As a species, homo sapiens have a bad reputation. War, environmental pillage, weapons of mass destruction – if the human race was applying for the job as planetary custodian, we wouldn’t even make it through to the interview stage.

But maybe we are not as bad as we think. According to the author and psychologist Steven Pinker, human society has become kinder over the course of recorded history, perhaps not in a linear fashion, but in absolute terms. He argues in The Better Angels of Our Nature that over the long arc of history, violence – including murder, cruelty and war deaths – have declined.

Professor Abigail Marsh claims that, at least in the laboratory, most people will be generous, most of the time. The same, she argues, may be true in the real world. For example, according to the World Giving Index report, two-thirds of the world’s population donated money in 2024.

Marsh and fellow researchers have found that at the sight of something mildly scary, such as a snake, people feel an urge to flee. But when an average person sees a fearful expression on another person’s face, their response is the opposite. In less than a second, the amygdala sends a message to approach, despite the potential danger. Humans, Marsh argues, are hard-wired to care for and protect each........

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