What Happened After Katrina?

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After an earthquake or sonama, the news is full of stories about looting and violins. But in reality, people immediately start helping each other after a disaster. Those at the top are especially vulnerable to this kind of cynical view of how humans behave. It's as if those at the top look in the mirror and assume they wold behave like they themselves would have - which is quite selfish.

Is humanity innately good or bad? Historian and author Rutger Bregman joins Adam to discuss his decidedly optimistic answer to this question. They discuss research showing that people are more likely to help each other during national disasters, the true story behind Kitty Genovese, and how the real-life Lord of The Flies had a very different ending. You can find Rutger Bregman’s book, Humankind: A Hopeful History, wherever books are sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.