Dou you think people are basically nice? Why/why not?

Answer 1

"Nice" is a dificult concept. However, as a "for instance", I was a police officer (in London) for 30 years. Of all the people I arrested, I only met a very small amount who were not actually quite nice. You name them - burglars, thieves, prostitutes, they were almost without exception quite personable - one to one. Of course, they did things that patently are NOT nice, but that may (or, of course, may not) be a different matter.

I suspect that the Hezbollah fighters, if they met an Israeli one to one, would realise that, in fact, each is "quite nice", yet they do the most terrible things to each other.

Perhaps part of the answer is that people are quite "nice" one to one, but when they are anonymous there is a greater temptation not to be "nice".

I have this optimistic theory, which will never be proved or disproved in my lifetime, that the species of Man is inherently "nice". We are currently in our infancy as a species, but are already beginning to realise that what we do impacts on others. Considerations like the environment would not have occurred to our grandparents, yet it is already one of the most important government priorities.

Magnify that growth of awareness over a few thousand years and hopefully we will realise our potential to live in harmony on this wonderful planet and enjoy the boundless resoiurces that it is capable of producing.

Answer 2

I don't think people are basically nice. I think it all has to do with the environment in which someone is brought up as a child. We, as human, learn a lot from our friends, families and peers and this reflects in basic human behaviour. So, to conclude it is a learned behaviour through environmental factors (including social back ground, family, friends, etc)

Answer 3

Evil always wants to be bigger than it is. the devil wanted to be GOD! And evil blows itself up out of proportion, and wants to be
the center of attention. So we can see onlY evil. And makes us
think it is so bIg, there is nothing we can do about it! But evil
is not that big.
They say that 500 people were killed with handguns in New York
City last year,.And any loss of life is tragic. But there are 8,000,000 people in New York City! See what I mean?
Even in warn torn countires. The majority of people are just
EVERY DAY PEOPLE. Trying to get by, and they aren't bothering
anybody.

Answer 4

People are basically nice, usually because they want to be liked by other people and being nice is the easiest and cheapest way to achieve that.

There are exceptions of course, but most of us is being nice out of habit.

Answer 5

I think people are basically selfish but also basically nice. When they are faced with an emergency situation, people tend to become most amazingly selfless and courageous.

Answer 6

Think the word nice is a bit lame.
Humainty is evil to the core. every man woman and child. That's why we need a Saviour

Answer 7

People are nice when it doesn't cost them anything to be. Once it starts to hurt a little to be nice, then the majority of people will stop.

Answer 8

I think society is becoming increasingly insular and people are withdrawing from face to face human contact.
This can then make them appear rude or uncaring when infact they just don't want to get involved incase the offend/hurt somone or get hurt.

Answer 9

read a book caled "lord of the flies" that investigates the idea of every human being evil its only punishment that holds us back. the milgrim(sp) experiment works on the same principle and proved that we arnt that nice

Answer 10

ummm every one has the ability to be a "nice" person and do "nice " things.. but are people meaning all people basically nice? not in my experience..