Review of Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature
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Abi McCoy
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Review of Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature
[Following is a volunteer review of "Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature" by Chet Shupe.]
Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature by Chet Shupe is a work that explores the changes humans have gone through that have led to the loss of our true nature. Shupe states that the goal of this book is to make people aware of true human nature, as it originally was, before humans came under the constrains of modern society and laws. The law of life and human defiance of it under the modern paradigm is brought up often throughout the work, as is the statement that humanity is ruled by feelings and emotions rather than rationality. Through societal practices, including laws, humans today are in a state of emotional isolation, separated from our true nature, which causes a range of negative emotions and reactions. Through this work, Shupe hopes to challenge the modern perception of societal norms and bring humans back to what he believes is our original state of being.
There were several instances throughout the work where Shupe included helpful summaries of his points. On page 21, he lists the juxtaposition of how the civilized world is manifested compared to how the natural world is manifested. Similarly, in the back of the work, there are tables included comparing spiritually based reality versus legally imposed reality. Following that is a glossary defining commonly used terms throughout the book. These were all helpful in digesting the information provided in this book. I think Shupe also correctly identified several of the negative aspects that exist in modern society as well as their opposites that should be practiced instead.
Shupe made many large claims in this work that are hard (or impossible) to prove; for example, he stated that a return to original human nature would result in the complete absence of domestic violence and suicide. He didn’t provide any hard evidence to back up this claim; it would have been better if the bold statements such as this were worded more as hypotheses rather than truths. I also felt that the last chapter concerning the coronavirus pandemic was misrepresentative of what has actually been happening. It was whitewashed and falsely optimistic compared to true events. His statement that the pandemic has strengthened the “we’re all in this together” mentality is false – it doesn’t explain many events and the divisiveness that has occurred surrounding this pandemic. Including this chapter drastically weakened the argument he was trying to make in this work.
There was a lot of repetition throughout the book and even within the same chapter. It seemed as if a quarter or more of this work could have been pared down due to repetition. The author also overused commas. Though there were very few actual errors in the work, I believe it could use some additional editing to address these two issues.
Overall, I give this work a 2 out of 4 stars rating. The topic the author is addressing is fascinating, but more often than not he wrote in circles and was repetitive rather than supplying new information or ideas. I also felt that the last chapter concerning the ongoing pandemic detracted from the argument he was trying to make. I wouldn’t recommend this work to traditional or devout Christians who prefer not to read about opposing beliefs. I would recommend the work to anyone interested in psychology, philosophy, human behavior, and the way modern society may or may not have affected human nature.
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Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature by Chet Shupe is a work that explores the changes humans have gone through that have led to the loss of our true nature. Shupe states that the goal of this book is to make people aware of true human nature, as it originally was, before humans came under the constrains of modern society and laws. The law of life and human defiance of it under the modern paradigm is brought up often throughout the work, as is the statement that humanity is ruled by feelings and emotions rather than rationality. Through societal practices, including laws, humans today are in a state of emotional isolation, separated from our true nature, which causes a range of negative emotions and reactions. Through this work, Shupe hopes to challenge the modern perception of societal norms and bring humans back to what he believes is our original state of being.
There were several instances throughout the work where Shupe included helpful summaries of his points. On page 21, he lists the juxtaposition of how the civilized world is manifested compared to how the natural world is manifested. Similarly, in the back of the work, there are tables included comparing spiritually based reality versus legally imposed reality. Following that is a glossary defining commonly used terms throughout the book. These were all helpful in digesting the information provided in this book. I think Shupe also correctly identified several of the negative aspects that exist in modern society as well as their opposites that should be practiced instead.
Shupe made many large claims in this work that are hard (or impossible) to prove; for example, he stated that a return to original human nature would result in the complete absence of domestic violence and suicide. He didn’t provide any hard evidence to back up this claim; it would have been better if the bold statements such as this were worded more as hypotheses rather than truths. I also felt that the last chapter concerning the coronavirus pandemic was misrepresentative of what has actually been happening. It was whitewashed and falsely optimistic compared to true events. His statement that the pandemic has strengthened the “we’re all in this together” mentality is false – it doesn’t explain many events and the divisiveness that has occurred surrounding this pandemic. Including this chapter drastically weakened the argument he was trying to make in this work.
There was a lot of repetition throughout the book and even within the same chapter. It seemed as if a quarter or more of this work could have been pared down due to repetition. The author also overused commas. Though there were very few actual errors in the work, I believe it could use some additional editing to address these two issues.
Overall, I give this work a 2 out of 4 stars rating. The topic the author is addressing is fascinating, but more often than not he wrote in circles and was repetitive rather than supplying new information or ideas. I also felt that the last chapter concerning the ongoing pandemic detracted from the argument he was trying to make. I wouldn’t recommend this work to traditional or devout Christians who prefer not to read about opposing beliefs. I would recommend the work to anyone interested in psychology, philosophy, human behavior, and the way modern society may or may not have affected human nature.
******
Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Scrolls of the Bonefairy Castle by David Spiegel
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Rm21
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this doesn't sound like a book for me. it seems like the author bit off more than he could chew with this book and wasn't able to back up a lot of what he was talking about.
