopolitanism, which have contributed to this decline in violence.
Mentioned by



































Mentioned in 68 episodes
Mentioned by 

as a book about the growing consciousness of humanity.


Elizabeth Gilbert

376 snips
#751: Elizabeth Gilbert and Jack Kornfield
Mentioned as a book in which Steven Pinker argues that humans are historically very violent, with a 15% kill ratio.

318 snips
The Past and Future of Societal Collapse: Why Civilizations Fall and What We Can Learn From It with Luke Kemp
Mentioned by 

in relation to crime rates and their correlation with prayer in schools.


John Vervaeke

298 snips
Ep. 2 - Flow, Metaphor, and the Axial Revolution
Mentioned by 

in the context of discussing long-term historical trends and human adaptability.


Jonathan Haidt

197 snips
Jonathan Haidt on Adjusting to Smartphones and Social Media
Mentioned by 

in relation to the reduction of violence in human societies.


Matt Ridley

130 snips
#107 Matt Ridley: Infinite Innovation
Mentioned by 

in the context of tracking trends in progress and violence since its publication.


Steven Pinker

110 snips
167. The Secret of Humanity? It’s Common Knowledge.
Mentioned by 

, who more or less agrees with it, when saying that violence has been dropping and cruelty has been dropping.


David Brooks

107 snips
CNLP 740 | Overpoliticized and Undermoralized: David Brooks on the American Church, Culture, Becoming a Christian and Being Pastored By Tim Keller
Mentioned by 

as a book he has gifted often, focusing on long-term trends in human violence.


Eric Schmidt

89 snips
#367: Eric Schmidt — Lessons from a Trillion-Dollar Coach
Mentioned by 

as one of the twelve books written by 

.


Jonah Goldberg


Steven Pinker

89 snips
You Know That I Know | Interview: Steven Pinker
Mentioned by 

as one of the books frequently recommended in 'Tribe of Mentors'.


Tim Ferriss

71 snips
#442: Tribe of Mentors — Naval Ravikant, Susan Cain, and Yuval Noah Harari
Mentioned by Neil deGrasse Tyson when referencing Pinker's reasoning on the likelihood of humans dying at the hands of another human.

63 snips
Cosmic Queries – The Deep
Mentioned by 

and 

as a book discussing the decline of violence over the last 10,000 years.


Peter Shamshery


Michael Hobbs

59 snips
"The Better Angels of Our Nature" Part 1: You're Not Wrong, Pinker. You're Just An *sshole
Mentioned by 

, who used Shortform guides to prepare for the interview with 

.


Brian Keating


Steven Pinker

57 snips
Steven Pinker on Cancel Culture, Common Knowledge & AI
Recommended by Bill Gates as a book documenting the reduction in violence and improvement in various aspects of life.

55 snips
Bill Gates on possibility, AI, and humanity
Mentioned by 

as one of Steve Pinker's previous books, which takes an optimistic view of historical trends.


Rufus Griscom

55 snips
STEVEN PINKER: How Common Knowledge and Rationality Make the World Go Round
Mentioned by 

as evidence that, by most metrics, we live in the best time to ever be alive.


Mark Manson

48 snips
How TikTok Ruined Politics (And Your Sex Life)
Mentioned by 

when he was working on it and plotting trends in violence.


Steven Pinker

47 snips
Steven Pinker Returns (on common knowledge)
Mentioned by 

in the context of discussing societal improvement and the impact of books.


Michael Hobbs

47 snips
"The Better Angels of Our Nature" Part 2: Campus Lies, I.Q. Rise & Epstein Ties
Mentioned by 

when discussing 

's contrasting view on societal progress.


Bari Weiss


Peter Thiel

46 snips
Peter Thiel Says America Has Bigger Problems Than Wokeness
Mentioned by 

and ![undefined]()

when discussing global peace and progress in modern times.


Peter Singer

Kasia de Lazari Radek

42 snips
STEVEN PINKER: rational optimism in a complex world