Are we naturally bad?...Do we need to be controlled?...

WitchDr · March 12, 2007, 2:07am

Re: Are we naturally bad?...Do we need to be controlled?...

aly-sam:

Just think about how babies are....they conform to nature...which I think by nature human beings are good. When babies observe us adults, they pick up things like lying, cheating, bullying etc. Yes we do have a defense mechanism within us that allows us to retalliate and we do have inherent selfishness, ego etc but these can all be dormant qualities if we so wish. So its our upbringing which determines which of our qualities we will portray later on in our lives.

As for the religion instilling fear and accountability...I do know there are religious people who commit crimes and sins...so the fear aspect does not really work does it? In an instance, a lady who used to lie got caught out and when I confronted her, she said...I am a Christo...I go to church...I cannot lie! I cannot lie being a lie in itself. What a load of....

Aly-Sam: Interesting point about babies. You said they confirm to nature, which is logical reasoning. However, assuming babies are all good is not logical. If you observe babies they have plenty of "evil" characteristics. If you watch babies closely, they are selfish, jealous, impulsive, devious etc. We love them because of our programming and that allow us to bear their, at times, obnoxious behavior. I think your reasoning that we are born good but change to bad with our upbringing may not be correct. I think we are born with these "evil (natural)" qualities and then our upbringing tames us to the levels of our societies.

Dushwari · March 12, 2007, 2:13am

Re: Are we naturally bad?...Do we need to be controlled?...

no one needs to be controlled and controlling itself is not the best
work to get busy with. it has its own negative impact on the controller
- be it the woman or the man, case being a relationship between a woman and a man.
this relationship building is a SACRED deed, which culminates into a marriage.
the contract of this deed has its clear clauses to abide by, which don’t apply to one side, only, but
to BOTH.
issue is not gender focused insight into badness or goodness.
we can all bad and we also have the potential to be good.
the water shed situations in life, where you are left no space, where
your personal right to be, just be your self, is expected to be taken
away from you, and when you are being nailed down for being different,
when you have unfairness staring you in the face, then, something must
be done, in good faith.

babies are the most vulnerable of all creation, next to elderly.
humans must take care of the evilhood, by not letting anyone undergo situations and treatments that rattle the evil ness.

WitchDr · March 12, 2007, 2:18am

Re: Are we naturally bad?...Do we need to be controlled?...

parissenoor:

i liked the points of witch DR the most, it's very well said let's say, we all use our intelligence in a different way...some may commit crimes, and others avoid it in order to be fittest....it' a choice! and also as some sugested a consequence of education! i was raised in a moral family, so i am very ethical person myself, but i know lots of people around who have not so moral parents, and behave, in an manner that lacks morality in many respect: lies, cheating, unfaithfullness, no repsect of driving laws, no help to elders, no hospitality, etc.... those "bad"people are very common unfair people, who do not like charity, and pursue only ego satisfaction...these are not uncommon, and usually are just the offsring of similar parents....i don't think it's genetic, but as someone said, babies takes up the ways of their parents!

Thanks parissenoor.

You said that you were raised in a moral family. Hence, the question arises you being good is a choice or a consequence? Which bears out more weight later? At times the consequences makes us assume that we are making a choice, however, we are not. For you doing something against your upbringing is not a choice; you simply cannot do that.

Kikoy · March 12, 2007, 7:41am

Re: Are we naturally bad?...Do we need to be controlled?...

When I say conform to nature...well think about it also in view of your own post concerning animals. We all have defence mechanisms....ie when baby takes away her toys instead of sharing with others, baby gets possessive over mother etc. This is nature and the way nature has provided us with protection. This is not evil charachteristic. We do have all types of personality traits in us and they will blossom as we grow up...so upbringing, education, environment all play major roles in who we will become. When baby cries it now depends on how mother/caregiver gives the correct type of attention. This will determine whether baby will develop charachteristics that will make it secure, insecure, brattish, immature, mature, selfish, possessive and all these can carry on later in life.

Kikoy · March 12, 2007, 7:50am

Re: Are we naturally bad?...Do we need to be controlled?...

Exactly...the people who do not fear to commit crimes generally have nothing to lose. This was exactly what I was thinking. So its really not whether they are (born) good or bad, but the circumstances that have made them feel they can do anything and not lose much but gain a lot.

I think we can only change peoples attitudes if we dont let them feel that they were born "bad"

Naughty_by_Nature · March 12, 2007, 4:19pm

Re: Are we naturally bad?...Do we need to be controlled?...

Circumstances are definitely the main factor in determining how one acts...And i wadnt suggesting that there are individuals who are born bad...i was suggesting that it is in everyones nature to be bad...Its just your circumstances determine how you deal with your nature...