In the current day and age, there is more cynicism than trust. More often than not, we expect the worst from people. This is propagated by the entertainment industry too. Post-apocalyptic movies and series show people losing sight of their humanity and giving in to their darker sides.

In times like these, this real-life Lord of the Flies story as described by the Dutch historian, Rutger Bregman, is a testament to how compassion and humanity can thrive in the most hopeless of situations. A group of 6 runaway teenage students, stranded on a deserted island for 15 months, leveraged friendship and mutual support to survive through thirst, starvation and loneliness.

When I read the story, my first reaction was incredulity. If not for the unimpeachable source of the information, I would have assumed that this was some wishful fairytale fabricated by an idealist. Later, when I questioned why I found it so hard to believe, I realised the depth of my own cynicism. I found it more believable that humans would tear each other apart than that they would work together. This is truly a sad state of mind to be in.

If a group of teenagers could learn to lean on each other in the most adverse circumstances, we no longer have an excuse for not fixing the fragmented society we live in today. These kids have proven that we can always find ways to be more tolerant, humane and kind to one another.