Well, today’s psychology issue is deeper than usual.
As we started studying humanists, our teacher raised the issue of evil versus good. Freud believed that humans, in their core, were evil beings and that they needed to repress their inclinations to live in society. And then came along the behaviorists who thought that humans were neutral and how they turn out is an outcome of their conditioning. Finally we have the humanists who believe that people are good at core.
Humanists say that we are all born with the tendency to grow to actualize our own potential. The teacher made an analogy to a flower seed. Assuming it gets the right light, care and soil, a seed will actualize its inherent potential by becoming a flower. I immediately thought of Fred which proves the humanists must have had some correct ideas.
The question of whether humans are born evil or good is extremely well discussed, controversial, and most likely to stay unproven.
Some very famous people resisted the notion of inherently evil humans even though they had huge hardships.
Most people who believe that humans are good in the core, tend to “blame” parents or upbringing for the seeding of evil. The humanist Carl Rogers said that we establish conditions of worth, which are ways in which we need to act so that our parents will keep loving us.
For example if my mom made me feel like she didn’t like me each time I threw a tamper tantrum, I might take than in as “for my mom to love me, I need to not show my anger.’ And then I grow up never showing my anger, even when I should. So now I’m living with what I think my mother wants me to be. I’m not sure if I made it unclear, but to me it makes perfect sense why this totally screws up a human being.
The more psychology I study, the more scared I get of being a parent. So many possibilities of failure. Of ruining another human’s life.
As I sat in class today, I tried to think about my beliefs. Do I believe in the evil-born human? I’m not sure. My tendency is to go with the humanists and say that I believe all babies are good at heart. Which, then, puts incredible amount of pressure and responsibility on the parents.
Do you think humans are born good or evil?
Previously? Lacking Questions.
i believe it doesnt really matter. people live and they die its a vicious cycle that will continue on untill man himself ceases to exist. the thing everyone needs to realise is life, and everything in it, condradicts itself. so on one hand yes- it may be genes that creates our evil or good side, or it is the way we are brought up? maybe its both, maybe its neither?
im not sure how i found your website, but ive grown fond of reading it… anyway, heres what i think.
i agree with the humanists who believe that people are born neutral, and determined upon their upbrining, experiences and enviornment. this somewhat relates to your opinion that the parents are directly related to the personality of the being. however, the thought that “all babies are good at heart” seems to put a large emphasis on something relgious, i suppose, which i dont believe.