Seattle Book Review
Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness (Second Edition)
By Chet Shupe
BookBaby, $2.99, 256 pages, Format: eBook
Star Rating: 3.5 / 5
A call to arms for contemporary society, Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness by Chet Shupe challenges traditional views on happiness, civilization, and the human experience. To do this, Shupe explores psychology, sociology, self-help, and more, providing insights into people’s (now unfulfilling) emotional bonds and how modern living systems impact people’s well-being.
Shupe’s central thesis is that humanity’s current dependence on rigidly structured monetary, legal, and governance systems has cut off people’s traditional (and essential) emotional bonds, leading to the widespread discontent in modern society. He argues that earlier humans (before the development of language) lived and thrived in a state of happiness exactly because they existed in harmony with nature and depended on genuine emotional connections for survival.
By contrast, the modern world’s future-focused reliance on regimented systems and processes prevents people from being attuned with nature and fulfilling their fundamental need for love and companionship. Shupe contends that such troubles stem from fear and the associated desire to control the future. He further suggests that “We now live in a world of technology, comforts, and excess, in which we see our possibilities as limited only by our imaginations. […] We remain as unwitting as our ancestors, even as we suffer the moving catastrophe they unknowingly unleashed upon our species.”
Founded on an interesting and plausible premise, Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature combines historical insights, philosophical reflections, and real-world examples in support of Shupe’s arguments. It explores the impact of civilization on happiness, the potential of community to serve as a solution to societal issues, and the role of prescriptive traditions such as marriage in perpetuating unobserved subjugation. The inclusion of quotes from thinkers as varied as Henry David Thoreau and Mister Rogers, Yuval Noah Harari and John Lennon, backs up the key contentions and suggests avenues for further research.
Shupe’s interesting examination of the dangers of emotional/social isolation is especially valuable, given recent news reports and statistics about this growing concern.
Still, Shupe could have done more to enhance the strength and persuasiveness of his arguments. As Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature is intended as a self-help book with more scientific rigor than most, it would have been useful if he had included more sources, particularly more recent peer-reviewed scientific research. In addition to backing up his assertions, doing so would have allowed Shupe to include further perspectives on the issues at hand.
However, despite such limitations, Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature makes a thought-provoking contribution to the growing body of literature concerning human happiness, its drivers, and its constraints. The challenges that Shupe poses to conventional wisdom prompt reflection and may inspire some readers to pursue an alternative path in life in the quest for true happiness and contentment.