Do you believe that most people are inherenty "good"?

Yes or No? Do you believe that the majority of people in this world are good? I'm just very curious as to what everyone else thinks. I, personally, believe that most people are good, but was I just brought up sheltered? If I had to decide if most people where inherently good based on many of the responses to these posts, I'd definitely say "no". Or, do people only feel like they have to be "good" when everyone knows their name? Or is it that many people, when dieting, are grumps? Or, does PT attract a lot of grumps? There could be a lot of variables here.

Good is, obviously, subjective:
Well-meaning, caring, honest, supportive...and anything else you have heard of as good.

So, do I need to wake up to the real world of "not-so-good"...or do the special circumstances of this forum allow for so much nastiness?

Fri. Oct 26, 11:02pm

I think when people are able to communicate their thoughts and ideas annonymously, the nastiness in them comes out. Perhaps it's too much caffiene, a stressful like, dieting, what have you that makes people come across so nasty and hostile sometimes.

Also, I think people tend to keep things bottled up and being able to express themselves, once again annonymously let's them let out this pent up aggression.

And, some people on these types of boards are trolls or people who have no life and hang out on the boards all day long spewing nastiness and hatefulness.

Friday, October 26, 2007, 11:09 PM

No, I think the majority of people are all about themselves without thought or consideration for others. Sad but in my experience thats what I have encountered and observed.

Saturday, October 27, 2007, 1:30 AM

I used to think that people were inherently good....I guess because I am.... but then I've been reading a lot of true crime books like Ann Rule and am amazed at how sick people are... and look throughout history - all the crazy ones.... I now believe its just an indidvidual thing and probably has a lot to do with brain chemistry.

Saturday, October 27, 2007, 7:24 AM

I definitely think the community section has gotten nastier over the last year or so. I don't know if a few people started being snarky and they were just contagious when people realized they were getting away with it or what. Some of the older threads are genuinely supportive (Pity Party is one I can think of off the top of my head since it resurfaced the other day). I don't have a good solution, unfortunately, other than ignoring them.

Saturday, October 27, 2007, 8:40 AM

I think that most people 'default' to good so long as there is a means to do so, however when being good begins to require more thoughtfullness/work/patience/etc than folks would like (and we all have a different threshold for that), people quickly change their default to not-so-good and eventually to downright nasty.

Generally speaking people will take the path of least resistance and if that's being a good person then they will be. That's why there are so many sayings to the effect of 'you never know what someone is truly made of til they're tested'.

Saturday, October 27, 2007, 2:20 PM

8:40 what does your comment have to do with the question? I think as long as anyone and anything is anonymous then people will speak their minds. Some people who regularly speak their minds come off as brash, rude, mean or just nasty. I think it all depends on how the other person takes something. Most people cannot tolerate any kind of criticism, their feelings get hurt. Generally speaking a large majority of people cannot even have a healthy debate without it turning nasty. As we have all seen here on PT. Everybody has their own opinions and ideas on things and a lot can't or won't bend their thinking. The thing to remember is that everyone is entitled to what and how they think, and we all need to respect that even if we don't agree. Isn't that what this nation was built on? Here on PT I think the nastiness comes from people unable to see things from someone else's point of view, most people can't do that. It easy to jump right in and speak your mind in situations like that but it takes a real special person to just say, hmm, let me think of it from that point of view for a bit.

Saturday, October 27, 2007, 5:08 PM

8:40 Here

5:08, my comment was obviously regarding the previous mentions of nasty Community posters.

Saturday, October 27, 2007, 5:29 PM

Most people in real life are at least decent.

PeerTrainer follows the communications patterns of web communities. It's not especially nasty; it's typical of most internet interaction sites. When new, such sites usually have a period of largely positive communications. At some point there is a large exponential increase in the number of people using the site, and the communication usually begins at that point to follow the more typical web-community style, including trolls and attacks. However, if there is no increase, the community usually settles into the same stlye.

Studies on web communication patterns are pretty interesting to read.

Sunday, October 28, 2007, 10:32 AM

I do believe most people are inherently good. I also leave my house unlocked most of the time, so judge me as you will.

As to the nasties on these threads, I generally find them amusing. Many many years ago I watched the first few seasons of Sesame Street and did not understand the role of Oscar the Grouch, or why the characters on the show not only tolerated him but included him. I get it now.

Sunday, October 28, 2007, 9:47 PM

Interesting question, because I often ask this same questions myself. I think for the most part, those here at PT are filled with goodness, and some just speak their minds honestly...comments given are a reflection of who the posters are and what they are going through in their own lives at the moment. Therefore, if you ask a question...you should be prepared to take to heart the positive and negative comments posted, even if it pushes some buttons you would rather not have pushed. There are always 2 sides of a story, and the truth lies somewhere in between.

Monday, October 29, 2007, 1:24 PM

Actually the answer to your question is YES and NO!

Not everyone is a good person for everyone and not everyone is a good person in every situation.

I have know thiefs that saved peoples lives during a war I unfortunately witnessed and I have seen good people crumble under stress and causing others great suffering.

The GOOD in human is a variable, humans inherently are not alturistic unless it is of course their own children or perhaps young relatives. However humans are mamals and social animals so we are also wired to love others and get along with them. Everyone has been good to someone at some point in their lives, some people are nicer to more people and some are to less, but you can never be good for everyone.

Monday, October 29, 2007, 1:29 PM

I truly believe that most people are good and some can become mean and nasty depending on how they were raised and whether abuse of any sort played a role in their lives BUT I also believe there a some who are just born evil. I know this comment will raise a lot of stink about children being innocent but I don't believe that. I've had first hand experience with 2 separate families who had an evil, rotten kid that did unspeakable things. Whether something in their brain is messed up or not put together right I don't know but I know they are evil children and I also know that most who come in contact with them feel something not right.

Monday, October 29, 2007, 5:09 PM

Do you believe that most people are inherenty "good"? NO!!!!

People actually are "inherently sinful". Why? Because the sins of the fathers, fall on the third and fourth generation. We have inherited our sins from our forefathers. The good news! You can CHOOSE to live your life differently. You can choose to live according to the WORD of GOD. Even Jesus stated, "Why call me good, There is no one GOOD, but the father." Matt. 19:17.

Monday, October 29, 2007, 9:07 PM

wow.

Monday, October 29, 2007, 11:33 PM

9:07 Please, spare me. I can't honestly believe you truly believe we get leftover sins from our great, great, great whoever??? I bet you believe every word of the bible to? You can still live a life of good, do good things, etc, etc and still be an asshole or a shit.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007, 2:19 AM

Tuesday, October 30, 2007, 2:19 AM

Here is my comment to you - WHATEVER!

Tuesday, October 30, 2007, 10:54 AM

Who could know the heart of mankind better than the One who created mankind? Here is what God's says about our "goodness" : "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.." Jeremiah 17:9 No, there is no "goodness" in us at all, only brief shinning moments that we let others see - and thank God for those.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007, 3:13 PM

2:19
Actually many ailments are passed down. Look at alcholism. Also, pedifilia runs in families. So does violence and sexual perversion such as pornography. Perhaps some might not classify these as "sins", but God does. And in the end, how God judges your life will be all that matters.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007, 3:31 PM

I didn't quite know how to give my opinion until I read the last few posters.

No I don't think that mankind is inherantly good. I think the only reason we have any good in us is because it is God working through us.
If man were left to his own devises I think we would be in a lot of trouble.
Sometimes it is hard to be kind, when others are being mean to you. I fail. We all do. But I do believe that there is a large number of people who try and live good lives.
However in terms of eternity it doesn't get you anywhere.
But even if I were not to believe in God and eternal life I would still be a kind person. I was raised to be that way.
You treat others the way you want to be treated.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007, 4:42 PM

Amen to the last few posters! Tell it like it is!

Tuesday, October 30, 2007, 10:44 PM

AMEN, AMEN, AMEN, AMEN

Monday, October 29, 2007, 9:07 PM ,Tuesday, October 30, 2007, 3:13 PM , Tuesday, October 30, 2007, 3:31 PM, Tuesday, October 30, 2007, 4:42 PM

Wednesday, October 31, 2007, 8:02 AM

Give this a thought.....

I was thinking about this thread and it finally came to me. There is no way we are good. Think about children. I have a 2 yr old that I am thinking about. He is with me all the time cause I don't work. We have friends over and he acts selfish, he may take things away from a friend and has even hit or pushed on occasion. I didn't teach him those things, he was selfish to begin with. I do have to teach him how to use his manners and be nice but the bad things he seems to know very well without my help. So that may be something to think about.

Friday, November 2, 2007, 7:12 PM

What a cool thread. Thanks op. I have enjoyed reading!

Monday, November 5, 2007, 2:27 PM

I'm the OP and I work with children of varrying ages (1-6). Yes, children are selfish, but it's for survival purposes. If I were to look for the good in this world, I would look to them first. I could go on and on about this, but children are actually the only arguement I have for why people are inherently good (we are all children on the inside...with different sized walls put up on the outside).

Tuesday, November 6, 2007, 11:05 AM

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