Is a good understanding of human nature necessary in order to write about people?

How can you possibly think otherwise? This is like asking if you need to understand math to write about nuclear physics.

caw

Um, writing stories - whether they're novels or short-stories - is about mapping the human heart and mind. So yeah. It is necessary to understand human nature. IMO.

Wow, I hope not. One of the reasons I am a novelist is because I generally find other people's motivations confusing...

You know, this is actually a really good question. My intial response was the same as those above 'of course!'

But then I thought about it some more, and you know what, I'm not sure now.

I mean, what about protags and narrators who DON'T understand people at all? I think that confusion and lack of understanding of human nature can create an environment that is foreign and frightening, so I'm a little torn now to be honest.

I think it is a little too focused because I think it is not just that you need to understand human nature but have an opinion on a vast swathe of philosophical topics.

And it is an opinon... not necessarily understanding. Understanding implies there is no mystery, you understand everything, whereas an opinion means you know what particular aspect of human nature you wish to discuss and you highlight that, presenting your ideas as fiction. Another author is free to have a completely different opinion to you about the same issue of human nature.

I agree that a writer needs to have some level of knowledge of philosophy and psychology in order to present characters with an adequete amount of depth.I would not say that they need to understand human nature because no one can claim that.

The protags and the antags can be as thick as logs and have the social skills of stink toads in a swamp, but IMO the writer needs to understand what drives the protag and the antag. So, the writer needs to understand human nature.

IceCreamEmpress said:

I generally find other people's motivations confusing...

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Ahhhhh, Grasshopper, so then you understand human nature very well.

caw

Maxinquaye said:

The protags and the antags can be as thick as logs and have the social skills of stink toads in a swamp, but IMO the writer needs to understand what drives the protag and the antag. So, the writer needs to understand human nature.

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Just what I was going to say.

I think all writers to an extent are amateur psychologists, some of us professionals.

That's probably the most fascinating thing I find writing in the Roman period, they have a completely different psychology to us. I was reading last night how a man who loved his wife too much was deemed 'effeminate,' which poses a problem for my MC because he has to balance his love for his wife with being a military man.

IceCreamEmpress said:

Wow, I hope not. One of the reasons I am a novelist is because I generally find other people's motivations confusing...

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I agree, and by writing we are trying to understand confusing behaviour. I'm never going to be able empathise with how it feels to be a psychopath or sociopath, but fiction is a way to gain a level of understanding.

You obviously don't have to know everything there is to know about people, but you need to possess some level of empathy and insight if you're going to create a range of believable characters. Otherwise your PoV characters in particular are all going to be clones of the author.

Yes, but you don't have to have a psychology degree, or even be intellectually aware that you know human nature. You just have to have empathy, to be able to consider how the world might look to a person who isn't you, and go from there.

The Backward OX said:

Does a psychopath (and to a lesser degree, a sociopath) even have feelings?

And could such a person write a novel?

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Now that's complex and interesting. Disclaimer: I am not an expert, nor a qualified psychologist, but in my psychology studies my understanding was that sociopaths and psychopaths have feelings- grief, anger, etc- but no empathy. They simply can't comprehend that other people may feel things too.They also don't see other people as people, they see them as things there to get the sociopath the things the sociopath wants- whether that's sex, power, or a new T.V.

Obviously, if I'm wrong, please correct me. It's an area of study that fascinates me and I'd like to learn as much as possible.

The Backward OX said:

Does a psychopath (and to a lesser degree, a sociopath) even have feelings?

And could such a person write a novel?

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Just because a person suffers from psychopathia doesn't make them a robot. They are unable to empathize with other people, society. That doesn't mean they have feelings. They still have hopes, dreams and ambitions.

A good example is American Psycho, particularly in the 'business card scene.'

We have an understanding of human nature from our very own existance, and our experiences of interacting with other people, over our lifetime - no matter what background we come from, surely? Add to that a writer's capacity to rely on a vivid imagination, to bring a good story to life.

^ I actually tend to agree with what Anne Lyle and Anninyn said, further up this page: I think the real issue is how much we are able to empathise and have insight that can give true depth to the characters we create in our stories.

I don't think anyone really understands human nature.

Writing, for me, is about unravelling the mystery. I don't ever assume to know human nature. I do, however, announce my love for it...and my need to whittle away at the perplexity of it.

JimmyB27 said:

I don't think anyone really understands human nature.

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what he said.

I don't think you need to understand human nature, but you do need to be curious about it.

I don't think anyone can understand human nature in a complete sense. There's always some element of motivation that eludes most of society. Personally, I think writing (and reading) helps to uncover more of those hidden corners of the human psyche.

Fiona said:

I think the real issue is how much we are able to empathise and have insight that can give true depth to the characters we create in our stories.

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KTC said:

Writing, for me, is about unravelling the mystery. I don't ever assume to know human nature. I do, however, announce my love for it...and my need to whittle away at the perplexity of it.

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I agree with both of these and think this is actually a really good question.

I am a pretty sympathetic/empathetic person, and there's a lot I "get" about human nature. But there is a lot more I don't know until I sort it all out through my writing.

I definitely believe that the writer has to understand his own characters' natures and motivations. You can't write a story about someone whose head you can't get inside...at least not a story that a reader will get lost in. And that's what we all want, right?

The Backward OX said:

So would you say that a person who lacks the ability to empathise would make a poor writer (of fiction)?

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Totally lacked the ability to empathize? Yes, I'd say they would make a poor writer of fiction.

Has difficulty empathizing? I think they could do it, but it would be harder for such a person than for somebody with more empathy.