The Laws of Human Nature

Greene explores the deep psychological forces that drive human behavior, revealing how unconscious impulses, biases, and desires shape decision-making, often leading individuals toward self-deception, irrationality, and destructive patterns. Specifically, Greene argues that human nature lies at the center of some of humanity’s most confounding and troubling behaviors. In financial bubbles like the South Sea bubble, people become drawn in by the promise of large sums of money. Greene explains that humans are wired to focus on the present moment, and so in situations like a financial bubble, they “are no longer aware of why or how things come about” and “no longer give thought to the possible consequences of anything we set in motion” (158). People are drawn by the idea of instant gratification, which has only worsened since the emergence of the internet. The rise of social media, fast-paced stock trading, and instant access to financial speculation have heightened impulsive decision-making, reinforcing humanity’s tendency to chase immediate rewards without considering long-term effects. This reflects a core truth of Greene’s work—human nature does not fundamentally change, but external factors can amplify its most reckless tendencies.

The complex psychology of human behavior is also present in historical and contemporary events of people who seemed decent and good, but who later revealed strong, dark sides.