Monday, September 24, 2007

Human Nature

Is it human nature to be basically good or to be born bad? Is our nature (our genetics) more or less important than the way we are nurtured by parents, schools, society, and friends in determining how we turn out?

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

I believe that it is partly human nature to either be good or bad because of the way the mind works you are born with some certain tendencies. Most of what we do thought I believe to be learned to a certain extent, the way people are raised changes the way they will react to somethings different than other people.

Belle

Anonymous said...

Humans are naturally inclined to do bad in my opinion. Humans like and need to feel control and in many situations this need to feel in control leads to bad behavior. The way a person grows up is a vital part of how they turn out as we can see in many situations with murderers or important political leaders (Hitler, for example, was abused). Nurture plays a more important part than nature, but nature is where it all starts, good or evil.

-Serendipitous

Anonymous said...

I agree with u belle i also belive that the brain has a major effect on what you are going to turn out like. I also belive that people are turned into the people that they are with and the people that they put themselves with. Some one said i dont really know who but he said that if you want to know what your like look at who you hang out with.
-Cobra Commander

Anonymous said...

Serendipitous,
I agree that people want to be in control of what's going on. Either that or be controlled. We don't like the feeling of not having structure.
I do think it has a lot to do with how you were raised, but also has to do with your own personal beliefs and feelings.
-ForgetRegret

Anonymous said...

Well, I believe we are born with natural instincts. But I think that people, in order to have survived were programmed to work together and have social order. We are, by nature, dependant on other people. Though, I do believe people allowed to be vicious and in control in youth are more inclined to vicious and want control in their older years.

Enmadre

Anonymous said...

Genetics does have a strong affect on how we turn out just by the way we already act and what we are born into being. I do think though that in the long run your friends and family and all of society in general has a major affect on how you turn out. everyone has some good and bad in them.

-PrincessCinderella<3

Anonymous said...

I think that people are basicaly born bad, because they haven't been taught what is right. Then later in life it is based on how we are nurtured.

Pistolepete

Anonymous said...

I think that it is a bit of both. In psychology everyone has most of the same behaviorsl. It is fact that if put in situations most people would react the same way. I think that shows that everyone is born with certain tendencies but I also believe the reason that some people are in jail because of murder and others are getting straight A's is because of the way you were raised. I believe it is a bit of both.
-sleepingbeauty<3

Anonymous said...

You cant say that human nature alone has everything to do with the way you tunr out, just as you cant say that it's the way that youre raised. Its a combonation of your surrondings, the way that you're raised, and yes, even youre basic human instincts. Look at head hunters compared to pathalogical liars...that would never be accepted in our society but because that is part of their culture they accept it without challenge wheras pathelogical liars lie because of the way that their briain is..
-princessbelle

Anonymous said...

This just goes along with Nature vs Nurture, i think that, nature has a huge role on how we act, and our nhuman nature. These boys probably grew up, well for as much growing as you can do when your 12, to just want ot be like there father, and affection wasn't important during this time. maybe that plays a role in why Jack became so obsessed with death and blood. No affection growing up can play a part in your physchy and how you think.
Pochahontas

Anonymous said...

I think that we are born really not knowing what to do. We all learn from other people on how to act towards other people, for example, our parents telling us how to treat people. If we learn to be bad and to treat other people like trash, then that's how we are going to act. If we learn to be nice and treat people with respect, then that's how we will treat people. So, really I think it's more the nurture that makes us the way we are.

smileyface16

Anonymous said...

Hey!
So i am in genetics this year and it is not in your genetic structure to be bad or be evil. The way you think and the way you process things in your mind are not in your genes they develope over time. So when people say "human nature" i dont think of how we are born i think of how society distorts our view of life and makes us who we are and how we think. If you are a "bad" person most likely you have had some bad experience or you have a psychotic problem in which case something went wrong after you were concieved which is when you get your genes.
~Lil' Dork

Anonymous said...

'Lil dork,
I do agree with you that society ultimatly has the greater influence on us as whole, but the genes aspect is different. I don't think we are talking about whether our disions and choices are deep within our DNA, its talking more about the way our parents have raised us, our nurture.
-tickletight

Anonymous said...

I think that our nature points us in a certain direction like being good or bad. But our nurture and the friends we choose make in fifference in whether we are good or bad. it is a combination of the two that make us who we are.

-Snow White

Anonymous said...

I don't think humans are "born bad". We don't have prejudice at the time of birth. We haven't been exsposed to violence, cruelty, or even happiness. We are born as blank slates, as far as ideas are concerned. I think that the tendency to act in certain ways may be genetic, but the people who raise us determine beliefs.
-coolblogname

Anonymous said...

i agree with Belle because i think that all people are bor with the certain tendencies but you cant blame everything you do and the way you rea on human nature. A lot of the reason that people are the way they are is because of how they were raised and who they were raised by.

~Barbie~

Anonymous said...

"Blaming your faults on your nature does not change the nature of your faults." -Indian Proverb

-gardenstate

Anonymous said...

Barbie--

I'm in Psychology this year, and we have discussed the issue of Nature vs. Nurtue on a couple occasions. Seeing as people from very different households can turn out the total opposite of their learned behaviors, or fall into the same rut. For example children of alcoholics. They say that these kids have the genetic programming to become alcoholics also. but you see these kids that grew up that way, that can have a drink every once in awhile, or even more than every once in awhile, without becoming alcoholics...

Anonymous said...

Pistolepete-
I would actually have to agree with you, about the whole not knowing anything 'till you learn thing but i don't exactly think that they are born bad there is a huge difference between bad and just flat out not knowing anything.

-PrincessCinderella<3

Anonymous said...

Hey, if it is our human nature to be violent and totally centered upon our survival, is it truly bad?
If we can't do ANYTHING to stop ourselves from being violent, is there any moral implications against it?
If we genetically CAN'T be perfect, are our deepest human feelings really morally wrong?

-gardenstate

Anonymous said...

This is basically a nature-nurture question. You can't just say it only goes one way. Both are major factors. Everyone is born with individual characterists but it's also what you do and what other people do with them that developes who you are.

-YourMom

Anonymous said...

I think that all people are basically good. It all depends on the person and how they look at life and how they react to all of lifes experiences.


-skittles

Anonymous said...

[["Blaming your faults on your nature does not change the nature of your faults." -Indian Proverb

-gardenstate]]

Extremely deep and connected. I love it!
That conveys the point of being 'born bad' doesn't mean you can be bad.
People can change, it's the fact of if they want to.
-ForgetRegret

Anonymous said...

Nurture has a bigger role in this situation. When you are born you start out fresh. While you are growing up that’s when family, friends, and other influences develop who you are. All babies and kids look up to the elder for examples. I believe this is what decides who you are going to be. You have more time in life to change but you base the changes off your foundation.

*Raster*

Anonymous said...

i believe that human nature has nothing to do with the way u turn out to be good or bad it is the way u think and your out look on life although u may be influenced by outside forces it is still up to you

Anonymous said...

I think that people determine themselves, for the most part, how they turn out. I believe that we are born with natural tendencies and characteristics...instincts even. We are born bad until we make the decision to be good. That decision is mostly based on how you individually think and feel, with some degree of how we are raised. I believe that everyone is born with a conscience... a natural guide to what is right or wrong, but based on our nature we decide to listen to our conscience and attempt to pursue good, or we deny it and accept to being bad. How we are nurtured cannont be held fault for the way people turn out because everyone has their own mind and is capable of using it and forming their own opinions. How we are raised can help in the formation of our beliefs and actions but altimately we must make the decision of right or wrong for ouselves.
-Sophie