After reading the article “Are Humans Good or Evil?” by researcher and neuroeconomist Paul J. Zak I have clarified my thoughts about the biological theory to human behavior. There is no such thing as a “more good or more evil” human being, besides the outliers like Mother Theresa and Madoff. The rest of the humanity wavers between both good and evil, as stated by researchers. This can be due to our physiology and neurochemistry. As far as the biological theory to human behavior, researchers state that when oxytocin, the love hormone is restrain we see more selfishness behaviors among individuals. This statement is also reciprocal, meaning that when oxytocin is high we see more empathic actions among people. If only it would be as easy as curing everyone with oxytocin medication. Our environment can also play a huge role in our morality patterns. Researchers were able to emphasize on the evolutionary theory survival of the fittest. When individuals are at lower social economic environment, it is likely that they will step over who ever to help assure their needs. I take we preform and achieve our best when we are healthy human beings. Take home message; make your health a priority so that your brain neurotransmitters are release and bin successfully.
After reading this article, I honestly believe that there is not certain theory as to why someone acts "more evil" or "more good". I believe that humanity as a whole are people that want to do good. I always believe that when someone needs to pull through for you, they will pull through for you. I do not feel as if people wake up in the morning and say to themselves that, "Ohh whose life am I going to ruin today?!" I believe that people have the natural instinct to help one each other because thats exactly what they would want done to them if they were ever in that situation. It is also crazy to see because the people who are completely selfless and offer the most help, are the ones who are going through the toughest times.
"So, what's the answer, does humanity seem to have more good or evil?" I think the evil acts of the few outweigh the good acts of the many; especially when one considers the evil acts done by dictators like Hitler, Stalin, Hussein, Baby Doc Duvalier, Nicolae Ceaușescu, Idi Amin, Kim Jung-on, and other like them. The fact that a single man could command such blind obedience and be responsible for committing such horrific atrocities goes beyond my ability of comprehension. It is interesting to see how chemicals in the brain can dictate one to commit good or evil acts. On a whole, I feel humanity is more good than evil, but the evil acts of the few outweigh the good of the many, as stated previously. I think sociocultural environment combined with one's upbringing, and other intangibles plays a part in the dictation of one being good or evil for the most part. There are exceptions in that some individuals are just inherently evil despite coming from better than ideal circumstances, sociopaths being among the exceptions.
Humanity "seems" to have more evil in it than good. This is because the media tends to cover stories that are negative and degrading much more than the good heart felt stories. Humanity seems to outweigh the good with the bad and that is just how it is. People seem to get more riled up about evil things than good and that is exactly what the media wants. Even though there are so many negative and evil news headlines, this doesn't mean there are more bad people than good people. I actually believe believe there are probably many more good people in this world than bad. Being someone who is selfless and kind will lead to a life of happiness.
Using the article “Are Humans Good or Evil” by Paul J. Zak to answer the question if humanity seems to have more good or evil, I have to say that it is whatever you want to make it. Madoff was an evil person and Mother Theresa was the good person. Like Zak mentioned in the article, we like to do things that bring us pleasure. Everyone has a different idea of pleasure and our body and minds are different from one another. The pleasure of Mother Theresa was helping others while Madoff’s was to take others money. Also he mentions about oxytocin, the love hormone. If someone is surrounded by people who bring them down and suffer, they are going to want to harm or bring down the people who are progressing in life because they want everyone to be the same. The same thing works when a person is happy and progressing in life. If you’re happy and progressing, you want others to be in the same boat as you. You make life the way you want it to be. If you don’t allow people to bring you down, then you will be happy and want to spread joy doing good things. If you let people bring you down, then you are prone to do bad things because happiness to you is different than other peoples happiness. There is no “more good” or “more evil,” its just how you want to perceive life as.
The Article "Are Humans Good or Evil", does a lot of explaining about the morality of humans from a biological and chemical stand point. The chemical oxytocin is important in the emotional decisions we make, because when it is released we feel more sensitive and concerned with others feelings. This still does not give an exact answer to the question are humans good or evil, but an important point made is that humans are always evolving therefore so will their virtues and vices. Being able to have a sense of empathy is also what makes us human, therefore when people release oxytocin and are empathic towards others, we are mostly a moral species. Our surroundings are a large factor that effects our morality, and Paul Zak reiterates this when he states "virtue derives from our innately social nature in which we cannot help but share in the joy and pain of those around us".
I believe humanity has more good than evil. However, what may be good to one group may be seen as evil to another. I think that good and evil is based on how society determines what is good and what is evil. In the article, Paul Zak identifies virtuous and vice. I think sometimes people have to be both. We sometimes have to be vices to get where we want to be and that doesn't make us an evil person if were trying to do something good with our lives. Also sometimes on the way we may be virtuous and help others but we are not always thinking about others. At the end of the day we are responsible for ourselves. Humanity is not evil if people look out for themselves; they are only evil if it causes harm to another. For instance, Paul Zak explains that in a stressful environment humans will step over those in front of them to survive. Does that make a person evil? It depends from which point of view you see it because in a stressful environment we are all only trying to do good and survive. This may be a vice but in reality we are humans and what may be right to one person may be wrong to another. It's a non ending thing which bring me back to that humans are more good than evil because we are all different and only try to do good; although it may not be good in others eyes.
After reading the article, "Are Humans good or Evil" by Paul J. Zak, I think there is both good and evil in this world. But I think everyone knows what is good and what is bad, but sometimes even knowing that it is bad they seem to take that action. I thought it was very interesting that the researcher Smith explained that people like to do things that bring them pleasure. People make decisions by measuring their brain activity. People act with virtuous actions when the brain releases neurotransmitters and hormone oxytocin. When the brain inhibit oxytocin release then virtue is reduced and selfishness takes over. Like Madoff decided to do an evil thing and steal money from others. Mother Theresa decided to do a good thing and go on a missionary to help out others. There is a lot of good, but I think some people are not satisfy with what they are or have, so they decide to do evil. They win nothing by doing evil. The question "why they did it" will always be asked, and many times we might not understand them.
Are Humans good or evil? I personally think there exists both in this world, I am sure we all have witnessed both good and evil deeds throughout our lives. However, I will say that I personally think people are not naturally evil, I don't think people are born bad or with an evil mind. Perhaps those who act in evil ways are people who were taught to be evil or they simply learned evil ways by watching or experiencing life. This might not be the case for all the evil people that exists in the world but for the most part those who do evil are people with interesting backgrounds. This takes us back to the point made in the article, "we like to do things that brings us pleasure". For Mother Teresa helping those in need gave her pleasure while on the other hand Madoff received pleasure from taking people's money. Perhaps the good and evil people carry within themselves can be measured by how they feel about themselves, their experiences and what brings happiness to them. Once again this proves that perhaps those who do evil are simply victims of the circumstances of life. I will say that there seems to be an equal amount of good and evil people living in the world. Like Zak explains in the article "in a stressful environment humans will step over those in front of them to survive." Does that mean that all those people should be labeled as evil? The answer can vary depending on the situation of course, but I will say that we often tend to put more focus on the evil deeds of human beings rather than the good. We often forget the good things someone did for us but if someone else did something bad we never move on. I guess the good and evil can only be interpreted by how we perceive it those aspects. As for me I think humans carry a little bit of both and they show either/or depending on the situations in which they are found.
In the article "Are Humans Good or Evil", Paul J Zak discusses whether people can be morally good like Mother Teresa who devoted 45 years of her life helping people who were less fortunate or being more selfish like Madoff who embezzeled $18 billion from investors. So now we address the question, are people generally good or evil? Researcher and neuroeconomist Paul J Zak, explains good and evil from a biological and chemical view point. He explains that our brains release a hormone called oxytocin. This hormone makes us feel more sensitive to others feelings increasing the likelihood of what is considered to be good behavior. In my opinion and from reading this short article, I can conclude that people tend to be more good than evil more often. I drew this conclusion because I believe no one is born with evil tendencies. I believe that people go through experiences in life that drive them to make bad decisions, but not many people can be defined as generally evil. People often enjoy to partake in activities that are pleasurable in order to make them happy.
Are Humans Good or Evil? I would probably inherently, humans are selfish creatures. As the article presents though, there are plenty of good people in the world. Mother Teresa, for example, is well known amongst Catholics and Christians as one of the most selfless beings on Earth. There is more to this article than meets the eye though, and I would like the moment to play devil's advocate. There is a hormone released in your body that makes a person feel empathy. However, just because this is released doesn't necessarily mean that your body has to act on it. I also believe that people can enjoy pleasure in twisted ways; Schadenfreude, pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune, is a very real thing in the world. Finally, people are goal-driven. Whether or not it is a good or bad goal is one thing, but the potential for evil to come from it is certainly there. So in my opinion, humans do have more evil in them than good. But, consider the following: Humans have a subconscious they follow in order to not act maliciously. Philosophers identify this as the id, ego, and super-ego, which coincide with the structure of personality. The id is all of the chaotic thoughts in the head of someone's mind, and the ego is the one who acts all of this out as part of the id. The ego has no concept of right and wrong, but the id often times acts on impulse. What prevents the id from taking over the ego and causing havoc is the superego, which has all of the values and morals of society. This superego can make the ego feel guilt, and even prevent him from doing such a thing. If people act on what their superego tells them, then humans can certainly be good. However, not acting on it can make them act evil. So while humans do have more evil in them, they still have the potential to act good. The world isn't burning quite yet, thankfully.
I want to remain positive and say that there is more good than evil in the world, but I have to remain realistic. I would not necessarily even call it evil. I would say that more often than not, rather than initially doing the right thing or making the right decision, people have an internal struggle. They can either choose to benefit the majority or benefit themselves. Many times, people will choose to benefit themselves. It can be something as small as not allowing someone to switch into your lane on the freeway or something as life-altering as murder. When people do choose to help others in some way, one of the unspoken conditions is that it will not affect their life in a negative way or be an inconvenience. I know there are exceptions, of course. Some people are inherently generous and willing to give what they have, no matter the cost. These people are the vast minority though. For the majority, I agree with Zak’s conclusion; it all depends on the context. If we are in a comfortable season in our lives where we are financially and emotionally stable, we are more willing to spread that around to others. However, if we find that we are struggling to scrape by, we will do whatever it takes to reason that point of stability, even if it means hurting others.
In the article "Are Humans Good or Evil?", written by Paul J. Zak, he mentioned something that caught my attention. He said, "When in a stable and safe environment with enough food in our bellies, having a biology of morality sustains our place in the community of humans who help ensure our biological imperatives. In highly stressful, resource poor environments, we'll step on whoever is in front of us if it helps us survive," (Zak). This speaks a lot to me because I believe all people are good, but some are put on a certain path where they do certain things to survive because of the obstacles they face. I have encountered many people who had been to prison for things they had done in the past, but have changed their life. Many have stable jobs, built a family, and a few even attend college now. I understand there are many evil people in the world, but I believe there are many good people who do bad things because they feel as if there is no other way of surviving. So I do believe there is more good than evil, I feel if I viewed it the other way around I myself, would be a negative person.
While the article doesn’t highlight much what, the media portrays, I believe there is better in the world than evil. However, we are constantly surrounded with media telling us how much evil is surrounding us forced to be scared a weary of each other’s. The article talks about the “feel good” feeling oxytocin release into our system, it becomes almost like a drug and we seek more of it, however doing “good” can sometimes be a lot of work. Thus, causing us to do “evil” or lack of good. If anything, I believe that humanity happens a lot around us but sometimes can be so accustomed to things or is expected. When someone genuinely expresses thanks towards a deed you normally do like, hold the door open, say hello first, or even so much as have a nice day. It’s the reaction from the other person which we thrive off. Without acknowledgement of doing something good, we are not sure if it was good or not, eventually doing it less and less.
What I Read Are Humans good or evil? I would say that they are both. The interesting part is to determine what is considered good or bad, and at what degree. For example, I don’t like dogs. I don’t feed the one my daughters have, and I don’t care how dirty she is, or how dirty is her house as well. But, I don’t like when my daughters leave her outside during the hot days, or freezing nights. What does that makes me? There is good people in this world. There is people like Mother Theresa, or Princes Diana. Those ladies were born with a huge heard to do good to humanity. They assisted many people who was suffering on different ways from something bad, probably produced from someone, or something evil. People can do good deeds not only helping each other. Some people spend their time protecting animals, and others do so by protecting our environment. For people to feel the need to do good, it is because something evil or bad is already going on. People is good. Their actions depend on the levels of oxytocin on their brains, and on their decision on how to manage their feelings.
I believe that human beings are capable of both good and evil. The balance between the two depends on many factors. A person’s good or evil can depend on chemical factor such as oxytocin release in the brain, like the article mentions. Other factors such as the circumstances in how an individual was raised (e.g. by what kind of parents, what kind of environment, or surrounded by what type of peers) can also influence and possibly dictate the individual’s behavior. I believe that human beings are inherently good. We are all taught to share with each other and care for each other since childhood. We see positive messages displayed by cartoons and TV shows. We learn that the heroes always prevail and that the villains eventually get the punishment they deserve. We learn to speak kindly of others and not to criticize. We learn to give – not to steal. In a broad sense, yes, humans are good. However, if we were to analyze each human being, we can see that we will possess traits of both good and evil, but we largely choose to act on the good and suppress the evil.
Not all human beings are the same, in fact even identical twins have there own difference when it comes to there ethical beliefs. I strongly believe that human are both capable of both, good and evil. Like the article says, it has been proven that we can be good or evil, by the release of Oxycontin or testosterone. Human can be good or evil in many different factors. For example, parents are one of the biggest influence in someones life. They are the backbone of our ethical beliefs. I, myself that grew up with a strong belief in a higher power, developed my strong empathy for others. My parents always have told me about good karma. Another factor can be the environment that one lived in. One can be a good person or bad one according to the environment that they grew up in. For example, someone that lives in a bad community will most likely to carry on the evil things that the community do. But I also believe that being good or evil also depend on that person it self. I mean in some days one can be evil and on different day one can be good.
After reading the article "Are Humans Good or Evil?", I would have to say humans could be both. As children, we are constantly influenced and shaped by those around us; specially our parents. Both mother and father are important contributors to the final product of their child's personality. In my opinion, if someone has a history of abuse during their childhood, it is more likely that they will develop a social disorder that will ultimately affect their ability to blend in with the rest of society. It is because of this expectation of normalcy, that a psychopath is created. I think serial killers, despite what most believe, are hardly born evil; they are, instead, the result of a lack of love and severe neglect during their childhood. Had they been treated differently, their path to becoming a murderous psychopath could have been prevented. Like I stated previously, humans are not born evil. However, the only reason for us to become evil is if the environment we are surrounded by, encourages bad behavior.
Are humans good or evil? After reading this article, I can say that it varies because humans can be both good and evil. In my opinion it depends on how a child is raised because they then develop factors that they were taught. As a child grows up, they look up to their mom and dad. In this article, it is explained how Mother Teresa of Calcutta, devoted 45 years of her life by giving nothing but help to others. In my opinion humans are not born evil, everyone is born good. It all depends on the person in how they want to live their life, especially how they desire. Some people enjoy doing bad things, which is sad. There is one specific line that caught my attention in this article,"Humans are like social creatures". It's true because we are always wanting to see what others are doing. This article is very meaningful, its true what is said because we are a complicated species both immoral and moral.
As a whole, I find this whole world to be getting more and more evil. Just today, the news announced a sweet, little, five-year-old boy was shot to death while his older, seven-year-old brother lays in the hospital with multiple gun shot wounds. There was no reason this happened, they suspected they were just innocent victims in gang violence. Killing an innocent boy is as evil as it gets. I believe being evil is a heart issue. No one becomes Madoff overnight. People do small things over time and it gets easier and easier to become evil. This isn't to say there aren't good people in the world; there are lots of them. However, as a whole I believe humanity is terribly corrupt and evil. I personally think we will continue to see evil behavior like this.
After reading the article Are Humans Good or Evil, I think that it is left unclear whether there is more evil than good or vise versa. The article is clear when stating that people who live in highly stressful environments are likely to commit evil than a person in a stable and safe environment. I believe this is true because if a person grows up in an environment where there is constant crime they are more likely to commit evil. I work at a high school and I have had students that commit crimes because they live in a stressful environment. For example, I had a student in parallel studies that lived in a group home and was taken to prison for bugler. He had just turned 18 two days before he committed his crime and I remember reading his IEP and it stated that he would say he acted the way he did because he wanted to be like his parents. His parents are both in prison for committing crimes. I have seen other different stories that make me believe that a person in a highly stressful environment is more likely to commit an act of evil. Everything starts from the beginning when a person is a child because they learn from their elders and look up to them. I believe that if they see evil they believe it is normal to be evil. Also, people who raise their kids in a safe and stable environment are more likely to be good and not evil.
Humanity has a balance of good and evil due to the brains chemistry and how we are raised. The Smithian idea was put to the test to discover why humans are selfish or selfless. According to the research people who have a high neurotransmitter hormone have caring behavior whereas the people with a low level of the neurotransmitter hormone dont have empathy. We all come out good or evil depending on how we are raised and the amount of the neurotransmitter hormone oxytocin released in the brain.
I believe the amount of "good" or "evil" mainly depends on the environment of the individual. If an individual is not making the bare minimum such as having shelter and food, I think they will be inclined to do bad, selfish things so they can survive, not because they are necessarily "evil". If all living standards were to be set equally, me being an optimist, believes that people would tend to be more virtuous.
After reading the article and in my opinion I believe that the world is becoming more evil. Watching the news on a daily basis all you see is negativity. Homicides seem to be occurring everywhere across the world. It is very rare that we see individuals helping one another. Most of the time if an individual helps someone else its for their own self benefit. I without a doubt believe we are becoming more evil and are here to survive. Its sad to see the world transition into this but it would take a lot to keep it from continuing down this path.
The article has a few good points about human nature, especially in regard to the environment of a person affecting their morals. Overall I would say we live in an evil world, but that doesn't make us evil. I believe we all are aware of what is good and evil, and those who act upon evil will eventually drown out the voice of good. There are very evil things that happen in the world, but I know that on the opposite spectrum that there are also really good things going on as well. Your perspective definitely matters, almost like the "half empty, half full" mindset. Are you readily looking for the evil in people, or more apt to see the good and positive things? I don't necessarily believe there is a definite answer to the question whether humans are more good or evil, but we have the option everyday to be better or worse than the day before.
I believe humans always commit acts based on the morals they were raised with. Therefore, I think there is a balance between good and evil. I believe that if a kid is brought up with proper disciplines such as: respect, kindness, and the intelligence to not easily become influenced into making incorrect choices, then I believe this kid will always do good and pass these disciplines on to incoming generations. For example, even though my father's family was poor they never experienced greed in between themselves (nine, including my grandparents). My dad has told me that if one of them got a hold of a piece of bread, that person would take it home and share it with the rest. Now that's amazing! On the contrary, if a kid is raised with none of these, especially if they are fostered or become homeless, then they tend to go towards the delinquent (evil) route. I think that they just witness so many bad acts that they soon begin to believe it's the correct way to behave. I also believe that they start thinking these bad choices are a tactic to survive, or that can be used to express emotion.
I feel that humanity has more good than bad people in society as a whole. I do also believe that people who commit evil acts receive much more attention or notoriety for their evil acts that they become more memorable in the minds of many. Compared to people who are empathetic, have good morals, and would assist a person in need, those don't generate as many stories in the news. I found the article we read interesting as it describes five percent of people as either evil or good and the rest of society falling in between. This whole idea of does humanity have more good or evil reminded me of a quote from author/philosopher Sam Harris, "Most people think there are a lot of bad people running around in the world. There aren't a lot of bad people, there are a lot of bad ideas, and bad ideas are worse than bad people because bad ideas are contagious-bad ideas get good people to do horrible things". I liked this quote because it reminds me that people are good but many times how they were raised may bring out negative views on the world or people.
After reading this article, I asked myself many questions about good and evil. I thought the author mentioned several interesting examples related to his theory. However, I believe the divide between good and evil is even more complex than black and white. People have choices every day and I believe there is a balance of both good and evil. People are not perfect, we make mistakes, and I think that is part of the human experience. As an entire species, I’m sure there is a balance of both, negative and positive energy. Although, the world may come together in peace, when there is uncontrollable chaos.
I personally agree with the author that mostly moral dominates in humanity. Thus, I believe that humanity has more good than evil. It is important to also considered what the author said that in times of stress, humanity may be more bad than good depending on the situation. While reading the article it reminded me of the show "The Walking Dead" in how humanity turned more bad than good in times of stress when survival needs were higher. However, as I look around me and the environment that surrounds me I have witnessed more good than evil, maybe I have been lucky but I know that people around me are not going after me and causing me or people I know any type of harm. Now, I look at the world in general and I see both good and evil. Evil acts seem to cause headlines in the news and in social media, maybe more than acts of kindness which may cause people to believe that humanity has more evil than good. We have seen evils acts throughout history such as wars, and evil acts against people based on gender, color, and race. Nonetheless, good has always sustain in humanity, we see it around us and it is what keeps society intact. Thus, I think of evil people as rotten apples in a tree; even though the tree may have a few bad apples, it does not mean that the rest of the tree is bad.
I think humanity is more good. I think people have some kind of the moral compass. I think if you look at the world today people are being ore supportive of on another. There is so much good in this world and even though I believe, or would like to believe, that there is less evil. The evil in the world is strong and it's heavy. Overall these things depend on how an individual is nurtured. I truly believe that there are ore good people in the world than bad but both are capable of doing both good and bad things. Lastly, as a side bar, I'm glad there are few truly evil people in the world, not glad that they exist, but that there are less of them than good people.
After reading the article and the research they conducted, I believe that humans are influenced by their environment. Like the article said, when in a stable environment, we tend to have more good in us, versus being in an unstable environment, where we do whatever is necessary in order to survive. Recently, all the media reports is evil in this world (shootings, discrimination, gangs, violence, etc). However, there are also many good people in this world.
After reading the article, I found out that the overwhelming majority of the people are dual (in between good and bad). The minority are considered either very good or very bad. No one can be sure whether humanity has more good or evil. The world’s population is also uncountable, and we cannot see everybody’s actions 24/7. When I read the article, I found out that there are selfish people and virtuous people. The selfish people use their own survival skills in the wrong way to benefit themselves, no matter how big or small the extent of their deeds are. The virtuous people use their own skills to benefit other people. Good and bad depend on the following factors (even though they are not conclusive): motivations (greed vs. consideration), levels of oxytocin, genes, and the environment (people’s company and the cities they live in). I learned that people with higher oxytocin levels are virtuous, and that people with lower oxytocin levels are selfish (according to the experiment). This topic reminds me of the book known as The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll was the good character, and Mr. Hyde was the evil character. Dr. Jekyll formulated a potion to separate the forces of good and evil. When he drank the potion, he transformed into Mr. Hyde. Mr. Hyde did a lot of bad things, and he would drink the potion and turn into Dr. Jekyll. These same transformations continued, until Dr. Jekyll was buried. I would also let you know that certain adults and children, who are exposed to certain video games, television shows, and movies can be affected negatively. This is because these people’s brains are like sponges. I realized that lots of scientists/psychologists are doing substantive research. Overall, I enjoyed this article.
This article was really something to read. Because I have taken tons of classes that revolved around the topic of humans and the validity of if we are good or bad. From my personal experiences and research, I've come to the realization that humans are equally good and bad. We are good and bad due to our natural instincts of survival of the fittest. We as humans do anything we need to do to survive. We do anything we have to do to make sure we are happy in life. Think about criminals. Criminals are usually born into low poverty, high rates of crime areas so they have no choice but to revert to crime and use crime as a way to make a living. Its interesting how things work hand to hand. If it were not any drug dealers it wouldn't be any jobs for the government officials who work drugs. I can't say either or is greater than the other due to our history. Because humans have done so horrible things, but also have done some incredible things that are still talked about till this very day.
After reading the article, I think the answer to the question depends on society and how the media portrays us. We all see and hear many stories about all the evil happening in the world, but rarely see all the good happening. There could be two stories about something bad happening and we hear about both, yet ten good things happening and we only hear about one. I have to agree with the author and what he says at the end of the article, “The exceptions to this rule are the five percent of the population who I've found do not have an oxytocin response and are pathologically selfish like Madoff, and another few percent who are nearly pathologically virtuous like Mother Teresa. The rest of us vacillate between good and evil.” I feel like the majority of our population fall in between; not evil, but not Mother Teresa either. I also believe that we as humans are heavily influenced the environment and those around us. It takes a strong person to not be a follower. Keeping this in mind I believe people with good intentions can be pressured to do evil things. I don’t think there is a correct answer of whether humanity is more good or evil. Each person wakes up every day and has the power to choose whether to be good or evil.
As we are born, none of us are good or evil, we are just alive and ready to dice into this funny little thing called life. This week's article made me ponder about our behaviors and where they are born. Unless you are a psychopaths, because psychopaths lack empathy and unfortunately cannot gain empathy, I believe we are all naturally good. Deep down there is not an "evil" soul; more like there are "evil" decisions that occur among humanity. In the article, oxytocin is presented and it talks about how it contributes to out cognitive psychology. Oxytocin makes one feel good, which therefore results in good decision making and vice versa. Lack of oxytocin makes one feel bad. We gain oxytocin when we engage in activities that we enjoy and make us happy. With that said, perhaps people who make bad decisions lack happiness or satisfaction in their life. This lack of happiness could possibly have been present all their life. I believe we are the way we are depending on the amount of oxytocin we have. To sum it up, there is no good or evil. The only "evil" that exists are the decisions we make which depends on our cognitive psychology.
After reading the article, I feel that there is more evil than good. I agree that human beings react to their surroundings. We're content and won't bother anyone else if we're "well off" or have what we need. But, if we're struggling for basic needs and need to feed our loved ones, we will fight for whatever is needed. After coming to this conclusion, I feel that there is more evil because there aren't very many "well off" individuals as there are struggling. Even if one isn't struggling, but they're not the richest, they will fight to be. I also feel that others will praise whoever they think is the most "popular" from social media, etc. This is depicted in the Bernie Madoff case and others were questioning how he could be cheered on for doing something evil. A lot of people felt like they couldn't look down on him because everyone else is cheering him on, which creates followers and more evil. On the contrary, I do know that there is good in the world. There are a lot of individuals who will show that there is still faith in humanity. I believe that we should follow these individuals and stop being so selfish. We need to stop making discussing so much evil on the news and social media and show more of the good. I've heard a lot of stories of individuals doing horrible things so that they can become "famous". I feel that exploiting more good deeds would have a great change in creating more good than evil.
I believe we are all evil in some sort of way but we are also good. I don’t think we are evil in the sense of hurting others physically but evil in the sense that we make bad decisions that may not be so good. The people that we become comes from the people we surround ourselves with. After reading this article I learned that oxytocin makes us feel empathy and by doing so increases our sensitivity to the feelings of those around us. Oxytocin is released by doing good things, not everyone is engaged in positive acts which could explain why they may act "evil". Bad people can turn themselves around before it is to late but it is a matter of them making the right decisions. Even though I think we are all evil in some way I believe there is more good in us than evil.
I want to believe that humanity has more good than evil. Like it says in the article “we cannot help but share in the joy and pain of those around us.” this makes me think that us as humans want to do good because that feeling reflects on us, in our souls. I also believe that we avoid things that cause us pain, like the article explained or even hearing about sad news we feel for other people that are going through bad situations. Survival also has a lot to do with the way we act we do whatever it takes in order to survive. In that way, I feel that we may be evil we forget about any kindness that we have and become selfish. In the end humanity will always tend to be more good as long as we have the ability to do so.
Humanity seems to have a variety of good and evil, always varying depending on where in the world it’s being observed. Majority of humanity seems to be more evil in different ways. Nowadays, residents always keep their doors locked shut in order to keep out criminals because of how humanity has leaned more evil. Society has changed the way they behave in order to adapt, which makes humanity even more evil to protect themselves. In the news, there are mostly stories about negative subjects like crime and fewer stories about acts of kindness. There is some good in humanity but it does not make up for all the evil.
I thought this article was so interesting because I never really thought of thinking that there was a biological component for acting the way we do.The author explained how our body generally wants to avoid pain, so we will avoid actions that would cause us pain. Similarly, we enjoy experiencing the joy of others because it brings us pleasure. I would have to say that a majority of humanity seems to have more good. It may not appear that way because of what the media chooses to highlight, but I see kind acts being performed daily. Even the most simple act of holding open a door for someone behind you is still an act of kindness. I truthfully think that there is more good out there than we are led to believe. I could only hope that there is more good than evil. I think that if there is a reaction in our body that takes place after doing virtuous acts that more people would desire to do those acts. I do not think that most people walk around in this world and think about what evil act they should perform today, but I do think that people spend a lot of time thinking about what they can do to help someone on a regular basis. Though we cannot deny the evil acts that others perform, but I believe that a majority of peoples' moral compasses desire to do good. We desire to good for ourselves and for others.
The good vs. evil question can be a difficult one to answer. Depending upon your life experiences, cultural and physical up bringing, and religious preference one could easily out weigh the other. After reading the article “Are Humans Good or Evil?” by researcher and neuroeconomist Paul J. Zak I was surprised by the idea that there could be a biological component or possible scientific answer to this question. I personally feel that humans are more good than evil. I believe humans have a natural ability to care for and show love to others. I do believe that evil is present in our lives and could easily tempt or over come an individual. This is the case especially if an individual has experienced an act of violence, hate, or hurt of any kind. I also believe that evil feeds evil so it can spread like wild fire. Also, when considering the nature vs nurture theory I can see where people would take to evil type of acts to survive. But overall, I feel that we as humans are good not evil.
!!!!NO MEETING THIS SATURDAY!!!! (we will meet later in the semester)
EMAIL: bschmoll@csub.edu
Greetings,
This course has some weekly assignments that you must keep up on. There are also a few other papers and books to read throughout the semester. But if you keep up with the weekly assignments on here, your writing will improve and you will put yourself in a great position to do well in this class!
These are time sensitive. You do not receive credit if you write them after the deadline(Saturday) each week. Furthermore, if you are in the habit of writing everything on Saturday you will not receive full credit. Why? There would be no time for others to interact with your writing. Write early; write often! Right? Right!
HERE IS THE WORK THAT MUST BE COMPLETED EACH WEEK...
FIRST, there's a blog entry (about 250 words) which will have you respond to a hopefully thought-provoking question. Each week, you must do the blog entry with enough time left in the week to be able to enter into dialogue online with your classmates. Write, reply, write more, reply more, and then write and reply more.
SECOND, there's a reading. There’s no blog entry associated with this. Just read.
THIRD, there's a written response to the reading. Your reading and writing on the blog must be completed by the SATURDAY (by midnight) of the week in which the reading falls. This entry should be a long paragraph. YOU DO NOT NEED TO RESPOND TO OTHER STUDENTS IN PART THREE EACH WEEK.
After reading the article “Are Humans Good or Evil?” by researcher and neuroeconomist Paul J. Zak I have clarified my thoughts about the biological theory to human behavior. There is no such thing as a “more good or more evil” human being, besides the outliers like Mother Theresa and Madoff. The rest of the humanity wavers between both good and evil, as stated by researchers. This can be due to our physiology and neurochemistry. As far as the biological theory to human behavior, researchers state that when oxytocin, the love hormone is restrain we see more selfishness behaviors among individuals. This statement is also reciprocal, meaning that when oxytocin is high we see more empathic actions among people. If only it would be as easy as curing everyone with oxytocin medication. Our environment can also play a huge role in our morality patterns. Researchers were able to emphasize on the evolutionary theory survival of the fittest. When individuals are at lower social economic environment, it is likely that they will step over who ever to help assure their needs. I take we preform and achieve our best when we are healthy human beings. Take home message; make your health a priority so that your brain neurotransmitters are release and bin successfully.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, I honestly believe that there is not certain theory as to why someone acts "more evil" or "more good". I believe that humanity as a whole are people that want to do good. I always believe that when someone needs to pull through for you, they will pull through for you. I do not feel as if people wake up in the morning and say to themselves that, "Ohh whose life am I going to ruin today?!" I believe that people have the natural instinct to help one each other because thats exactly what they would want done to them if they were ever in that situation. It is also crazy to see because the people who are completely selfless and offer the most help, are the ones who are going through the toughest times.
ReplyDelete"So, what's the answer, does humanity seem to have more good or evil?"
ReplyDeleteI think the evil acts of the few outweigh the good acts of the many; especially when one considers the evil acts done by dictators like Hitler, Stalin, Hussein, Baby Doc Duvalier, Nicolae Ceaușescu, Idi Amin, Kim Jung-on, and other like them. The fact that a single man could command such blind obedience and be responsible for committing such horrific atrocities goes beyond my ability of comprehension.
It is interesting to see how chemicals in the brain can dictate one to commit good or evil acts.
On a whole, I feel humanity is more good than evil, but the evil acts of the few outweigh the good of the many, as stated previously. I think sociocultural environment combined with one's upbringing, and other intangibles plays a part in the dictation of one being good or evil for the most part. There are exceptions in that some individuals are just inherently evil despite coming from better than ideal circumstances, sociopaths being among the exceptions.
Humanity "seems" to have more evil in it than good. This is because the media tends to cover stories that are negative and degrading much more than the good heart felt stories. Humanity seems to outweigh the good with the bad and that is just how it is. People seem to get more riled up about evil things than good and that is exactly what the media wants. Even though there are so many negative and evil news headlines, this doesn't mean there are more bad people than good people. I actually believe believe there are probably many more good people in this world than bad. Being someone who is selfless and kind will lead to a life of happiness.
ReplyDeleteUsing the article “Are Humans Good or Evil” by Paul J. Zak to answer the question if humanity seems to have more good or evil, I have to say that it is whatever you want to make it. Madoff was an evil person and Mother Theresa was the good person. Like Zak mentioned in the article, we like to do things that bring us pleasure. Everyone has a different idea of pleasure and our body and minds are different from one another. The pleasure of Mother Theresa was helping others while Madoff’s was to take others money. Also he mentions about oxytocin, the love hormone. If someone is surrounded by people who bring them down and suffer, they are going to want to harm or bring down the people who are progressing in life because they want everyone to be the same. The same thing works when a person is happy and progressing in life. If you’re happy and progressing, you want others to be in the same boat as you. You make life the way you want it to be. If you don’t allow people to bring you down, then you will be happy and want to spread joy doing good things. If you let people bring you down, then you are prone to do bad things because happiness to you is different than other peoples happiness. There is no “more good” or “more evil,” its just how you want to perceive life as.
ReplyDeleteThe Article "Are Humans Good or Evil", does a lot of explaining about the morality of humans from a biological and chemical stand point. The chemical oxytocin is important in the emotional decisions we make, because when it is released we feel more sensitive and concerned with others feelings. This still does not give an exact answer to the question are humans good or evil, but an important point made is that humans are always evolving therefore so will their virtues and vices. Being able to have a sense of empathy is also what makes us human, therefore when people release oxytocin and are empathic towards others, we are mostly a moral species. Our surroundings are a large factor that effects our morality, and Paul Zak reiterates this when he states "virtue derives from our innately social nature in which we cannot help but share in the joy and pain of those around us".
ReplyDeleteI believe humanity has more good than evil. However, what may be good to one group may be seen as evil to another. I think that good and evil is based on how society determines what is good and what is evil. In the article, Paul Zak identifies virtuous and vice. I think sometimes people have to be both. We sometimes have to be vices to get where we want to be and that doesn't make us an evil person if were trying to do something good with our lives. Also sometimes on the way we may be virtuous and help others but we are not always thinking about others. At the end of the day we are responsible for ourselves. Humanity is not evil if people look out for themselves; they are only evil if it causes harm to another. For instance, Paul Zak explains that in a stressful environment humans will step over those in front of them to survive. Does that make a person evil? It depends from which point of view you see it because in a stressful environment we are all only trying to do good and survive. This may be a vice but in reality we are humans and what may be right to one person may be wrong to another. It's a non ending thing which bring me back to that humans are more good than evil because we are all different and only try to do good; although it may not be good in others eyes.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article, "Are Humans good or Evil" by Paul J. Zak, I think there is both good and evil in this world. But I think everyone knows what is good and what is bad, but sometimes even knowing that it is bad they seem to take that action. I thought it was very interesting that the researcher Smith explained that people like to do things that bring them pleasure. People make decisions by measuring their brain activity. People act with virtuous actions when the brain releases neurotransmitters and hormone oxytocin. When the brain inhibit oxytocin release then virtue is reduced and selfishness takes over. Like Madoff decided to do an evil thing and steal money from others. Mother Theresa decided to do a good thing and go on a missionary to help out others. There is a lot of good, but I think some people are not satisfy with what they are or have, so they decide to do evil. They win nothing by doing evil. The question "why they did it" will always be asked, and many times we might not understand them.
ReplyDeleteAre Humans good or evil? I personally think there exists both in this world, I am sure we all have witnessed both good and evil deeds throughout our lives. However, I will say that I personally think people are not naturally evil, I don't think people are born bad or with an evil mind. Perhaps those who act in evil ways are people who were taught to be evil or they simply learned evil ways by watching or experiencing life. This might not be the case for all the evil people that exists in the world but for the most part those who do evil are people with interesting backgrounds. This takes us back to the point made in the article, "we like to do things that brings us pleasure". For Mother Teresa helping those in need gave her pleasure while on the other hand Madoff received pleasure from taking people's money. Perhaps the good and evil people carry within themselves can be measured by how they feel about themselves, their experiences and what brings happiness to them. Once again this proves that perhaps those who do evil are simply victims of the circumstances of life. I will say that there seems to be an equal amount of good and evil people living in the world. Like Zak explains in the article "in a stressful environment humans will step over those in front of them to survive." Does that mean that all those people should be labeled as evil? The answer can vary depending on the situation of course, but I will say that we often tend to put more focus on the evil deeds of human beings rather than the good. We often forget the good things someone did for us but if someone else did something bad we never move on. I guess the good and evil can only be interpreted by how we perceive it those aspects. As for me I think humans carry a little bit of both and they show either/or depending on the situations in which they are found.
ReplyDeleteIn the article "Are Humans Good or Evil", Paul J Zak discusses whether people can be morally good like Mother Teresa who devoted 45 years of her life helping people who were less fortunate or being more selfish like Madoff who embezzeled $18 billion from investors. So now we address the question, are people generally good or evil? Researcher and neuroeconomist Paul J Zak, explains good and evil from a biological and chemical view point. He explains that our brains release a hormone called oxytocin. This hormone makes us feel more sensitive to others feelings increasing the likelihood of what is considered to be good behavior. In my opinion and from reading this short article, I can conclude that people tend to be more good than evil more often. I drew this conclusion because I believe no one is born with evil tendencies. I believe that people go through experiences in life that drive them to make bad decisions, but not many people can be defined as generally evil. People often enjoy to partake in activities that are pleasurable in order to make them happy.
ReplyDeleteAre Humans Good or Evil? I would probably inherently, humans are selfish creatures. As the article presents though, there are plenty of good people in the world. Mother Teresa, for example, is well known amongst Catholics and Christians as one of the most selfless beings on Earth. There is more to this article than meets the eye though, and I would like the moment to play devil's advocate. There is a hormone released in your body that makes a person feel empathy. However, just because this is released doesn't necessarily mean that your body has to act on it. I also believe that people can enjoy pleasure in twisted ways; Schadenfreude, pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune, is a very real thing in the world. Finally, people are goal-driven. Whether or not it is a good or bad goal is one thing, but the potential for evil to come from it is certainly there. So in my opinion, humans do have more evil in them than good. But, consider the following: Humans have a subconscious they follow in order to not act maliciously. Philosophers identify this as the id, ego, and super-ego, which coincide with the structure of personality. The id is all of the chaotic thoughts in the head of someone's mind, and the ego is the one who acts all of this out as part of the id. The ego has no concept of right and wrong, but the id often times acts on impulse. What prevents the id from taking over the ego and causing havoc is the superego, which has all of the values and morals of society. This superego can make the ego feel guilt, and even prevent him from doing such a thing. If people act on what their superego tells them, then humans can certainly be good. However, not acting on it can make them act evil. So while humans do have more evil in them, they still have the potential to act good. The world isn't burning quite yet, thankfully.
ReplyDeleteI want to remain positive and say that there is more good than evil in the world, but I have to remain realistic. I would not necessarily even call it evil. I would say that more often than not, rather than initially doing the right thing or making the right decision, people have an internal struggle. They can either choose to benefit the majority or benefit themselves. Many times, people will choose to benefit themselves. It can be something as small as not allowing someone to switch into your lane on the freeway or something as life-altering as murder. When people do choose to help others in some way, one of the unspoken conditions is that it will not affect their life in a negative way or be an inconvenience. I know there are exceptions, of course. Some people are inherently generous and willing to give what they have, no matter the cost. These people are the vast minority though. For the majority, I agree with Zak’s conclusion; it all depends on the context. If we are in a comfortable season in our lives where we are financially and emotionally stable, we are more willing to spread that around to others. However, if we find that we are struggling to scrape by, we will do whatever it takes to reason that point of stability, even if it means hurting others.
ReplyDeleteIn the article "Are Humans Good or Evil?", written by Paul J. Zak, he mentioned something that caught my attention. He said, "When in a stable and safe environment with enough food in our bellies, having a biology of morality sustains our place in the community of humans who help ensure our biological imperatives. In highly stressful, resource poor environments, we'll step on whoever is in front of us if it helps us survive," (Zak). This speaks a lot to me because I believe all people are good, but some are put on a certain path where they do certain things to survive because of the obstacles they face. I have encountered many people who had been to prison for things they had done in the past, but have changed their life. Many have stable jobs, built a family, and a few even attend college now. I understand there are many evil people in the world, but I believe there are many good people who do bad things because they feel as if there is no other way of surviving. So I do believe there is more good than evil, I feel if I viewed it the other way around I myself, would be a negative person.
ReplyDeleteWhile the article doesn’t highlight much what, the media portrays, I believe there is better in the world than evil. However, we are constantly surrounded with media telling us how much evil is surrounding us forced to be scared a weary of each other’s. The article talks about the “feel good” feeling oxytocin release into our system, it becomes almost like a drug and we seek more of it, however doing “good” can sometimes be a lot of work. Thus, causing us to do “evil” or lack of good. If anything, I believe that humanity happens a lot around us but sometimes can be so accustomed to things or is expected. When someone genuinely expresses thanks towards a deed you normally do like, hold the door open, say hello first, or even so much as have a nice day. It’s the reaction from the other person which we thrive off. Without acknowledgement of doing something good, we are not sure if it was good or not, eventually doing it less and less.
ReplyDeleteWhat I Read Are Humans good or evil? I would say that they are both. The interesting part is to determine what is considered good or bad, and at what degree. For example, I don’t like dogs. I don’t feed the one my daughters have, and I don’t care how dirty she is, or how dirty is her house as well. But, I don’t like when my daughters leave her outside during the hot days, or freezing nights. What does that makes me? There is good people in this world. There is people like Mother Theresa, or Princes Diana. Those ladies were born with a huge heard to do good to humanity. They assisted many people who was suffering on different ways from something bad, probably produced from someone, or something evil. People can do good deeds not only helping each other. Some people spend their time protecting animals, and others do so by protecting our environment. For people to feel the need to do good, it is because something evil or bad is already going on. People is good. Their actions depend on the levels of oxytocin on their brains, and on their decision on how to manage their feelings.
ReplyDeleteI believe that human beings are capable of both good and evil. The balance between the two depends on many factors. A person’s good or evil can depend on chemical factor such as oxytocin release in the brain, like the article mentions. Other factors such as the circumstances in how an individual was raised (e.g. by what kind of parents, what kind of environment, or surrounded by what type of peers) can also influence and possibly dictate the individual’s behavior. I believe that human beings are inherently good. We are all taught to share with each other and care for each other since childhood. We see positive messages displayed by cartoons and TV shows. We learn that the heroes always prevail and that the villains eventually get the punishment they deserve. We learn to speak kindly of others and not to criticize. We learn to give – not to steal. In a broad sense, yes, humans are good. However, if we were to analyze each human being, we can see that we will possess traits of both good and evil, but we largely choose to act on the good and suppress the evil.
ReplyDeleteNot all human beings are the same, in fact even identical twins have there own difference when it comes to there ethical beliefs. I strongly believe that human are both capable of both, good and evil. Like the article says, it has been proven that we can be good or evil, by the release of Oxycontin or testosterone. Human can be good or evil in many different factors. For example, parents are one of the biggest influence in someones life. They are the backbone of our ethical beliefs. I, myself that grew up with a strong belief in a higher power, developed my strong empathy for others. My parents always have told me about good karma. Another factor can be the environment that one lived in. One can be a good person or bad one according to the environment that they grew up in. For example, someone that lives in a bad community will most likely to carry on the evil things that the community do. But I also believe that being good or evil also depend on that person it self. I mean in some days one can be evil and on different day one can be good.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article "Are Humans Good or Evil?", I would have to say humans could be both. As children, we are constantly influenced and shaped by those around us; specially our parents. Both mother and father are important contributors to the final product of their child's personality. In my opinion, if someone has a history of abuse during their childhood, it is more likely that they will develop a social disorder that will ultimately affect their ability to blend in with the rest of society. It is because of this expectation of normalcy, that a psychopath is created. I think serial killers, despite what most believe, are hardly born evil; they are, instead, the result of a lack of love and severe neglect during their childhood. Had they been treated differently, their path to becoming a murderous psychopath could have been prevented. Like I stated previously, humans are not born evil. However, the only reason for us to become evil is if the environment we are surrounded by, encourages bad behavior.
ReplyDeleteAre humans good or evil? After reading this article, I can say that it varies because humans can be both good and evil. In my opinion it depends on how a child is raised because they then develop factors that they were taught. As a child grows up, they look up to their mom and dad. In this article, it is explained how Mother Teresa of Calcutta, devoted 45 years of her life by giving nothing but help to others. In my opinion humans are not born evil, everyone is born good. It all depends on the person in how they want to live their life, especially how they desire. Some people enjoy doing bad things, which is sad. There is one specific line that caught my attention in this article,"Humans are like social creatures". It's true because we are always wanting to see what others are doing.
ReplyDeleteThis article is very meaningful, its true what is said because we are a complicated species both immoral and moral.
As a whole, I find this whole world to be getting more and more evil. Just today, the news announced a sweet, little, five-year-old boy was shot to death while his older, seven-year-old brother lays in the hospital with multiple gun shot wounds. There was no reason this happened, they suspected they were just innocent victims in gang violence. Killing an innocent boy is as evil as it gets. I believe being evil is a heart issue. No one becomes Madoff overnight. People do small things over time and it gets easier and easier to become evil. This isn't to say there aren't good people in the world; there are lots of them. However, as a whole I believe humanity is terribly corrupt and evil. I personally think we will continue to see evil behavior like this.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article Are Humans Good or Evil, I think that it is left unclear whether there is more evil than good or vise versa. The article is clear when stating that people who live in highly stressful environments are likely to commit evil than a person in a stable and safe environment. I believe this is true because if a person grows up in an environment where there is constant crime they are more likely to commit evil. I work at a high school and I have had students that commit crimes because they live in a stressful environment. For example, I had a student in parallel studies that lived in a group home and was taken to prison for bugler. He had just turned 18 two days before he committed his crime and I remember reading his IEP and it stated that he would say he acted the way he did because he wanted to be like his parents. His parents are both in prison for committing crimes. I have seen other different stories that make me believe that a person in a highly stressful environment is more likely to commit an act of evil. Everything starts from the beginning when a person is a child because they learn from their elders and look up to them. I believe that if they see evil they believe it is normal to be evil. Also, people who raise their kids in a safe and stable environment are more likely to be good and not evil.
ReplyDeleteHumanity has a balance of good and evil due to the brains chemistry and how we are raised. The Smithian idea was put to the test to discover why humans are selfish or selfless. According to the research people who have a high neurotransmitter hormone have caring behavior whereas the people with a low level of the neurotransmitter hormone dont have empathy. We all come out good or evil depending on how we are raised and the amount of the neurotransmitter hormone oxytocin released in the brain.
ReplyDeleteI believe the amount of "good" or "evil" mainly depends on the environment of the individual. If an individual is not making the bare minimum such as having shelter and food, I think they will be inclined to do bad, selfish things so they can survive, not because they are necessarily "evil". If all living standards were to be set equally, me being an optimist, believes that people would tend to be more virtuous.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article and in my opinion I believe that the world is becoming more evil. Watching the news on a daily basis all you see is negativity. Homicides seem to be occurring everywhere across the world. It is very rare that we see individuals helping one another. Most of the time if an individual helps someone else its for their own self benefit. I without a doubt believe we are becoming more evil and are here to survive. Its sad to see the world transition into this but it would take a lot to keep it from continuing down this path.
ReplyDeleteThe article has a few good points about human nature, especially in regard to the environment of a person affecting their morals. Overall I would say we live in an evil world, but that doesn't make us evil. I believe we all are aware of what is good and evil, and those who act upon evil will eventually drown out the voice of good. There are very evil things that happen in the world, but I know that on the opposite spectrum that there are also really good things going on as well. Your perspective definitely matters, almost like the "half empty, half full" mindset. Are you readily looking for the evil in people, or more apt to see the good and positive things? I don't necessarily believe there is a definite answer to the question whether humans are more good or evil, but we have the option everyday to be better or worse than the day before.
ReplyDeleteDoes humanity seem to have more good or evil?
ReplyDeleteI believe humans always commit acts based on the morals they were raised with. Therefore, I think there is a balance between good and evil. I believe that if a kid is brought up with proper disciplines such as: respect, kindness, and the intelligence to not easily become influenced into making incorrect choices, then I believe this kid will always do good and pass these disciplines on to incoming generations. For example, even though my father's family was poor they never experienced greed in between themselves (nine, including my grandparents). My dad has told me that if one of them got a hold of a piece of bread, that person would take it home and share it with the rest. Now that's amazing! On the contrary, if a kid is raised with none of these, especially if they are fostered or become homeless, then they tend to go towards the delinquent (evil) route. I think that they just witness so many bad acts that they soon begin to believe it's the correct way to behave. I also believe that they start thinking these bad choices are a tactic to survive, or that can be used to express emotion.
I feel that humanity has more good than bad people in society as a whole. I do also believe that people who commit evil acts receive much more attention or notoriety for their evil acts that they become more memorable in the minds of many. Compared to people who are empathetic, have good morals, and would assist a person in need, those don't generate as many stories in the news. I found the article we read interesting as it describes five percent of people as either evil or good and the rest of society falling in between. This whole idea of does humanity have more good or evil reminded me of a quote from author/philosopher Sam Harris, "Most people think there are a lot of bad people running around in the world. There aren't a lot of bad people, there are a lot of bad ideas, and bad ideas are worse than bad people because bad ideas are contagious-bad ideas get good people to do horrible things". I liked this quote because it reminds me that people are good but many times how they were raised may bring out negative views on the world or people.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, I asked myself many questions about good and evil. I thought the author mentioned several interesting examples related to his theory. However, I believe the divide between good and evil is even more complex than black and white. People have choices every day and I believe there is a balance of both good and evil. People are not perfect, we make mistakes, and I think that is part of the human experience. As an entire species, I’m sure there is a balance of both, negative and positive energy. Although, the world may come together in peace, when there is uncontrollable chaos.
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ReplyDeleteI personally agree with the author that mostly moral dominates in humanity. Thus, I believe that humanity has more good than evil. It is important to also considered what the author said that in times of stress, humanity may be more bad than good depending on the situation. While reading the article it reminded me of the show "The Walking Dead" in how humanity turned more bad than good in times of stress when survival needs were higher. However, as I look around me and the environment that surrounds me I have witnessed more good than evil, maybe I have been lucky but I know that people around me are not going after me and causing me or people I know any type of harm. Now, I look at the world in general and I see both good and evil. Evil acts seem to cause headlines in the news and in social media, maybe more than acts of kindness which may cause people to believe that humanity has more evil than good. We have seen evils acts throughout history such as wars, and evil acts against people based on gender, color, and race. Nonetheless, good has always sustain in humanity, we see it around us and it is what keeps society intact. Thus, I think of evil people as rotten apples in a tree; even though the tree may have a few bad apples, it does not mean that the rest of the tree is bad.
ReplyDeleteI think humanity is more good. I think people have some kind of the moral compass. I think if you look at the world today people are being ore supportive of on another. There is so much good in this world and even though I believe, or would like to believe, that there is less evil. The evil in the world is strong and it's heavy. Overall these things depend on how an individual is nurtured. I truly believe that there are ore good people in the world than bad but both are capable of doing both good and bad things. Lastly, as a side bar, I'm glad there are few truly evil people in the world, not glad that they exist, but that there are less of them than good people.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article and the research they conducted, I believe that humans are influenced by their environment. Like the article said, when in a stable environment, we tend to have more good in us, versus being in an unstable environment, where we do whatever is necessary in order to survive.
ReplyDeleteRecently, all the media reports is evil in this world (shootings, discrimination, gangs, violence, etc). However, there are also many good people in this world.
After reading the article, I found out that the overwhelming majority of the people are dual (in between good and bad). The minority are considered either very good or very bad. No one can be sure whether humanity has more good or evil. The world’s population is also uncountable, and we cannot see everybody’s actions 24/7. When I read the article, I found out that there are selfish people and virtuous people. The selfish people use their own survival skills in the wrong way to benefit themselves, no matter how big or small the extent of their deeds are. The virtuous people use their own skills to benefit other people. Good and bad depend on the following factors (even though they are not conclusive): motivations (greed vs. consideration), levels of oxytocin, genes, and the environment (people’s company and the cities they live in). I learned that people with higher oxytocin levels are virtuous, and that people with lower oxytocin levels are selfish (according to the experiment). This topic reminds me of the book known as The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll was the good character, and Mr. Hyde was the evil character. Dr. Jekyll formulated a potion to separate the forces of good and evil. When he drank the potion, he transformed into Mr. Hyde. Mr. Hyde did a lot of bad things, and he would drink the potion and turn into Dr. Jekyll. These same transformations continued, until Dr. Jekyll was buried. I would also let you know that certain adults and children, who are exposed to certain video games, television shows, and movies can be affected negatively. This is because these people’s brains are like sponges. I realized that lots of scientists/psychologists are doing substantive research. Overall, I enjoyed this article.
ReplyDeleteThis article was really something to read. Because I have taken tons of classes that revolved around the topic of humans and the validity of if we are good or bad. From my personal experiences and research, I've come to the realization that humans are equally good and bad. We are good and bad due to our natural instincts of survival of the fittest. We as humans do anything we need to do to survive. We do anything we have to do to make sure we are happy in life. Think about criminals. Criminals are usually born into low poverty, high rates of crime areas so they have no choice but to revert to crime and use crime as a way to make a living. Its interesting how things work hand to hand. If it were not any drug dealers it wouldn't be any jobs for the government officials who work drugs. I can't say either or is greater than the other due to our history. Because humans have done so horrible things, but also have done some incredible things that are still talked about till this very day.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article, I think the answer to the question depends on society and how the media portrays us. We all see and hear many stories about all the evil happening in the world, but rarely see all the good happening. There could be two stories about something bad happening and we hear about both, yet ten good things happening and we only hear about one. I have to agree with the author and what he says at the end of the article, “The exceptions to this rule are the five percent of the population who I've found do not have an oxytocin response and are pathologically selfish like Madoff, and another few percent who are nearly pathologically virtuous like Mother Teresa. The rest of us vacillate between good and evil.” I feel like the majority of our population fall in between; not evil, but not Mother Teresa either. I also believe that we as humans are heavily influenced the environment and those around us. It takes a strong person to not be a follower. Keeping this in mind I believe people with good intentions can be pressured to do evil things. I don’t think there is a correct answer of whether humanity is more good or evil. Each person wakes up every day and has the power to choose whether to be good or evil.
ReplyDeleteAs we are born, none of us are good or evil, we are just alive and ready to dice into this funny little thing called life. This week's article made me ponder about our behaviors and where they are born. Unless you are a psychopaths, because psychopaths lack empathy and unfortunately cannot gain empathy, I believe we are all naturally good. Deep down there is not an "evil" soul; more like there are "evil" decisions that occur among humanity. In the article, oxytocin is presented and it talks about how it contributes to out cognitive psychology. Oxytocin makes one feel good, which therefore results in good decision making and vice versa. Lack of oxytocin makes one feel bad. We gain oxytocin when we engage in activities that we enjoy and make us happy. With that said, perhaps people who make bad decisions lack happiness or satisfaction in their life. This lack of happiness could possibly have been present all their life. I believe we are the way we are depending on the amount of oxytocin we have. To sum it up, there is no good or evil. The only "evil" that exists are the decisions we make which depends on our cognitive psychology.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article, I feel that there is more evil than good. I agree that human beings react to their surroundings. We're content and won't bother anyone else if we're "well off" or have what we need. But, if we're struggling for basic needs and need to feed our loved ones, we will fight for whatever is needed. After coming to this conclusion, I feel that there is more evil because there aren't very many "well off" individuals as there are struggling. Even if one isn't struggling, but they're not the richest, they will fight to be. I also feel that others will praise whoever they think is the most "popular" from social media, etc. This is depicted in the Bernie Madoff case and others were questioning how he could be cheered on for doing something evil. A lot of people felt like they couldn't look down on him because everyone else is cheering him on, which creates followers and more evil. On the contrary, I do know that there is good in the world. There are a lot of individuals who will show that there is still faith in humanity. I believe that we should follow these individuals and stop being so selfish. We need to stop making discussing so much evil on the news and social media and show more of the good. I've heard a lot of stories of individuals doing horrible things so that they can become "famous". I feel that exploiting more good deeds would have a great change in creating more good than evil.
ReplyDeleteI believe we are all evil in some sort of way but we are also good. I don’t think we are evil in the sense of hurting others physically but evil in the sense that we make bad decisions that may not be so good. The people that we become comes from the people we surround ourselves with. After reading this article I learned that oxytocin makes us feel empathy and by doing so increases our sensitivity to the feelings of those around us. Oxytocin is released by doing good things, not everyone is engaged in positive acts which could explain why they may act "evil". Bad people can turn themselves around before it is to late but it is a matter of them making the right decisions. Even though I think we are all evil in some way I believe there is more good in us than evil.
ReplyDeleteI want to believe that humanity has more good than evil. Like it says in the article “we cannot help but share in the joy and pain of those around us.” this makes me think that us as humans want to do good because that feeling reflects on us, in our souls. I also believe that we avoid things that cause us pain, like the article explained or even hearing about sad news we feel for other people that are going through bad situations. Survival also has a lot to do with the way we act we do whatever it takes in order to survive. In that way, I feel that we may be evil we forget about any kindness that we have and become selfish. In the end humanity will always tend to be more good as long as we have the ability to do so.
ReplyDeleteHumanity seems to have a variety of good and evil, always varying depending on where in the world it’s being observed. Majority of humanity seems to be more evil in different ways. Nowadays, residents always keep their doors locked shut in order to keep out criminals because of how humanity has leaned more evil. Society has changed the way they behave in order to adapt, which makes humanity even more evil to protect themselves. In the news, there are mostly stories about negative subjects like crime and fewer stories about acts of kindness. There is some good in humanity but it does not make up for all the evil.
ReplyDeleteI thought this article was so interesting because I never really thought of thinking that there was a biological component for acting the way we do.The author explained how our body generally wants to avoid pain, so we will avoid actions that would cause us pain. Similarly, we enjoy experiencing the joy of others because it brings us pleasure. I would have to say that a majority of humanity seems to have more good. It may not appear that way because of what the media chooses to highlight, but I see kind acts being performed daily. Even the most simple act of holding open a door for someone behind you is still an act of kindness. I truthfully think that there is more good out there than we are led to believe. I could only hope that there is more good than evil. I think that if there is a reaction in our body that takes place after doing virtuous acts that more people would desire to do those acts. I do not think that most people walk around in this world and think about what evil act they should perform today, but I do think that people spend a lot of time thinking about what they can do to help someone on a regular basis. Though we cannot deny the evil acts that others perform, but I believe that a majority of peoples' moral compasses desire to do good. We desire to good for ourselves and for others.
ReplyDeleteThe good vs. evil question can be a difficult one to answer. Depending upon your life experiences, cultural and physical up bringing, and religious preference one could easily out weigh the other. After reading the article “Are Humans Good or Evil?” by researcher and neuroeconomist Paul J. Zak I was surprised by the idea that there could be a biological component or possible scientific answer to this question. I personally feel that humans are more good than evil. I believe humans have a natural ability to care for and show love to others. I do believe that evil is present in our lives and could easily tempt or over come an individual. This is the case especially if an individual has experienced an act of violence, hate, or hurt of any kind. I also believe that evil feeds evil so it can spread like wild fire. Also, when considering the nature vs nurture theory I can see where people would take to evil type of acts to survive. But overall, I feel that we as humans are good not evil.
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