Are 95 % of the People Naturally Good? Or Not?

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   Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years ago

   Do we need government / religion to keep us on the straight and narrow path of harmony and goodwill toward our fellow man, i.e. husbands, wives, children, relatives, significant or insignificant others?
   Are laws not really needed because people are inherently "good" as someone mentioned in the HP forums?
    
   For instance. I knew the perfect family who lived in a cute little blue and white house in a pleasant neighborhood here in the "balcony" of So. Cal. Mom, Dad and their two girls hosted many a happy sleepover inviting neighborhood kids, including my daughter.
   
   Well, this went on until our daughters were in Jr. high. Then the Dad said to the Mom… If you want to go to clubs to dance for exercise, (mid 90's) it's okay with me. She was a beautiful gal and her husband could have been a movie star. By the late 90's their marriage ended. She met someone else and they divorced. The oldest daughter survived all this turmoil just fine, but today the younger daughter is dealing with drugs and rehab. Which is besides the point.
   
   Anyway, is this occurrence of the mom meeting someone else and destroying her marriage / family for such a trivial reason an anomaly?
   Or should we chalk it up to human nature.
   Human nature: Never content, and apt to do something foolish for temporary selfish pleasure / need.
   
   My opinion is this:
   ANY husband who allows his wife to go to clubs is asking for divorce.
   He should have said, "NO, not without me."
   ( I would have babysat the girls!)
   
   My answer: NOT
   Humans are not naturally good.

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      Castlepalomaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      These people who did this  test. People are 95% naturally good.
      Was the test done in a swamp or a huge City.
      
      What defines naturally good or bad?

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         Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Well, CP, you are the one who said people are basically good. So, what do you say about this issue?
         < "All people are basically good. The Government job is only to protect US, not to tell us how to live our lives">
         This has been percolating in my mind. I agree the govt. is not to tell us how to live our lives… then what is the govt. for?

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            Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            < " What defines naturally good or bad?' >
            
            Good question.

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   Aime Fposted 9 years ago

   I do believe that most people are inherently moral, but I suppose whether you would say they're good depends on your definition of 'good'. I don't think getting a divorce or dancing at a club without your spouse makes you a bad person, but clearly you see it differently. I think we've all made bad decisions or acted selfishly at some point, but I don't think those decisions define us. Who you are as a person depends on a lot more than a few bad choices.
   
   As for why we need laws, well, even if you think 95% of people are good, that leaves 350 million bad people who will either be discouraged from behaving badly because they know they'll face consequences, or they'll do it anyway and need to face consequences to (hopefully) make sure they don't do it again. There are also laws that aren't really specific to whether you're a good person or not, like minors not being able to purchase alcohol/tobacco, driving laws, etc. A lot of times I think that laws simply enforce common sense and discourage people from making bad choices and not necessarily discourage them from being bad people.

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   Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years ago

   IMO, Laws help us curb harmful and unjust behavior.  They do not make people good... or define bad people.
   I just wondered if you feel people are basically good and behave according to their higher conscience in general.

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   Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years ago

   1.) The Federal Govt.'s job is to protect us from outside threats / attacks and regulate interstate commerce.
   
   2.) Each State Govt. guides and provides lawful behavior and interaction for its citizens.
   State governments provide necessary rule of law...
   ...because men are not angels.
   
   And so quickly ends a perfectly fine thread.

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   Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years ago

   FYI Seems like a pretty good bit of info.
   http://www.ushistory.org/gov/1a.asp

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      conradofontanillaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      It has been said: it depends on what you mean by "good" or "bad." As to the percentage, we need a worldwide survey. However, by the time we finished the first survey more people have come forth that require another survey. And so on and so forth. Laws, except when dictatorial, are derived from morals, either secular or religious.

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         Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         - thanks, conradofontanilla.  I don't know where I got "95 %."  Not an actual stat., (of course.)
         
         Someone casually mentioned that people are mostly good and don't need Govt. telling them what to do.
         
         I would agree that people are mostly good… and do what is good for themselves... but sometimes what is good for themselves, might not be good for someone else and laws are needed to insure justice for all. It is the States that have the jurisdiction and responsibility to insure domestic harmony amongst their citizens through the justice system.
         
         I agree, Federal Govt. should be limited in power over people's lives. (Naturally)

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            Castlepalomaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            YEH!
            Leave those people alone...
            
            Here, here Kath.

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               Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               ...exactly!

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   Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years ago

   Here is an interesting question:
   What is the price of all the free stuff from govt. ?
   
   Answer:
   Individual Liberty
   Socialism takes away liberty and and turns people into slaves…
   
   ... always paying the govt. for the "FREE STUFF" through taxes!
   
   But, then the Govt. borrows from China because for some reason they just don't have enough money coming in from us taxpayers! !
   
   Why not just procure what we need for ourselves?
   Most people do this procuring and agree with this precept.
   
   The govt. must continue to allow us to be free to percolate the economy.
   We need to stir the pot, not them.
   - cuz we're good like that.

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      Castlepalomaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Power for the people.

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