World War II showed the worst of human nature, as portrayed by Locke & Wright in their book “The American Yawp”. From the first-time humans settled in the United States to the recent past, it can be noted that no single event led to more loss of life and destruction of property as the World War II did. In “The American Yawp”, the estimate is that about eight million human beings lost their lives with most casualties being in the form of genocide, mass bombings, disease, and starvation. Many more people lost their livelihoods by losing their loved ones, some getting paralyzed, and lost of property.
The weapons of mass destruction used showed the worst that industrialization could achieve if used for the wrong ends. Science, a field that had been revered for saving lives, was now being used to take it and in masses. The Large scale Massacre of Jews in the Nazi secret chambers was showed the worst side of human nature. Narcissism, which is an inflated sense of self-importance, was predominant in this period as people of different races felt more important than others. Atomic bombs and other sophisticated weaponry made and used during World War II not only put the entire humanity at risk of wiping itself out, but also all other living organisms, including trees. Never before or after has such a state of terror being experienced in the world.
World War II showed clearly the worst humans could do when an aggressive drive and instinct for destruction comes out. It clearly showed an animal instinct for survival in humans being when it comes to survival. The survival for the fittest theory exhibited by Charles Darwin showed that the fittest in war could mean one who would kill more people. Dominance which most of the countries wanted from the war lead to them paying a huge price in loss of lives, livelihoods, and destruction. It also helped future generations know what humans could do if fully triggered towards aggression, and somewhat brought peace in the years after.
