[angrybill]

Are people inherently good or evil ? Thoughts anyone?

[vision-master]

Good.

[Dreamtwister]

Your question presupposes the existence of good or evil as absolutes to which one can adhere to varying degrees. The premise is false.

People are exactly what they need to be to survive in a given situation, while expending the minimal amount of energy necessary to do so.

Survival is not a morality play; either you do, or you do not. Everything else is a rationalization.

[PenultimateManStanding]

How about you? any thoughts? My thoughts are that people are greedy selfish murderous self-deluded crazy asshats that deserve extinction, except for my kids. I'm not kidding, they are amazing, considering what screw-up parents they have. I'm kind of amazed really.

[mos6507]

Amoral, not immoral.

[seldom_seen]

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Dreamtwister', 'Y')our question presupposes the existence of good or evil as absolutes to which one can adhere to varying degrees. The premise is false.

People are exactly what they need to be to survive in a given situation, while expending the minimal amount of energy necessary to do so.

Survival is not a morality play; either you do, or you do not. Everything else is a rationalization.

[Dreamtwister]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'Y')ou have answered with your mind. Ask what your sprit say's.

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Dreamtwister', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'Y')ou have answered with your mind. Ask what your sprit say's.

[angrybill]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'H')ow about you? any thoughts? My thoughts are that people are greedy selfish murderous self-deluded crazy asshats that deserve extinction, except for my kids. I'm not kidding, they are amazing, considering what screw-up parents they have. I'm kind of amazed really.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Dreamtwister', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'Y')ou have answered with your mind. Ask what your sprit say's.

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Dreamtwister', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'Y')ou have answered with your mind. Ask what your sprit say's.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('angrybill', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'H')ow about you? any thoughts? My thoughts are that people are greedy selfish murderous self-deluded crazy asshats that deserve extinction, except for my kids. I'm not kidding, they are amazing, considering what screw-up parents they have. I'm kind of amazed really.

[Dreamtwister]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'Y')our sprit dosen't question, it knows.

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Dreamtwister', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'Y')our sprit dosen't question, it knows.

[gampy]

I guess it all depends on how you define good and evil.

I imagine that the vast majority here have a common idea about what good is.

Not so sure everyone would agree on evil.

I would say that people are born neutral. Neither/or.

I think sociopathology is a also neutral.

It's not until people begin to gain pleasure from other's pain and misfortune that you could call someone evil.

I would offer that it's sociopaths who develop the character traits that allow them to become" evil". But sociopathology is not evil in itself. It's a precursor, perhaps. A pre-exisiting condition that allows people to do evil.

I think there is some good in everyone, as well as some evil.

If you can somehow live your life on the "good" side more than the "evil", I would say you are doing alright. I would say few people ever get to the 80% good - 20% evil category.

Although there are many, many people at the opposite end of the spectrum.

Funny how that works.

[Aaron]

We ran a poll not too long ago...

People?

[yippleflipple]

that angrybill, he really knows his stuff... good topic!

I'd have to say that the pendulum will always swing back and forth and anything can effect its position... anything on the far end of the spectrum will either root itself out or create its opposite or both... i think this applies to both nature and nurture... but also, whatever it is that is valued, it is relative to one's perspective... so yeah.. little bit of both.

[yippleflipple]

also, is it my imagination or did wolf blitzer just tell me to be careful what I post on facebook?

[GoghGoner]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Dreamtwister', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'Y')our sprit dosen't question, it knows.