Do most humans, since some do not, strive to be "good" out of human nature or despite it?

Answer 1

I would have to go with despite human nature, some humans strive to be good. I mean, you might as well ask if this glass is half empty or half full; it's the same thing. When diving into the psychology of others, keep an open mind. Human nature is no different from any other animal's instincts. We strive to survive, and nothing else. Sure, we advance, but in the end, the only thing that matters is the survival of our race.
Now back to that half-empty glass... Hey, btw, what is the glass full of? Because if it is full of a baby's blood, then I would be wondering if the half-full/empty glass is going to a baby or came from a baby. That sort of puts the whole glass thing in perspective. It doesn't matter if the glass if half-full or half-empty, all that matters is that there is a baby out there who is missing a lot of blood or waiting for a lot of blood.

Answer 2

I think that question is relative, by deinition "human nature" is just that "human nature", it is neither good nor bad.

I think the nature versus nurture debate is alive and well in this question. In an environment where survival depends on cunning and ruthlessness, you will find more abberrant behavior, that most would classify as "bad" and there would be the occasional exception, the one that "makes it out"...

In a very nuturing environment, there would be less of the "bad" behavior, here it would be the exception, not the rule.

Unfortunately, in today's society, it is not so cut and dried.
There are mixed environments, and homes are filled with single parents and couples who have no idea how to nurture.

I think all people strive to be good, but the definition varies.
Upbringing and environment, can dictate the local and even personal definitions of "good" and "bad".

I think a better comparison would "good" and "evil".
Now, this comparison is more widely recognized and more clearly defined.

Using this comparison as the basis for this question, my answer would, then, have to be, everyone strives to be "good", and noone ever strives to be "evil", some people just are...

Answer 3

Neither.

We strive to be good because we want to validate our actions because we have a need to believe we are righteous in what we do. Why would we do anything if we didn't believe it was right?

SOME of us do it out of our nature, SOME of us do it out of spite, but the amount of us that don't do it is too large for there to be a majority which do it one way or another.

If you asked if more people do it out of human nature or in spite of it though, I'd say because of our nature. It's our nature to be progressive and productive and believe IN something rather than to believe everything else is wrong. How come? Because we do not have a desire as individuals to know absolutely everything. We have a desire to achieve and accomplish instead.

Answer 4

I'd like to think they do.
I'd like to think that each of us strives to be good.

All of us reach crossroads in our life. And unless you have the same pressures as other people, no one can judge which road anyone else can take. We can only make decisions for ourselves.

More often than not our decisions affect others.

Many times we face crossroads, and both roads ahead seem similar, unclear, uncertain. I guess if people abandon what society deems to be the right road and takes a criminal path, the person is branded for life. There may be mitigating circumstances, or they may not realise they have done wrong until its too late.

I like to treat others as I would like to be treated. Its hard not to head gossips, but unless someone proves me wrong I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. I don't take chances, though.

I think some people are so traumatised in life, that this can never be possible. But it doesn't mean you are forced to join the herd of sheep. Gandhi showed us that.

Sometime you have to outstretch your hand of friendship, even or especially when, is is almost impossible.

Answer 5

Good question. Maybe we strive to be good because of our human nature and maybe we have a spiritual nature which prompts us to be good. In any event, striving to be good seems to be a big part of most of us.

Answer 6

I think that human nature is self-serving and not "good". I believe that one strives to be good out of a learned moral belief. We are born selfish and needy. A baby must learn what is right and wrong. We are taught how to be good.

Sometimes, there are people who are "good" for the attention that it gives them. In that case, they are still being selfish.

Answer 7

Humans vary in their intent; no one is born good, no one is born evil. It is shaped by our beliefs validated thru our environments from the time of conception, and like most things, are subject to change over time. The concept of human nature is a rational, cut and dry way of explaining a complex irrationality; did we evolve, and are therefore of primal instinct, or are we of spirit and soul, and therefore capable of surpassing our selfish animal instincts?

Answer 8

Out of human nature because some people do better if it just comes to them...

Answer 9

i believe it depends on individuals, and their nature. Although, some strive to be /do good, they prove to have a evil nature, it goes other way too.

Answer 10

Despite it.
Human nature is by nature selfish to a point.
The rest is up to the individual