humanist.com

A modern humanism

Less suffering,starting with yours.

A humanist mindset to live by: calmer inside, kinder to the people around you, and a little light for them on a hard day. The cycle starts with you.

▶ Start here: a one-minute film (1:05)The eight principles

The formulation

Eight principles for now

What each one does for you, in a line. Each rests on Andrew Conru’s own words, and most come with a one-minute film.

  1. 01 Reduce suffering. That’s the rule.“There is only one primary rule in Humanism: try to advance Goodness by increasing well-being and reducing suffering.”For you: One plain test for hard choices, so you spend less time agonizing. Film 1 · 1:08
  2. 02 Good without anyone watching.“Remember being told “be nice to others” without also being told “because a god will punish you if you’re not”? That worked on your instinctive empathy, not your fear of damnation.”For you: Goodness you don’t have to perform is quieter, and much lighter to carry. Film 2 · 1:21
  3. 03 You are not your thoughts. Heal yourself first.“Guilt is your informer, not your prison guard.”For you: The harsh voice in your head loses its authority. Less anxiety, more room to think. Film 3 · 1:05
  4. 04 Dehumanization begets dehumanization.“We now dehumanize by default; there often has to be a reason not to dehumanize someone!”For you: Fewer fights that follow you home. Film 4 · 0:55
  5. 05 Nobody is “just another” anything.“Nobody is “just another cop,” “just another Christian,” or “just another” anything.”For you: Strangers stop feeling like threats, and the world gets less hostile. Film 5 · 1:15
  6. 06 Civility is a weapon.“Civil discourse is not yielding a position, it’s wielding a weapon!”For you: You keep your calm, and you change minds instead of just winning the room. Film 6 · 1:12
  7. 07 Forgiveness is for the forgiver. Redemption has to be possible.“Refusing to allow redemption without due consideration is an act of dehumanization.”For you: You stop replaying the same hurt at 2 a.m. Film 7 · 1:01
  8. 08 The algorithm and the human.“Their business rewards everyone dehumanizing everyone else, because their real product is our attention.”For you: Your attention back, and your evenings with it. Film 8 · 1:06

All eight, with the films and examples from today   All the films

Where this came from

The polarization project

For years, Andrew Conru ran two big online communities on the same software, one leaning left and one leaning right, and tried to get them to talk to each other. Political dialogue alone was too hard. What he learned is underneath these principles: take away the fear, and people on every side want the same things, beauty, truth and love.

Read the origin storyBeauty, Truth, LoveAll the films

agnostic.com in 2019 slug.com in 2021

And out there

The internet learned to turn people into teams. humanist.com does the opposite: it helps people rehumanize each other.

“The algorithm can prioritize anything, and right now it’s not prioritized for your benefit.” Andrew Conru

Why this exists   The origin story

The bigger picture, in a minute and a half. Narrated with an AI voice of Andrew.

“We now dehumanize by default; there often has to be a reason not to dehumanize someone!”

From A Short Introduction to Humanism

The long version

The essays

  1. A Short Introduction to Humanism

    Online life trains us to dehumanize by default. Humanism is the antidote: a reason-based morality built on reducing suffering and seeing opponents as people again.

    13 min

  2. Where Does Our Morality Come From?

    Every religion claims to own morality, yet kindness is older than any scripture. Here's where Good really comes from, and the line Humanism draws.

    4 min

  3. Agnostics, Atheists, Humanists and Extremists

    You're probably agnostic, atheist, and Humanist all at once. Here's what each label means, and why a Humanist's real opposite is a Social Extremist.

    6 min

  4. Humanist Forgiveness and Redemption

    Christianity gets forgiveness right. Here's a Humanist way to apologize, forgive, and earn your way back, without a preacher to declare you redeemed.

    12 min

  5. How to Be Civil While Having Impact Today

    Being civil isn't being nice. It's the move your opponent never sees coming, and it wins the arguments that rage and zingers can't.

    12 min

  6. Self-Dehumanization and Dehumanization Cycles

    Your guilt isn't proof you're bad; it's proof you're good, and learning to treat yourself like a friend can break the Dehumanization Cycle.

    7 min

  7. Humanism and Social Justice

    Fighting injustice is Humanism in action, but you'll win more, and suffer less, by humanizing the people you're fighting, even your uncle at Thanksgiving.

    7 min

  8. Humanism and Environmentalism

    Why Humanists refuse to choose between a family's heat tonight and a livable planet for their grandchildren, and how cheap, clean energy delivers both.

    3 min