Easy Answer: Are People Inherently Good or Bad?

People are inherently good... and bad. They're both. We all have areas in our lives that could use a bit (or a lot) of improvement in the way that we treat ourselves and others. Every person has at least some good in them and at least some evil. To treat everyone as if they are one or the other is just mindless and stupid. To treat ourselves if we were just one or the other is just as stupid.

I have this discussion with a lot of people who say they would like to improve society. You can't improve society until you understand the people in it, and you are most certainly not going to understand people if you are going to label them with abstract terms and dismiss them.

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Chris George

I would say that good and bad are social constructs based on some facts and some myths developed as society evolves. So I'd say they're both, or they're neither. but I completely agree with the second paragraph.

Jeremy Nicoll

I characterize "good" or "bad" as wishing well or harm respectively on other people - but yes, as with most definitions the context and perceptions involved are also important.