Why are American so pessimistic about human nature?

Question

When you ask if there can be peace in the world they say no "because humans have always been violent and they always will be"!!! I see greater positive outlook among people of the third world who are actually dying due to proxy wars and real wars funded by various first world countries. They say 'one day there will be peace and that we will all learn with mutual understanding some day"!

Why??

Is it to do with the Bible and belief in original sin?

Is it to do with the fact that Westerners actually think violence is the only way to survive? Is it a core belief that inorder to survive you have to dominate and kill?

and look at this most people still hold on to this "if we dont kill others will kill us"!! like it were gods word! Even when u say it so direct it does not cut much ice!!!

Answer 1

Admittedly i am surprised by a lot of the answers. I live in the US and I don't get that impression at all. Perhaps it has more to do with who you associate with than the general belief. I am optimistic about things and thus my network of friends and associates also tend to be, and so most of the people I hear speaking about peace are optimistic that its very possible. I am certain negative people also attract negative people in the same manner.

As a side note, to the one who commented on being a realist, my Dad used to always say the same thing...he eventually realized that a realist is merely a pessimist in denial. You either see things as positive or negative...in fact its even condescending to suggest your perception (as a realist) is the true way things are. Its all relative, things just are how we perceive them, whether it be positive or negative.

Answer 2

I think if you study human history, and then study the people you meet every day, you can't help but be somewhat pessimistic. How is it possible, that we walk in space, but still kill one another for food, water, and land? Because of all we've achieved, Americans see that contrast in spades.

You inevitably draw the conclusion that humans haven't changed much. The tools have gotten better. We learn to play with computers from childhood, rather than rocks or Lincoln logs. But even the most technologically advanced human will still demonstrate traits that have been our undoing since the dawn of recorded human history. It's disheartening.

Yes, it's partially due to the teaching of the dominant religions in today's world. They teach separatism and elitism, in the guise of a loving God, doctrine backed by governments with today's world-ending weapons.

But, because we have such a wealthy society, we have more poets, artists and dreamers. We have more people than ever before who believe that a violence-free future is possible. They write about it, sing about it, make movies and TV shows about it, work toward it in the way that they live their lives. And, little by little, they, and those who believe as they do, make that future more possible. I see a few of them on Yahoo Answers, every day.

Dreams are America's one truly great contibution to the world, I think. You're wrong to say that we have no positive outlook. We're so new, barely out of our infancy as a country. We've won our way through violence to date, right or wrong. Nothing we've tried has been a total loss yet (Iraq may be the exception) and we've had some spectacular successes. We don't give up. When/if we decide to try our hand at world peace, sans violence, who knows what will happen?

Answer 3

What you are talking about is not an American citizen's belief , but our current government position. That's because our "leader" is an idiot who has been influenced by a core group of New World Order neocons , who would like nothing better than to de--populate the earth by about 80 percent.

The majority of people in this country are reasonable and decent , while our current government are evil and corrupt nut-balls.

Please don't assume that we believe what our administration says!

Answer 4

Humans by nature are predatorial creatures. We are also territorial. Two things that are good fuel for fights (or wars, in this case).

I don't think that it's only Americans that are pessimistic. I would like to think that we all could one day live in peace, and that everyone would welcome as opposed to shun others differences. Unfortunately there are people in the world that think they must rule in absolute (rule the world with their views/religions/beliefs, etc). They feel that there is no room for other beliefs. And they won't be happy until it is true. As long as people like that exist, there will never be peace. It's sad, really. . .

Answer 5

Hey john u do have a point, but I must disagree on the part that it is only government that thinks this way, afterall the people did elect them to do their job. Read a survey and you'll find out how many people actually believe it.

Answer 6

The World is divided between haves and have nots. The struggle between these two groups will cause violence.

Answer 7

Hobbes- "existence interior the state of nature is solitary, unfavourable, nasty, brutish and short. human beings are born undesirable and not strengthen. they choose a large strict-even repressive-government. Locke- anybody is obviously good. government's activity is to guard organic human rights: existence, liberty, assets. Rousseau- anybody is obviously undesirable. human beings can strengthen. anybody is born loose yet are ruled via the "wide-unfold will".

Answer 8

the power hunger and greed of the american government is the reason for most of the conflicts today!!! if there'snt wars those american corporations will go out of business.

Answer 9

Cause we see the evil nature of foreign countries!

Answer 10

I can't speak for everyone but personally I am a pessimist because it's less stressful.