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Are people basically good?
- Thread starter Nibble
- Start date
Dick Knights Mumm
Take me Home Falmer Road
Yes.
Dick Knights Mumm
Take me Home Falmer Road
Good thread btw.
I am.
Was not Was
Loitering with intent
- Jul 31, 2003
- 1,607
Yes.
We are altruistic as a species because it has helped us succeed.
The branch of homo sapiens that survived (ours!) is the one with the greatest social links within and across communities.
And our closest relatives in the ape world display real altruism and a sense of fairness as well.
In other words, evolution has favoured the genes that incline us to look after others, not just number one.
We are altruistic as a species because it has helped us succeed.
The branch of homo sapiens that survived (ours!) is the one with the greatest social links within and across communities.
And our closest relatives in the ape world display real altruism and a sense of fairness as well.
In other words, evolution has favoured the genes that incline us to look after others, not just number one.
Dick Knights Mumm
Take me Home Falmer Road
People who look for the worst in other people are the ones I would distrust.
Tricky Dicky
New member
Darwinian evolution would tell you that it is biologically advantaguous for people to be good (I think altruistic would be a reasonable substitute in this case) to each other, especially those in close proximity - not forgetting when these genes were established close proximity meant that people around you are likely to share your genes (evolution didn't predict air-fares to Prague for a stag weekend for a fiver).
It does depend on your definiton of good, of course.
It does depend on your definiton of good, of course.
Common as Mook
Not Posh as Fook
- Jul 26, 2004
- 5,642
Absolutely.
Was not Was
Loitering with intent
- Jul 31, 2003
- 1,607
On 'bad people': we have much less control over our behaviour than we think, because we are basically social beings ("super-social apes" in the words of Mark Earls, who wrote the brilliant 'Herd'). But it serves us to think that we and others have control over our/their actions. In practice, environments have much more influence on people's behaviour than we tend to admit.
And ... don't forget that - even if you only take into account 'modern humans' - we have been around for 200,000 years. You can't write off a species on the basis of a few decades of 'f*** everyone else' over that time frame, can you?
And ... don't forget that - even if you only take into account 'modern humans' - we have been around for 200,000 years. You can't write off a species on the basis of a few decades of 'f*** everyone else' over that time frame, can you?
vegster
Sanity Clause
- May 5, 2008
- 28,273
Apart from people who puff radio shows or Argus 'blogs and James Corden.....yes
Tricky Dicky
New member
Beign kind to people without it necessarily benefitting yourself.
¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤
Banned
Yes.
Bored, misguided, lacking in any form of discipline/intelligence, peer pressure, etc etc.
Doesn't make them bad deep down though.
- Aug 7, 2003
- 8,087
Even Hitler was a cute baby
Chesney Christ
New member
Yep. Apart from hans kraay fan club.
Surely we are born more Egoistic than Altruistic? A child is naturally selfish with food, toys and attention and will want it all to themsleves. I think we need to be socialised by others to understand how to be good, 'goodness' seems to be more nurture than nature.
Feral children are a good example of this, take away standard primary socialisation and you are left with essentially an animal devoid of empathy.
Feral children are a good example of this, take away standard primary socialisation and you are left with essentially an animal devoid of empathy.