Are people naturally mean greedy etcetera or is this a result of the environment they live in ,?

Question

This left blank so as to not influence the answer to much.

Answer 1

Ahhh, the nature v. nurture debate. Won't it go on forever? You can't seperate the two.
Personally, I think it is different for every person and it is both nature and nurture.
There are studies and research and support for both the nature and nuture sides. Brain processes, chemical imbalances. Abusive environments, inadequate attendance to needs like nutrition and human contact.
Someone may be born 'good' and be in a 'bad' environment. Someone may be born 'bad' and in a 'good' environment. In either circumstance, the details and balance would probably be the determining factors.

Answer 2

If anything I think people are fundementally kind, generous, unselfish etc and it's the environment in which a person lives, and more especially the environment in which they're raised, that affects how a person turns out.

I've visited some of the richest and poorest countries and invariably the richer the country the more self centred the population are, a condition I would put down to conditioning as the result of commercialistaion and the consumer society in which many people live.

In the poor countries there isn't the constant pressure to have the latest, biggest, best of everything. People accept what they have, are thankful for it and are much more willing to share and come together to assist the community as a whole.

These are of course generalisations and there are exceptions.

Answer 3

I would say that it can be both because a person can adopt his or her habits from family members like their genes, parents or the way siblings and how others treat them. Sometimes it's more of a determination thing; say a person lived in poverty for most of his life and he decides, I will never live like this ever again and neither will my kids. They think back to what they used to do with that $5.00 and wonder if the people they'll he used to do with the money when he had it. No matter what the excuse I don't think that people should treat each other the way they do, no matter what the reason may be.
"Greed is a fat demon with a small mouth and whatever you feed it is never enough."
"It's time for greatness -- not for greed. It's a time for idealism -- not ideology. It is a time not just for compassionate words, but compassionate action."

Answer 4

I would say environment. People who are so poor as to they have nothing tend to be a bit more generous and willing to share should they ever come across someone more troubled than they are. Also, I think everything about a person is affected at least a little bit by the environment they live in.

Answer 5

I think people create their own environment to a certain extent, but some people seem determined to be nasty no matter the surroundings or situation in which they find themselves.

Answer 6

Not so much the environment that they live in.
It is their nature that is in question.

Answer 7

I offer this analogy.

When you feed a monster, you never satisfy its appetite. You only cause it to be more hungry.

Steven Wolf

Answer 8

Ithink all people can be good to one another its their adtiudes . that makes them the way most are .I have a mental shield I use .And block it/them out .

Answer 9

bein a pimp, i say fo sho! cuz u know what im about i gots a coo-*** lil job heard? aight. oh n also that quote was on my cereal box son