The 55 Best Books on Human Nature

The School of Athens by Raphael

“If I had to say what the primary law of human nature is, it is to deny that we are subject to these forces. We think, I’m not irrational, I’m not aggressive, I don’t feel envy, I’m not a narcissist. It’s always the other side… they’re the ones who are irrational and aggressive. Me? No.” — Robert Greene

Psychology

1. The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker
2. The School of Life: An Emotional Education by Alain de Botton
3. Modern Man in Search of a Soul by Carl Jung
4. Understanding Human Nature by Alfred Adler
5. The Evolution of Desire by David Buss
6. On Confidence by The School of Life
7. Mindset by Carol Dweck
8. On Becoming a Person by Carl Rogers.
9. A Way of Being by Carl Rogers
10. The Science of Living by Alfred Adler
11. Influence by Robert Cialdini
12. Pre-Suasion by Robert Cialdini

Philosophy

1. The Great Conversation by Norman Melchert
2. The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene
3. The Daily Laws by Robert Greene
4. The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
5. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
6. The True Believer by Eric Hoffer
7. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
8. Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker
9. The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker

Literature

1. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
2. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
3. Notes From Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky
4. 1984 by George Orwell
5. The Old Testament
6. The New Testament
7. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
8. After Hours by Haruki Murakami
9. Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow
10. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
11. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
12. The Red Book by Carl Jung

Mindset

1. The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt
2. The Coddling of the American Mind by Jonathan Haidt
3. The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt
4. A Billion Wicked Thoughts by Sai Gaddam
5. The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi
6. Courage by Osho
7. Lying by Sam Harris
8. The Like Switch by Jack Schafer

Movies and Videos

1. Shutter Island (2010) directed by Martin Scorsese
2. Crumb (1994) Documentary
3. David Choe on Joe Rogan Podcast (2020)
4. The Tragic Story of Junko Furuta by Hailey Elizabeth (2022)

Courses and Lectures

1. Discovering Personality (paid) by Jordan Peterson
2. Personality and its Transformation (2017) by Jordan Peterson
3. Human Behavioral Biology (2010) by Robert Sapolsky
4. The Psychological Significance of the Biblical Stories by Jordan Peterson
5. Maps of Meaning (2017) by Jordan Peterson
6. Hardcore History (paid) by Dan Carlin
7. Charisma University (paid) by Charisma on Command

Articles

1. Tough Love by Theodore Dalrymple
2. The Frivolity of Evil by Theodore Dalrymple
3. The Rush from Judgment by Theodore Dalrymple
4. “It’s Your Fault I Killed.” by Theodore Dalrymple
5. Dares, Costly Signals, and Psychopaths by Sarah Perry
6. A Message to the 21st Century by Isaiah Berlin

Tests

1. Big Five personality traits test
2. Intelligence quotient (IQ) test