Here's a quick way to get a sense of what I mean when I say, with my theory about "the problem of power in social evolution" (in THE PARABLE OF THE TRIBES), that
1) The record of human history is NOT a reflection of the basic nature of human beings, and that therefore
2) We, humankind, should know that we have it in us to create a far more humane, just, viable and beautiful civilization than what we see in the world around us now.
Try this. Make a mental list of all the people who have played a major role in the history of, say, the last century. A list of such people should certainly include the likes of Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Saddam Hussein, Idi Amin, Pol Pot, etc. Monsters make up a non-trivial portion of the total list.
Now think about all the people you know at least reasonably well. How many of them are monsters? I'm betting that most people know no monsters. (Does anyone know, personally, as many as two monsters?)
The people we know are more or less representative of humankind generally. The people who are major figures in shaping history are clearly not composed in the same proportions.
The over-representation of monsters among the history-makers is something that, I'd maintain, THE PARABLE OF THE TRIBES explains. I've presented that idea elsewhere.*
But even without the explanation, the contrast between your two lists should serve to alert you: people are better than what history would suggest, and if that's true then it follows that --if we could solve the systemic problem that elevates a disproportionate number of monsters to positions to shape our world-- we as a species could re-shape our world in a far more Whole form.
*NOTE: The basic idea of THE PARABLE OF THE TRIBES can be found here:
(www.nonesoblind.org/blog/?p=520 Chapter One of THE PARABLE OF THE TRIBES
And more briefly in three parts at:
www.nonesoblind.org/blog/?p=11137) "A Breakthrough Unprecedented in the History of Life"
www.nonesoblind.org/blog/?p=11150) "The Circumstances from the Human Breakthrough Make the Struggle for Power Inevitable"
www.nonesoblind.org/blog/?p=11161) "Selection for the Ways of Power"