I keep wondering what’s wrong with humans.

The question matters.

Any judgment about how to manage our species depends on this assumption. If man is good deep down, we must find out why we misbehave and see what we can do about it. If we’re bad deep down, we must be herded and restrained. Rousseau is associated with the first of these assumptions, Hobbes with the second, but it’s not that simple.

That something is amiss with humans seems proven by the evidence. Read the headlines. We lie, cheat, steal, engage in unnecessary wars, poison our environment, abuse one another – and we’re not self-correcting.

America’s Founders assumed we would learn from our mistakes. Together, we would make our imperfect union more perfect. Materialists reached a similar conclusion by a different road: “better things for better living” would make a paradise of earth. Christianity, by contrast, was pessimistic about our prospects. Sinners, we needed saving, which was not assured. The end of this world was nigh. Tyrants, too, take a dim view of those they govern. People, to them, are a necessary evil. We must be programmed, controlled, forced to comply: no variations welcome.

I think what’s wrong with humans is what made us successful. Without rival, humans are the most successful species known. We emerged from the scrum of evolution to dominate our planet. Our wits were our weapon. All creatures have intelligence, enough to adjust to circumstances and survive. Only humans know how to progress and not just evolve. We imagine, invent, experiment, at a rate of innovation which accelerates so fast that one generation can barely comprehend the next.

Innovation, though, as many are beginning to notice, does not lead inevitably to improvement. There’s a reason why, in more educated countries (which we airily label “advanced”), birth rates are declining. The future doesn’t look so promising, so let’s skip it. The corrosion of our climate shocks any disinterested observer yet we persist in our contamination. The battle over AI, just beginning, pits smart against wise. Americans’ addiction to lethal weaponry is head-scratching.

If we’re so smart, some wonder, why aren’t we happier?

Our defect is individualism. Humans don’t perceive humanity as a unity, each responsible for the betterment of all. We’re eight billion individuals, each competing for ourselves. As we grow more numerous and capable, we get cleverer at competing. Individuals can vanquish multitudes and cripple nations – can and do. The rich can grow incalculably richer by pilfering the poor – can and do. We disregard or discount the cost of our competition in our zeal to prevail.

We will destroy ourselves – unless a galactic mishap comes first: whether next year or millennia hence, it’s only a matter of time. We will know better – we will observe our decadence with horror – but that won’t stop us. Our competitive instinct will always overwhelm our communal. As T.S. Eliot put it, “After such knowledge, what forgiveness?”

What can we do to arrest our self-destruction? Whatever we can – i.e., not much. We’re goners eventually. But perhaps, if we get together, we can defer our demise for a generation or two. Risk-reduction’s no rescue but it’s better than nothing. One can hope that this smart species will get smart enough to save ourselves – but I wouldn’t bet on it.

I am hardly immune to the human defect. I’m competitive as all get-out, only I aim toward a different prize than money or power. I mean to write like an angel, to earn the respect of those I respect, even your affection. That’s crazy, I concede, ludicrous really, but it’s a contest I enjoy.