Are People Basically Good or Bad

I pose this question for all of you to think about and answer for yourselves: are people basically good or bad? We see human-caused disasters and these are balanced by the unselfish acts of people. How do you come down on this basic question about human nature? I did an informal poll on Facebook a few weeks ago and the majority of responses came back that people are basically good. These were from mainly author friends who tend to be liberal thinkers. From my own conclusion, people of a more conservative bent tend to see people as bad: you can’t give poor people money because they’ll spend it on booze and they’re lazy. I know it’s hard to answer this black and white question. I believe that people are basically good but there are clearly exceptions and we can’t be naïve. We need to have a police force to protect us from predators and psychopaths. Still, I think most people want what’s right for their family and society. I will continue to think positively while paying attention to the exceptions.

The World of Zoom

How quickly things change. Back in February of this year, I hadn’t even heard of Zoom. Now I’m using it almost daily. I had used Skype but now find Zoom much more user friendly and easier to use. I’ve used Zoom to give author presentations to service organizations and book groups, to meet with family members, to get together with friends, to have a virtual play date for our grandson, to participate in a remote funeral service, to attend writers events and to allow our grandson to attend first pre-school and now kindergarten. It’s become an important tool during the pandemic.

Zoom kindergarten

My grandson started zoom kindergarten this week. He had a chance to get used to zoom classes with zoom preschool in May and June. The school had a drive-by for the kids to wave to the teachers the day before school started. Now he is learning remotely for at least the next month.

More About Zoom Author Events

In the past I have done a number of remote presentations to book groups through Skype or phone conference calls. All of these were with me on one end and a group of people on the other. Last week I gave my first Zoom presentation where everyone was online from different locations. Once I started, it felt natural to be talking to people, as I could see some of the faces on my screen. Since my presentation relies on humor, it was more difficult to get a reading on the audience’s reaction to my speech. With two more presentations scheduled in the near future, I’ll continue to monitor how this process works.

Humankind – A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman

I want to recommend a book called Humankind – A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman. It presents an optimistic view that people tend to be good. This flies in the face of much common cynicism about human nature. It is well worth reading and ends with ten rules to live by: 1. When in doubt, assume the best. 2. Think in win-win scenarios. 3. Ask more questions. 4. Temper your empathy, train your compassion. 5. Try to understand the others, even if you don’t get where they’re coming from. 6. Love your own as others love their own. 7. Avoid the news. 8. Don’t punch Nazis. 9. Come out of the closet; don’t be ashamed to do good. 10. Be realistic. Some of these rules may seem idealistic or counter-intuitive, but their logic is laid out in the book.

Zoom Author Events

Although authors aren’t doing live events right now, there are opportunities to connect with readers through Zoom meetings. Service organizations and book groups continue to meet through Zoom, and, as a result, I’ve been invited to speak to two Rotary clubs and one book club over the next month. I will give a twenty minute presentation followed by questions and answers. While not as good as face-to-face presentations where readers can buy books that I bring, these types of events offer the opportunity to reach and connect with new readers. If you are interested in having me meet with one of your groups, send an email message to mikebef@aol.com

Exercise During Pandemic

I try to exercise every day. This goes back to when I was a kid and in college playing competitive tennis. As I got older I replaced tennis with platform tennis and then pickleball. I also had a hip and a knee replacement and went through physical therapy after these surgeries. I suffer from arthritis so it’s important for me to keep my joints moving. At the present time I’m not playing pickleball, but I’ve been suffering through golf once a week and doing daily stretches and exercises. What works for me is doing this in the morning right after breakfast. I have a number of stretches and exercises for back, hips and knees. Then I ride the stationary bike for twenty minutes. During week days I also get exercise with my 5-year-old grandson who keeps me moving. On weekends I take a walk for approximately 50 minutes. All of this keeps me mobile and definitely helps maintain a positive mental outlook.