Are Humans inherently good?

[boxman]

Are people inherently good or is it a product of nurturing? What do you think?

[Capt Patch]

Most people, probably as high as 95% are indeed inherently good..... in my opinion. There is the odd one or two that are just plain evil (less than .5%) and the rest will have evil trust upon them through circumstances or opportunity like greed, hate, jealousy, fear or spite. Some of these are just plain too stupid to take the good opportunities presented to them in life and take the easy road to riches or whatever pushes their buttons. But I fear that more and more products of developed countries will take the easy rout as they have been brought up with the thinking of "get in first and grab as much as ye can while ye can before someone else does".

[silver spoon]

easy answer for now...when was the first homicide...yes..it was our old

mate Cain killing abel..why you say..because he was able.

I suppose some people have a genetic tendency towards evil...which can

be manifest in them especially when disasters break out..& then there is widespread looting..& killing, as law & order collapses..so if we had no law &

order..it would be interesting to see how many transgress..although it would be

terrible,in fact.Thats my little say for now...

[jeangenie]

I think there are a lot of good people out there but at the same time plenty of bad. There are a lot of things that make people do bad things drink, drugs, they way they where treated as kids but I also know people who where brought up by good people and turned out bad in the end due to who they hung around with. Sometimes it seems like there are more bad people out there when you read the papers or watch the news but if you look around you will see the good ones that are all around

[ginty]

I feel that most people on this forum were around during the 50s. If you were not I feel sorry for you. Yes, we had hard times, but we were thankful for small mercies. We respected our elders. We respected the police.[We got a smack around the ear if we did not.] As teenagers, us blokes all wore suits and ties, and the girls dressed very respectfully. Above all, we had manners. We had Mums and Dads who thought us those manners. Somewhere along the line the progress broke down. I have my theory on why it broke down but political corectness does not allow me to express it. Around the world , in civilised countries, people are moving into fenced in communities with security guards. I am going to be a pessimist and say, in the future, the good people will live in a prison and the bad people will live on the outside.

[Mykidsmom]

i agree rippo.....having experienced a step child within the family with RAD the question of good and evil comes up a lot believe me...and the big question is always nurture over nature.....and in the case of Rad well its nature at the very basic form....and time in a childs development..

[jeangenie]

I feel that most people on this forum were around during the 50s. If you were not I feel sorry for you. Yes, we had hard times, but we were thankful for small mercies. We respected our elders. We respected the police.[We got a smack around the ear if we did not.] As teenagers, us blokes all wore suits and ties, and the girls dressed very respectfully. Above all, we had manners. We had Mums and Dads who thought us those manners. Somewhere along the line the progress broke down. I have my theory on why it broke down but political corectness does not allow me to express it. Around the world , in civilised countries, people are moving into fenced in communities with security guards. I am going to be a pessimist and say, in the future, the good people will live in a prison and the bad people will live on the outside.

Ginty I was not around in the 50s but don't feel sorry for me. I think I was brought up right by my parents to have manners and to respect elders etc. Society has changed in many ways with different influences now to what was around back then. Hopefully the scenario you put up here with people living in gated communties will not come to pass for everyone. I do see it here as well but you also get the bad living in the gated communities as well.

[Rashers]

I feel that most people on this forum were around during the 50s. If you were not I feel sorry for you. Yes, we had hard times, but we were thankful for small mercies. We respected our elders. We respected the police.[We got a smack around the ear if we did not.] As teenagers, us blokes all wore suits and ties, and the girls dressed very respectfully. Above all, we had manners. We had Mums and Dads who thought us those manners. Somewhere along the line the progress broke down. I have my theory on why it broke down but political corectness does not allow me to express it. Around the world , in civilised countries, people are moving into fenced in communities with security guards. I am going to be a pessimist and say, in the future, the good people will live in a prison and the bad people will live on the outside.

Yep I was a '50s kid. I too have my feelings on the breakdown of good manners, but of course if I were to mention the work of a certain doctor who lived on the Howth Rd, I too would be considered to be not PC.

Perhaps someone else has an explanation as to why the respect for person and property is almost non existant now, in comparison to 50 years ago of course.

As we have seen (for instance newly discovered Native groups in foreign countries) peoples morals do not change of themselves -- they change according to the climate society builds around them... and who are the basis of society?

[Curious Girl]

Are people inherently good or is it a product of nurturing? What do you think?

Both. Some folks just have the misfortune to come from a terrible, unloving childhood, and some folks just turn out bad no matter what. The number of folks out there who equate success = greed exist, but they are not in the majority by far. Good thing is there's a limited number of the Bernie Madoff types to contend with.

Else, most of us are good as a product of environment & heredity.

[Mucker]

Are people inherently good or is it a product of nurturing? What do you think?

People are inherently good. It's the nurturing that turns them bad.

[cogito]

Is bad not the absence of 'the good' ??

[quinner]

good comes naturally....bad has to be planned

[cogito]

good comes naturally....bad has to be planned

By 'the bad' ?? Or can it be nurtured by others as Boxman asks ??

[Mucker]

Is bad not the absence of 'the good' ??

Is good the absence of bad?

[quinner]

By 'the bad' ?? Or can it be nurtured by others as Boxman asks ??

nurturing is planning