# Good people **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 1, 2002, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-people/121915 "2002-08-01T20:30:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![milroyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@milroyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milroyj)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-people/121915/21 "2002-08-03T19:12:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rhapsody \* > \*\*My own country (U.S.A) is in the midst right now of committing many evils around the globe and justifying them as being for the"good" of america. \*\* And what, pray tell, are some of the “many evils” America is committing? ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-people/121915/22 "2002-08-03T21:47:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mandos \* > \*\*They might have known that, under another person’s ethical spectrum, their actions were evil, but let’s face it, did Hitler consider himself evil? Probably not. After all, if he really felt that it was on the opposite end of his OWN ethical spectrum, the side that he disagrees with, why would he chooose it? No, I would assume that the Hitlers of the world either justified their actions using some twisted logic or were operating under a completely different ethical spectrum. > This would suggest that people do not have individual personalities when they are born. If they did, there would be evil personalities and there would be good personalities. What this would suggest is that the environment is the only factor in what makes you a being with a unique personality type. Yet, babies do not all behave in the same exact manner, do they? From birth, do all babies react to the situation in EXACTLY the same way? Of course not. Now, let’s examine what all babies are born with: instinct. What is instinct concerned with? It would seem that instinct is concerned with the survival of oneself first and, when one’s survival is not in immediate danger, then others can be dealt with. I can’t recall the exact quote, but I believe the creator of Pre-Crime described this very well in Minority Report. Do note that I’m paraphrasing here: “All living things are the same. When you put the squeeze on it, it’s only thinking about one thing: its own survival.” It went something like that. \*\* The Hitlers are psychotic and altho such people may not think of themselves as evil, everyone else does. The primary instinct is survival of the species, not of oneself. Babies are taught what is good and bad, as they have no realization of that at birth. They may not react all the same way, but their actions are neither good or bad: just reactions. They have no consciousness of any epistemological idea of goodness or badness. ---
**Author:** ![taklon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/34f0e0/32.png) [@taklon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taklon)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-people/121915/23 "2002-08-04T10:51:30Z")
Does using examples like Hitler really answer any arguement? They are (I think we all agree) insane by any standard, and therefore not relevent to the OP. I think people are basically good, when given the chance. Unfortunately that chance doesn’t come often. I always thought too, being good can actually be selfish. If everybody could be ‘good’ then life would be a lot easier. Of course if pigs could fly then dinner could come to us. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-people/121915/24 "2002-08-05T22:51:16Z")
When I’m bad, I’m better. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-people/121915.md?page=1)