Introduction

To ordinary, intelligent people, the governments of the world seem all at sea. It is clear that, in all the different ways in which they try to deal with the complex problems of the world, they are missing an essential element: that of the psychology of human nature, which is programmed into us from our genes (hence we call this the human givens). These givens can be straightforwardly expressed as needs and resources — and meeting the one, and correctly using the other, are key to global mental health.

The Human Givens Charter, and the pages that follow it, are intended to unpack what this means and provide an opportunity for us all to step back and look at the bigger picture. It complements the work published as Human Givens: A new approach to emotional health and clear thinking.

Contents

> The Human Givens Charter

Explanatory text:

> Why institutions get sick

> How institutions tend to inhibit human development

> Valuing knowledge

> Our innate physical and emotional needs

> How the austic thinking style of governments ensures continual crisis

> Target Obsession Disorder

> Words that paralyse thought

> The lack of large, high quality organising ideas

> Thinking big intelligently

> The need for 'species thinking'

> When the dog owner does the barking

> Shedding responsibility but not authority

> The plague of experts who aren't

> Where does new knowledge come from?

> The human givens audit

> The leaders we need

> Saving the Human

> References