Are people innately good or bad? If my opinion is that we're bad, would I be pessemistic or just truthful?

Answer 1

I think people are innately good. The problem is the way we have become conditioned by society. Selfishness is something that comes out of having too much - and expecting more and more. There are some places in the world where community spirit still abides. The elderly are respected and taken care of by the younger generation. It is natural to take care of children if something happens to their family. We've lost touch with our inner selves and our natural instinct to be good to each other.

Answer 2

In my own opinion, people are innately good. BUT- people act like they are innately bad (myself included). There are so many opportunities for people to do the bad thing and get some benefit to themselves for that, so many of us take these opportunities. But really, we knew what the good thing to do was, we just didn't do it. So, honestly, if you think they are bad, you aren't just being pessemistic, but you might not be looking deep enough.

Answer 3

The way I see it is that people are innately good. People may appear to be bad but there is a seed of goodness in each of us that could bloom and grow if we just wish it.

Answer 4

Trying to paint all of humanity is like trying to herd cats.

Hobbes said we're all innately bad. Locke said we're all good.

One can be pessimistic and truthful at the same time. We are talking metaphysics here.

Answer 5

I like to say that people are good; i think it is always a positive to believe the best in an individual until proven otherwise - one in ten times I'm guaranteed to be proven wrong, but i think this is a sacrifice worth making.

Although, people are definitely ruder and less considerate, as well as there being a far lesser community to what i remember (even in my short life time!) But I feel this is an issue that everyone needs to address, as I think today people have too much tolerance and don't stand up for what is right.

Apologies for not remembering the source of the quote, but a favorite of mine is as follows:

'it doesn't take bad people to do bad things, it takes good people to do nothing'

So I do believe there are bad people in this world, but I definitely do not believe they are in the majority, or any more prevalent than 50/100/200 years ago! But I do think individuals help each other less, show less empathy and are tied up in their own world that requires less concern for others - not necessarily bad people.

Anyway, I'll stop babbling....Hope that helps :-)

Answer 6

I think that to say people are good or bad is too general. Someone might die for this person but want to kill this other person. We are selfish, but at what point does that become inconsequential? If i have to chose, I would say we are good. We can be horrible to each other, but eventually we come to see each other as equals. Do we do what is "right" because we are selfish and wouldn't be able to stand being "wrong"? Maybe.

Answer 7

That is a very good question becouse it seems to me lately that people in general are more rude,self cented and incosiderate.I guess you just have to be the best person you can be inpsite of everyone else.

Answer 8

People are innately SELFISH. It is simply reality, no need to place a value judgement on it (good/bad)... although it does certainly suck.

Answer 9

The truth is man is sinful by nature.

Answer 10

Depends whom you ask. Aristotle would say humans were good whereas Machiavelli would say the opposite. I don't believe this question will be resolved any time soon.