"At times the world can seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe us when we say there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough.* And what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events, may, in fact, be the first steps of a journey." I really like that quote and I think it's true. ^ ^
I think that people aren't black or white. They have both good and bad to them, therefore, humanity is going to run the same spectrum. What's important to note though is that our perception is going to change with the times. Homosexuality used to be considered evil, slavery used to not be considered evil. What is going to make life satisfying and happy is to not focus too hard on labeling everything as "good" or "bad". Instead, focus on what is meaningful. There are always going to be people who are downright awful and will never change. It's a sad fact. But that doesn't give us any right to give up or to turn bitter. Instead of focusing on the bad parts, we should try to make every day matter. Because whether the world is "bad" or "good" doesn't matter in the least bit. If we don't try and change the world and its perceptions, then it's going to be "bad" forever. Before you can get rid of the negative, you have to accept that there is positive and it's alive in everyone to some degree.
Yes, I believe people are inherently good. Why? Because of the society that they grow up in. The way that someone is raised has the largest effect, in my opinion, on whether they'll be "good" or "bad" in society's eyes. The way that our society functions is aimed to raise people to be good, and so most people are good. If society changed and people were influenced at a young age to be bad, I think people would be mostly "bad." Honestly, this raises another question - What is "good"? Is good what benefits the most people? Is good doing what you're told to? Or is good just what the majority of people believe is good? I've always love the "Inherently good or bad?" discussion.
I think the majority of people are neither inherently good or bad; they are capable of doing good and bad things. However, there are exceptions.
I think people are corrupted by certain undesirable elements of society (or genetics). From what I can see, most people are either selfish, or trying to do the right thing. Selfishness will lead to things like fucking people out of money and such things, or fail to act against injustice. I have very little patience or respect for these people. But I do recognise that they are effectively behaving in the way they do because of what society, their experiences etc have made them. I also believe they are capable of change. I suppose the refusal to act against injustice is one of the biggest problems with most people. Just about every problem on the planet would be solved if people would only stop turning away. That brings me onto type two. Those who believe they are doing good. Morality is pretty hard to objectively pin down. Most people have small differences in their morality, and sometimes this can be pretty large. I hate to say it, but sometimes, the people who do the worst things think they're right. Now, obviously, that doesn't justify allowing them to continue. But it does make me think about what might cause these different views of morality. Of course, this category includes those who are actually doing good from my point of view. Category three is evil people. Occasionally, they do exist. So, what I'm basically trying to say is that I do believe human nature is mostly good, but that it is often (somewhat reversibly) corrupted.
I think people are inherently evil, and they do things considered "good" because it suits them, even when they don't realize it. For example, i think people donate things because it makes them feel good. Peraphs this is too pessimistic? But i really don't have faith in humanity.
I don't believe in good or evil...there are just people. They do a lot of harm; they do a lot of good. Just like any one person, whether we'll do more of one than the other is a matter for history to decide, after we're no longer around. Hopefully that'll take more than another 100 years...but that's not as clear-cut as it seemed 100 years ago.
I believe in the goodness of humanity and many individuals to be honorable and good but there are some people who are inherently evil for a lack of a better term.
I think that the majority of people tries to be as good as they can, but everyone has their own instincts to always put oneself before others. Though I also believe a lot of people have successfully fought that instinct and have learned to put others before themselves. It's a lesson you learn as you live your life, but some people just don't seem to learn it. So, basically, people are born selfish, but through life they become it less and less.
Except for those who become it more and more. Oh, and those who don't start out selfish to begin with.
I think people are inherently good. Sure we has humanity have done some horrible, upon horrible things, but that does not mean that all of humanity is bad. We have to take the good with the bad, but I do think that we are more good than bad.
