Lord of the Flies: A Harmful Distortion of Children's Nature
The article challenges the widely held belief that children inevitably descend into chaos without adult supervision, as depicted in William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies. It presents a real-life case of boys stranded on a deserted island who cooperated, maintained order, and survived for 15 months. The author argues that children, when faced with survival situations, are more likely to collaborate than to turn violent.
- ▪Lord of the Flies is a work of fiction that has been misinterpreted as an accurate portrayal of children's behavior without adult supervision.
- ▪In 1965, a group of Tongan schoolboys survived for 15 months on an uninhabited island by cooperating, creating a fire, gardening, and caring for one another.
- ▪The boys resolved conflicts peacefully, maintained health and morale, and were in excellent condition when rescued, contrary to the novel's violent narrative.
- ▪Historian Rutger Bregman uncovered the true story and highlighted it in his book Humankind as evidence of human cooperation.
- ▪The article emphasizes that real children in survival situations tend to cooperate, and brutality among children is typically influenced by adult provocation.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
#114. Lord of the Flies: A Harmful Distortion of Children’s NatureSometimes a fiction is repeated so often that people believe it’s true.Peter GrayMay 16, 202639125ShareDear friends,Play Makes Us Human is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.SubscribeNetflix is airing a 4-part “Lord of the Flies” series based, of course, on William Golding’s classic 1954 novel by that name. It strikes me, therefore, that this would be a good time to re-post an essay about Golding and his famous novel that I posted originally on my Psychology Today blog nearly 6 years ago.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Hacker News (Newest).
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