Is there such a thing as an inherently bad person ?

Question

... based on your beliefs?

Answer 1

Every night and every morn
Some to misery are born.
Every morn and every night
Some are born to sweet delight.
Some are born to sweet delight
Some are born to endless night.

- William Blake

... so yes, I kinda do believe that.

PS. but I'm certain that even the most evil people can change, until the very last breath. There is always hope.
Miracles happen.

Answer 2

Yes.

Unfortunately, the core influences of morality, empathy and altruism, are transmitted as a genetic predisposition towards behavior. In some individuals, this genetic predisposition is weak or entirely missing. As it is a predisposition and not a guarantee, it requires environmental triggers. However, these triggers often occur before self-awareness or shortly after, while the personality is still developing. By the time the personality solidifies, these traits are effectively hardwired.

A person who lacks empathy would exhibit psychopathy, a person who lacks altruism would exhibit sociopathy. An individual lacking both would truly be an unfeeling, uncaring monster, who would be incapable of even the most basic morality.

A walk through any criminally insane branch of a local mental health institution would demonstrate the depravity of such individuals.

Since there was also the question of religious beliefs, I am an atheist.

Answer 3

I'm not sure how this would all tie into my beliefs (I'm a Christian).

But I want to say I believe that we're all born tabula rosa and no one is inherently bad. But then I look at the truly terrible people who have existed and done horrendous things to mankind and I can't reconcile that with the idea that the environment in which they grew up would shape them into being such people.

The dog in your avatar really did make my day, though. I want to give it a hug.

Answer 4

This looks like a "Nature VS. Nurture" question.

In my beliefs, no. No inherently bad person.
In my experience, YES, there are some horrid trolls out there. People who deliberately try to be mean and abusive.
I don't think they were born that way. I think they were guided in that direction.

Yet at the same time, I don't think one becomes gay, I think one is born gay. Hmmm....

So now I think that my beliefs are actually incorrect. OK, I hereby change my beliefs.

Evil people are born, not made.

Answer 5

Sociopaths is not a medically approved term. If people are devoid of a conscience then that doesn't make them evil. It means that part of their brain isn't functioning correctly--the same as with any birth or bodily defect. However I make it a point not to associate myself with those dangerous people. I believe there is no black and white--a person can't be totally evil or totally good--we're not static creatures; we're a mixture of good and evil. And most of the time it's a chain of abuse that causes a person to be what others call evil. People are born innocent--but that doesn't mean they are born perfect; the brain can be damaged as can any other part of the body.

Answer 6

I met an inherently bad person, when I was 19 years old. The realization of his spiritual state condemned me. It was the judgement of him, that made me realize that I was responsible for all my actions from that point on. I consider my spiritual state before that moment as innocent. Innocent, with an M-16, and a desire to....

Lions are morally innocent, when the hunt.

People are morally guilty when the have a strong desire to...

Answer 7

According to the Bible we are all born in sin and are "inherently bad".
Our choices in life make us either "bad" or "good". As a Christian, if I follow the teachings of Christ, I base my choices on love and forgiveness.
That means I'm not tied down to rage, hatred and bitterness toward people who devastated my childhood, by forgiving them I am able to find peace. Were they inherently bad? Sinful,yes, selfish, absolutely. Bad is a choice, and it's one that we make every day.
Do we give the finger and mouth obscenities towards the person who cuts us off in traffic, or do we struggle against our human nature to retaliate, and release that anger by giving it to God?
It's an everyday thing bad choices versus good choices, and the only way to make those good choices instead of my automatic human "bad" choice is to rely on God. For me, that is the way I found peace in my life and the ability to live without constantly being angry over my past and taking that past anger out in present circumstances.

Answer 8

That's a really difficult question. According to my religious beliefs, we're all born with a sinful nature but we're not necessarily "bad" in the way you mean. I do, think, however, that there are some people that are born with serious personality disorders that if aren't caught in early childhood, will blossom into irredeemably bad behavior in adult. Jeffery (sp?) Dauhmer comes to mind.

Answer 9

I have been around the block a time or two and I have to say yes due to some abnormality a minority of bad people are born with. The rest become bad due to environment. Some more quickly than others.

Answer 10

There are; and they are the demons who incarnated on earth including the evil one in the endtime period just before the 2nd coming of THE LORD JESUS CHRIST in the year 3500. Thus, the inherently bad are demons in human image like gamblinglords, warlords, druglords, crimelords, armsdealerlords, prostitutionlords, syndicatelords, dirtypoliticslords, moneylaunderinglords. On one hand, spiritually speaking, all the sins of natural men were already redeemed and forgiven and washed away by the blood and death of THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. It is so as repentance and forgiveness were planted in the hearts of all men except the evil and demon incarnates who are destined for perdition. Thus, all sins in the past, today and the future have been forgiven and such is the salvation of THE LORD GOD-THE LORD JESUS CHRIST that will never end and His righteousness will last forvever.Moreover, satan is the author of all the sins of men and he deceives them to sins and errors and as such he is destined as a reiteration with his demons to perdition. THANKS GOD; FEAR GOD; PRAISE GOD; GLORIFY GOD; HONOR GOD; LOVE GOD AND WORSHIP GOD. Pls visit my website-THEGOODNEWSOFTHEKINGDO