Humanity's Dark Side


Book Description

The human capacity for destructiveness is often referred to as humanity's "dark side." In this book, prominent writers share different, sometimes opposing views on humanity's dark side and consider how these views impact their clinical practice.







The Upside of Your Dark Side


Book Description

Audible Best Seller of 2017 Inc. 11 Great Business Books New York Magazine Best Psychology Books LinkedIn's 12 Books on Leadership to Read Two mavericks in the field of positive psychology deliver a timely message Happiness experts have long told us to tune out our negative emotions and focus instead on mindfulness, positivity, and optimism. Researchers Todd Kashdan, Ph.D., and Robert Biswas-Diener, Dr. Philos., disagree. Positive emotions alone are not enough. Anger makes us creative, selfishness makes us brave, and guilt is a powerful motivator. The real key to success lies in emotional agility. Drawing upon extensive scientific research and a wide array of real-life examples, The Upside of Your Dark Side will be embraced by business leaders, parents, and everyone else who’s ready to put their entire psychological tool kit to work.




Meeting the Shadow


Book Description

The author offers exploration of self and practical guidance dealing with the dark side of personality based on Jung's concept of "shadow," or the forbidden and unacceptable feelings and behaviors each of us experience.




The Dark Side Of Man


Book Description

Ghiglieri (anthropology, U. of Northern Arizona) provides a wide- ranging description of what makes men and women fundamentally different, in both body and behavior, arguing that male violence is largely innate and that only policies based on the biological underpinnings of human behavior can limit social violence. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR




Evil


Book Description

An expert in criminology and psychology uses science to understand evil in today’s society. What is it about evil that we find so compelling? From our obsession with serial killers to violence in pop culture, we seem inescapably drawn to the stories of monstrous acts and the aberrant people who commit them. But evil, Dr. Julia Shaw argues, is largely subjective. What one may consider normal, like sex before marriage, eating meat, or working on Wall Street, others find abhorrent. And if evil is only in the eye of the beholder, can it be said to exist at all? In Evil, Shaw uses an engrossing mix of science, popular culture, and real-life examples to break down timely and provocative issues. How similar is your brain to a psychopath’s? How many people have murder fantasies? Can artificial intelligence be evil? Do your sexual proclivities make you a bad person? Who becomes a terrorist? If you could travel back in time, would you kill baby Hitler? In asking these questions, Shaw urges readers to discover empathy and to rethink and reshape what it means to be bad. Evil is a wide-ranging exploration into a fascinating, darkly compelling subject from wickedly smart and talented writer. Praise for Evil “A brilliant panorama that elucidates humanity’s dark side. . . . This science-based foundation for studying the minds of sadists, mass murderers, freaks and creeps, as well the new role of tech in promoting evil is presented in a totally engaging fashion.” —Philip Zimbardo, PhD; Professor Emeritus, Stanford University; author of The Lucifer Effect “This overview of various kinds of aberrant behavior grouped under the umbrella term evil is well backed up by the expertise of Shaw. . . . Shaw’s work will be particularly appropriate for college and high school libraries for its sober-minded, academically rigorous examination of an oft-sensationalized subject.” —Publishers Weekly “Capably written with a smooth mix of scientific insight and theoretical thought, the book will hopefully inspire empathy and understanding rather than hysteria and condemnation. A consistently fascinating journey into the darker sides of the human condition that will push on the boundaries of readers’ comfort zones.” —Kirkus Reviews




The Laws of Human Nature


Book Description

SUMMARY: This book is If you’ve ever wondered about human behavior, wonder no more. In The Laws of Human Nature, Greene takes a look at 18 laws that reveal who we are and why we do the things we do. Humans are complex beings, but Greene uses these laws to strip human nature down to its bare bones. Every law that he presents is supported by a real-life historical account, with an insightful twist to drive the point home. As you read the book, don’t be surprised if you get the feeling that everyone you know, including yourself, is described in the book! DISCLAIMER: This is an UNOFFICIAL summary and not the original book. It is designed to record all the key points of the original book.




The Dark Sides of Empathy


Book Description

Many consider empathy to be the basis of moral action. However, the ability to empathize with others is also a prerequisite for deliberate acts of humiliation and cruelty. In The Dark Sides of Empathy, Fritz Breithaupt contends that people often commit atrocities not out of a failure of empathy but rather as a direct consequence of over-identification and a desire to increase empathy. Even well-meaning compassion can have many unintended consequences, such as intensifying conflicts or exploiting others. Empathy plays a central part in a variety of highly problematic behaviors. From mere callousness to terrorism, exploitation to sadism, and emotional vampirism to stalking, empathy all too often motivates and promotes malicious acts. After tracing the development of empathy as an idea in German philosophy, Breithaupt looks at a wide-ranging series of case studies—from Stockholm syndrome to Angela Merkel's refugee policy and from novels of the romantic era to helicopter parents and murderous cheerleader moms—to uncover how narcissism, sadism, and dangerous celebrity obsessions alike find their roots in the quality that, arguably, most makes us human.




The dark side ... of the human being


Book Description

And one day ... we just laugh of our fears: I met Dana maybe 15 years ago. We've worked together on a project. But ... the project delayed so, so much ... that we ended up becoming friends. Easy... easy ... we've started to talk about lots of things ... especially our lives. ... even details ... which had to do with intimacy. We lost contact ... by already few years ... but something still reminds me of her. She was the first woman .... which telling me her life ... made me understand the woman. You see ... firstly she was married with a guy in Norway. ... a wealthy guy. Unfortunately ... he was treating her very bad in there. She was cheated. Manipulated. Offended. And ... actually husband saw her more as a slave than a wife. One night she left from that beautiful mansion which meant for her ... only a hell ... with a plastic bag with few things in it. Abandoned the husband. ... but also her child. Most certainly ... the experience itself was horrible ... that Dana could abandon her daughter in there. And ... to be honest... hearing this story ... even if we were friends at that time ... I've started to judge her. I was thinking ... "what type of person is Dana ... if she could abandon her child?! Why she left alone?! Why she didn't took her child also?!" I had lots of questions into my mind ... but maybe the fears made her act like that. And ... the Universe acted nice with her .... cause later on she found a new man. Again .... a wealthy guy. They had a good business in Paris. ... a beautiful 600 sqm house with swimming pool and garage. 2 Porsches. Short story ... all a couple could dream. Somehow ... the story was repeated. She was living the same experience again .... but this time she really had the life she thought she will have first time when she married. But ... again ... Dana surprised me with her perceptions. After being cheated many, many times ... in the first marriage .... Dana asked to her second husband to swear in front of God ... that he will never cheat on her. ... somehow believing him ... that all will be different than her first marriage. But one day ... Dana told me something that really changed.... my whole perceptions about the woman. It was a long talk. We've spoke on the phone that day maybe 2-3 hours. Somehow ... laughing .... she said ... "I've spoken recently with my husband ... and i've just told him... that if he will ever cheat on me ... i just want him to ... use a condom." I said ... "What?!" "Yes. It might happen. In France ... things like that can happen. I simply .... changed my mind. I know it can happen ... and my only request was to use a condom ... so that i don't get infected with ... a disease." I could not believe it. But ... at that time ... i was too busy to analyse all that ... in micro details. It was funny ... how she changed her perceptions. Extremely funny. Most probably ... she became realistic. Extremely realistic. And ... wise. Or maybe ... she allowed her husband ... what she started to adore doing. Flirting. Tasting energies. Connecting to new souls. ... without believing that this is something bad. But ... being realistic enough ... she knew that playing this game ... it might all end up ... as cheating. So ... she was into that point ... when she knew that ... we all have a dark side. Including her husband. Including herself ... but even if the marriage was nice ... that didn't necessarily meant that betrayal could not happen. I was just listening her ... for hours. And ... indeed I've learnt a lot from her ... but still ... even today ... when i analyse all a lot ... i can't agree with such obviously real case scenarios. Cause ... i am not a open minded person. I am ... too utopian. In my beliefs. In my actions. In my writings. In ... all. Maybe .... Dana was for me a great teacher ... but ... i am indeed ... a stupid student ... at this school of life.




The Dark Side of the Soul


Book Description

'Sin' is an old-fashioned word for some startlingly contemporary problems. Far from being about trivial naughtiness or seedy self-indulgence, it's about the financial scandals that have rocked our world, and most of the ills that beset us today. In The Dark Side of the Soul, the author explains and illustrates the 'Seven Deadly Sins' with contemporary examples. In clear and accessible language, he shows that the traditional Christian concept of sin is a vital tool in understanding what is wrong with human beings. Far from leading people into a guilt-trap, 'sin' is a healthy and truthful word that can help to set us free. Human beings are neither intrinsically evil nor congenitally inclined to virtue, but many of the problems and predicaments that trouble us today can be better understood, and more effectively resolved, if their deeper roots are taken into account. In this fresh interpretation, the author shows that, for example, our economic problems, and our fixation on financial criteria in decision-making, can be understood through the twin lenses of avarice and lust. Our obsessive busyness is a manifestation of sloth; and our desire to control, and our perfectionism, are outworkings of spiritual pride. Crucially, although sin is an important and necessary word for people to understand and come to terms with, it is never, in the Christian worldview, the last word.