Since I talked about it ad infinitum, my own best explanation for human shittiness is that we’re pack animals who belong to too many packs. And then those packs belong to other, super-packs. And it’s hell trying to negotiate all that.

Before our species made that turn, aggression was rare and necessary when it happened, yet it rarely turned into out and out violence. (Stealing from Mary Midgley there.) We’re just not equipped to deal well with being in more than one pack. Our natural instincts, which work well inside the pack, quickly go bad once we start adding packs. We’re just good enough at it to do it badly.

But those same natural instincts move us toward good too. Compassion and healing are pack values. They can take place outside the pack too, but with the same limitations.

That’s the short version. And I haven’t shared how that rings true to my story, so I won’t give myself any points for that.