Are people basically good?

[hans kraay fan club]

Yep. Apart from hans kraay fan club.

..

 

[ryeseagull]

People are thoughtless. Their actions are bad without intent. How important is intent?

 

[Wilko]

People are thoughtless. Their actions are bad without intent. How important is intent?

Doesn't every action, albeit sub-consciously at times, have intent?

 

[Nibble]

People are thoughtless. Their actions are bad without intent. How important is intent?

That is a good point. I don't think people are intentionaly bad. As you say, thoughtless behaviour comes into play. For instance there have been times when my thoughtless behaviour has had a negative impact on someones life but upon that being pointed out I have felt remorse. I think most people act thoughtlessly sometimes but would not really want to harm anyone?

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

Having just lost my Mum and experienced first hand the actions of my family, friends, medical and nursing staff and complete strangers I would have to say people are basically decent and well meaning.

 

[Stat Brother]

Feral children are a good example of this, take away standard primary socialisation and you are left with essentially an animal devoid of empathy.

There's a lot to that.
I think (hope) that it takes some doing for a child to become feral, and even then with time, patience and more time, no situation is completely lost, quite where that's ever going to come from is a different matter. The recent Wormwood Scrubs was quite telling about this.

My concern is a lack of discipline shown by parents to their young, and the lack of respect they receive back. I can't see that panning out well, when in years to come the same question is asked.

 

[pork pie]

No, they are basically bad.

Society makes them conform within a culture that makes most people appear good, but when it breaks down, the wild animal is not far away.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

No, people are basically bad. We have to learn goodness.

.

 

[Norman Potting]

I think they are. What do you think?

Agree but unfortunately "today most people in the world were kind and considerate to each other" would make a lousy headline in the average newspaper.

A few years ago I noticed one evening that the TV programmes seemed to consist of reality shows and documentaries highlighting the base side of human nature. Tucked away around midnight was a brief documentary about Jane ? (and the fact that I can't remember her surname also proves some sort of point) the lady who, despite terminal cancer, ran marathons to raise money to help find a cure for others.

I guess "ooh, isn't it awful" type tv is the sort that makes the money.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

It's an interesting debate, especially for those of us who have kids.

We have to teach our toddlers that kicking, pulling hair, grabbing toys, spitting, being selfish etc etc etc is not acceptable behaviour. I've often wondered how a child would turn out if it was left truly feral, with no parental input whatsoever. .

 

[The Large One]

People who look for the worst in other people are the ones I would distrust.

No, they are basically bad.

Society makes them conform within a culture that makes most people appear good, but when it breaks down, the wild animal is not far away.

Hmmm...

 

[Chesney Christ]

..

Joshing

 

[perseus]

Not according to the Upper Class Twat

Tactical Tailor 'Bad Things' Hat

 

[Chesney Christ]

But are we in danger of creating a 'f*** everyone else' generation/s ?

Margaret Thatcher.

 

[pork pie]

Margaret Thatcher.

What has it got to do with the great lady? She left power before most on here were out of their nappies?

She is often put down by the cordroy wearing patched elbow teachers of here time, who were the ones that actually spoilt most of a couple of generations with their liberal ideals.

Maggie gave everyone a chance, the only ones who moan are those who were too thick or too lazy or both, to sieze the chance she gave them.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

Karma ... be nice, be helpful, be considerate and MOST OF THE TIME people are good

 

[Questions]

Margaret Thatcher.

she wasn`t really bad though was she ? more.... well...... sort of demented really.

 

[BLOCK F]

I wondered how long it would be before Maggie Thatcher was mentioned.....I don't know about people being good but it certainly shows that some people on NSC are thick as shit in a bottle!

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

The thing is, it doesn't take much to be considered "good".

Most people won't kill somebody in their life time, but that doesn't mean the thought "I wish you were dead" hasn't entered their head at least once or twice in their life time.

So I think as a whole there's varying degrees of evil within almost all humans.

It's not necessarily pure evil as in a Hitler, its the evil part of Prime evil which is more of a territorial survival instinct.

For mine. the only difference between the "good" and the "bad" is that the bad will often carry out their thoughts where as the good will walk away from them.

 

[beorhthelm]

Feral children are a good example of this, take away standard primary socialisation and you are left with essentially an animal devoid of empathy.

really? this suggests animals are incapable of empathy or being good. it maybe tied to nurture, but its inate to social animals to nurture each other. so its impossible to seperate the nature from the nurture really.

people are good. individuals can be either. we are born to be social so will be predisposed to being good in order to fit into a group. even "bad" groups will probably be good towards each other and their kin, though with some exceptions with those suffereing from psychopathy or sociopathy or whatever its called these days.