Who said humans are inherently good

As I finish up my first year of college, I want to remember this lesson and let it influence how I see the world and how I see myself. Regardless of whether we are inherently good or bad, we have a potential for good. Megumi Tamura is a first-year in the Gateway Program. She is originally from Ridgewood, New Jersey, and enjoys going to museums, watching political debates and eating Jersey bagels.

She can be reached at [email protected] or megtamura on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

We see them as the enemy. When we label people, we lose the opportunity to address the causes of their actions. Hate, bigotry, and desperation seed more violence. That is why the first casualty of all wars is truth. Two wolves are fighting inside your mind to see which will take over. One is full of anger, greed, resentment, and doubt. The other wolf is full of joy, compassion, kindness, and clarity.

The one you feed the most. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

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Is the Human Nature Good or Evil? Share On. By Gustavo Razzetti June 26, So, are we born with a moral compass? Or do we develop it as we grow?

In the history of psychology, many landmark studies have revolutionized the conceptualization of evil by providing evidence that normal well functioning individuals can, and will, act in ways that are evil.

Studies such as the Milgram experiment, the Stanford Prison Experiment, and the BBC prison study lend themselves to the idea that man will turn toward evil under the right conditions. Therefore, man is controlled to some degree by the environment. Moreover, that environment can make the average good man or good woman act in evil ways.

In conclusion, as stated, what is responsible for evil? The environment, the situation, the conditions, and the pressures found therein. If evil is a product of the environment it seems reasonable to assume that if one understands how evil is created it can be decreased and instead good can be promoted; this is the exact position that Staub takes.

The media worships wealth and power, and sometimes launches furious attacks on people who behave altruistically. I note with interest the platform given to people who speak and write as if they are psychopaths.

The effects of an undue pessimism about human nature are momentous. Interestingly, and alarmingly for people of my political persuasion, it also discovered that liberals tend to possess a dimmer view of other people than conservatives do. Do you want to grow the electorate? Do you want progressive politics to flourish? Then spread the word that other people are broadly well-intentioned.

Misanthropy grants a free pass to the grasping, power-mad minority who tend to dominate our political systems. If only we knew how unusual they are, we might be more inclined to shun them and seek better leaders. It contributes to the real danger we confront: not a general selfishness, but a general passivity.

Billions of decent people tut and shake their heads as the world burns, immobilised by the conviction that no one else cares. This article is more than 6 years old.