Are People Inherently Good?

Everyone is capable of being good. But the question you should be asking is if that’s their desire. People are capable of anything. They can also be very tempted by their bad side or their risk-taking side, which can be brought out by others. Some people have a lower tolerance for temptation which makes it easier for them to do what other people say. Such people are also known as followers. They can be tempted by bad things while trying to do the right thing. Each person’s personality can affect everyone around them. People’s cores can be fundamentally good but they could be tempted or affected by others.

Using and teaching these adverse techniques make it more difficult for the individual, or individuals, to comprehend, learn, and establish the understanding of what is right and wrong. In theory, teaching others to make the wrong decisions instead of more acceptable decisions does not better the future of those persons. It adds to the confusion and the increase of the epidemic of widespread crime affecting millions of people throughout the United States.

A straightforward question. Are humans naturally good or evil? A simple question that has many of different answers and a question that may require deep thinking. For me, both sides I was drawn to. My household is christian, so I thought of the religious answer, but I also thought that people are born good and their environment and decisions can cause them to be evil. This is what I came up with.

I do not believe that people are born bad. I think that the reason why some people become bad is because of what they have gone through. The “bad” people do not know how to deal with what they have experienced, so they let it change them into someone different. They react to things differently than the “good” people, and to the “good” people their reactions are considered “terrible” or “bad,” when it is really like an instinct to them now. The people who do not do “bad things” believe that they do nothing bad. Religiously speaking, the smallest thing you wouldn’t think is a sin, is a sin. To sum it up everyone sins, it’s just that some people commit sins that are worse than others.

Are humans inherently good or evil? The simple question has been asked many times, even though the answer isn't so simple. In William Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies, he further explores the concept. His novel is viewed through young boys trapped on a deserted island, striving to survive. In The Most Dangerous Game, Richard Connell investigates influences and integrity. In non-fiction texts, like "Why Boys Become Vicious" also by William Golding, the author defends his position and gives specific examples to support his stance. In other non-fiction works, authors have given their own views of human's natural behavior. Although some authors believe humans are good and others believe they are inherently evil, based on the evidence humans are born balance with both good and evil. Different situations however, shape their behavior and cause them to be either more good or evil.

Since the beginning of time there has been confusion about every aspect of life and with confusion comes a number of questions we cannot completely answer or forget. How did we transform from one creature to another? Why are people so violent? Are we inherently good or evil? These are questions that have been asked for centuries, and have taken ever longer to possibly answer. It might be numerous decades from now before they finally answer these questions but, nevertheless many people are trying by using evidence, theories, faith, and science to answer these questions as accurately as possible. Mainly the question about whether we are innately innocent or not. Most people, say humans are inherently evil, that there is evil in all of us. That could be the reason why kids enjoy watching ants succumb when they burn them with reflected rays of sunlight. However, many believe that we are born good with a clean slate and that it is society of whom changes that. I believe that we are born sinful/evil and that society influence us to be good. The facts have proven humans to be innately evil through genetics, control, and mistreatment.

Thanks Alicia, I appreciate your thoughtful and informative response to my post. I'm sorry if you found the term “mid level provider” offensive. I honestly, hadn't viewed the term as derogatory until you shed light on the origin and true meaning. I also, believe most people are inherently good, however as you stated there are those few that discredit this notion. Yes, I have dealt with situations in my nursing career that made me question another individual’s integrity. I have no issue confronting another provider or peer if I discovered unsafe or unethical practices within the

No one is born good or evil; it is one's environment and the people they encounter in life which makes them good or evil. A lot of time it is not the individual's fault of the way they are, they might have seen so many bad doings that, they are use to it and might think that it is right. One is not born with a vision of knowing what is wrong and what is right in life, but learns when something happens to

“We need to teach the next generation of children from day one that they are responsible for their lives. Mankind’s greatest gift, also its greatest curse, is that we have free choice. We can make our choices built from love or from fear.” -Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

For example, if a child has thrown an object at his parent or hits a parent out of anger, the child would receive a spanking without receiving an explainnation of what he did wrong. Then child would not learn that it is wrong to throw things or hit at people. This would lead to the child repeating the behavior again.

or do not guide their children, the children may not learn right from wrong themselves. The child may

Would these people be considered evil and if so how did they become this way? Were they born this was or was it some sort of external forces that led them to become evil? Well according to Hsun Tao, another Chinese philosopher, humans were born of an evil nature and with some sort of guidance from a teacher could learn to become good. He believed that what is natural to human beings is desire and desire inevitably leads to conflict; since this is evil then so is the nature the results within. Yet referring back to the young child and well example, why would most people do the right thing? Is it because they are taught to be good again is it something that is deeper? However, another Chinese philosopher, Kao Tzu, beleived that human nature is neither inherently good nor inherently evil but rather a "blank slate" that could be conditioned in both directions. When an individual is born he/she has no ideas or preexisting behaviors but that through life experiences and external forces, such as family and friends, that influence ones human nature. Or according to John Locke "the mind at birth is a blank white sheet of paper on which experience writes."

Are humans inherently good or evil? Wilfred Owen thesis on human nature, in his poem ‘’Dulce Et Decorum Est’’, is about that humans inhere of the brutality of war which compose them naturally wicked. In other words, through the author’s experiences during the war, he demonstrates the savagery of war. For instance, in his second stanza, he develops a background of a tough war, using words as ''GAS! Gas! Quick, Boys!'' referring to a brutal war situation. Wilfred Owen’s views relate to Thomas Hobbes’ views, because they have the same perspective of human nature, nevertheless, Hobbes felt that the natural condition of man was similar to being as a monster. Also, they determine, if you have borne with evilness, you will always be evil. Wilfred Owen resembles Hobbes because they have the same idea over human nature; we are related to animals, we have not control over ourselves, such as a beast.

Here are my thoughts on if human nature is naturally good or bad. My first point is that i believe human nature is inherently good. Also, one reason for this is that humans will depend on others to progress and produce in society, therefore humans should always try to be good to each other. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde it says “his friendships seemed to be founded in good nature”.

Summarily if bad morals and values are taught then the child could learn this as well. For example, if a child sees a violent parent then this child is most likely to become violent as well. As children grow, they are most likely to interact with other people and make friends. Friends also contribute greatly to who we become. This is especially evident amongst teenagers who greatly concern themselves with fitting in and as a result, they would easily lose their identity and adopt a new one to fit in amongst peers. With time, the teenager becomes a completely new person.