Why Assume People Would Turn Evil After an Apocalypse?

Most predictions and fiction of an apocalyptic future end with people behaving like monsters. I find that presumption absurd. Here’s why.

The fundamental state of humanity

I suppose your dominant belief regarding human behavior after an apocalypse will depend on your answer to the eternal question:

Are people inherently good or evil?

This belief, and it is only a belief, make no mistake about it, will determine most of your interactions and experiences with humans even today:

• Are most people you meet kind and cordial toward you, or assholes?

• Do you like meeting new people, or is the very idea either revolting or frightening?

• What do you believe is moral in a world of evil people when it comes to exploiting or helping them?

I happen to believe people are inherently good until they get socially brainwashed otherwise. More accurately stated - people are born neutral. Life and society then define them through time.

Sure, exceptions to this rule exist, but that’s why they’re called exceptions - they are rare. Even in those cases, I don’t think “evil” is inherent in humans or “a thing at all.” I believe it to be simply the result of psychological problems, trauma, or social programming. (LINK)

Most “evil people” don’t see themselves as evil and don’t do things out of some evil gene. They pursue their impulses and fulfill their needs and desires. Those just happen to go against some other people’s needs and desires and sometimes against our dominant socially accepted norms. 

For example, while we would imprison people who sleep with minors or eat other human beings, other cultures throughout our history might find this abhorrent behavior perfectly normal.

Similarly, killing your opposition is frowned upon today but was even a rite of passage in most tribal cultures not so long ago. You weren't a man until you did some raining and killing around neighboring communities.

No devil whispers evil thoughts into men's ears. Their cultural and psychological internal composition drives their behavior.

In this weird universe, where our reality is incredibly personalized, we all practically live in our own universes. Our general beliefs about people are constantly proven right in our lives, but only for us, as our reality is personalized.

Tragedy brings people together

An apocalypse is the ultimate tragedy—a world-ending event that uproots everyone’s lives. Almost all people are affected in some way. Think of overwhelming floods, earthquakes, and storms. 

How do people react to tragedies or large proportions?

• Do they turn feral and steal and murder everyone?

• Does it turn grieving people into monsters? (or)

• Does it bring out the best in people?

• Does it bring us together?

• Does it awaken the feeling that we are one people and must help each other?

The best sides of humanity reveal themselves in the face of widespread human tragedy. People step together and do their best to help those most affected.

Some help dig out the survivors, and others contribute financially. Either way, when we see tragedy and suffering, we don’t generally want to add to it but help alleviate the pain of those affected. Again, exceptions exist but aren't the majority.

Even after war or terrorist attacks, most people don’t turn into monsters

What happened after the last World War? (WWII) We realized our mistakes and built the most peaceful and prosperous global society the world has ever known! Despite hundreds of millions of grieving people experiencing horrors beyond description, most never turned feral and murderous. In fact, the opposite happened. 

The Balkan war from the 1990’s was the one I got to experience up close. Brothers from a former republic were slaughtering each other, and the horrors some people experienced were beyond words. 

I always assumed that those lands would be filled with absolute psychopaths, all armed to their teeth, just waiting to hurt others so they would not feel alone in their pain in the aftermath of such a bloody and hate-filled war. I was very reluctant to visit those countries, my neighbors, back in the day.

It turns out I was wrong. After having experienced those horrors, violence, lack, and dread, most people just wanted to be left alone, to grieve in peace, and to rebuild what they could. They’ve had enough of war and violence.

Sure, the Balkans are complicated, and any peace in these lands is usually short-lived and enforced, but that’s a whole other topic. Again, there are exceptions, and I’ve met a few myself.

The odds of survival increase infinitely when we work together

How has humanity survived all the struggles and elemental dangers throughout history? By working together!

Our superpower is our ability to cooperate, gather in groups, and build societies. Alone, we are feeble and helpless. Our strength has always been in numbers (and intelligence).

In an apocalyptic future, the ease of living we know today would likely disappear into distant memory. Life would again become harsh and demanding. What better way to survive than to band together, forget our differences, and work toward a common goal - survival?

With infrastructure decimated, we would need each other much more than we do now. Have you ever thought about what skills and knowledge you possess that would help rebuild society?

Needless to say, we all carry a tinny piece of the puzzle, and hopefully, by working together, we will be able to rebuild civilization—preferably an even better one. Tragedy, while painful, is also an opportunity to rebuild and do things better going forward. It also, especially on a personal level, recalibrates our priorities.

Yes, I choose to be an optimist because pessimists are miserable, and I choose happiness because it is a choice. What do you choose?

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