Human beings today are faced with challenges unlike any in our history. Our behavior in the near future will probably determine not only whether we continue to thrive on this planet, but whether many other species do so as well. How did we get into this fix? Can we, as a society, make the decisions necessary to create a positive outcome? This long essay addresses these questions, coming to the conclusion that a particular combination of innate human attributes provides reason for optimism. To make this argument involves integrating material from a number of disciplines.