Nature of Humanity

[Wickerman]

I agree with you. I guess that is why I am pulled back into the farming community again and again. In the city I am one lost soul. Place me out in the country side and I feel at home at any kitchen table where the discussion is around that new Fendt the neighbour bought, the lack of rain and the government's meddling. I have only a few neighbours. One drives me nuts, hired one of his sons and he had the gall to tell me I can't play country music while the kid is doing chores (only one small example). The other family is great, such sweet kids, helpful etc. Our newest neighbour almost ran me over last night. Want to guess which ones are the farmers? My family might have some crazy characters but they are family. There's really only one person that is a write-off to me and only because he's hurt so many people. To me, if you are a good friend of mine, you are family. And Facebook is for managing acquaintances, the true meaning of "friend" has really eroded over time.

I believe we don't quite have a blank slate but one that is somewhat shaped by past lives and family luck. But I do believe in "innocent until proven otherwise."

Yes, I am rural as well. I can relate as for neighbors. But they are my neighbors, and I deal with them. Saw in another post that you need rain too, hope you get it. We aren't doing so well here either, I still need another cutting of hay to make the winter so it is not looking good.

I really don't buy the flawed creation thing. If god created man with full knowledge, and if god doesn't make mistakes, then man did what he was created to do. According to my early indoctrination original sin made mans nature sinful and evil, only god could make it good again. That just doesn't jive with all the prechristian civilizations. Man is obviously capable of good on his own as well as evil.

[DancesWithHorses]

Yes, I am rural as well. I can relate as for neighbors. But they are my neighbors, and I deal with them. Saw in another post that you need rain too, hope you get it. We aren't doing so well here either, I still need another cutting of hay to make the winter so it is not looking good.



I really don't buy the flawed creation thing. If god created man with full knowledge, and if god doesn't make mistakes, then man did what he was created to do. According to my early indoctrination original sin made mans nature sinful and evil, only god could make it good again. That just doesn't jive with all the prechristian civilizations. Man is obviously capable of good on his own as well as evil.

Again agreeing with you. The flawed creation, being born sinful and evil doesn't mesh well. We're a product of our environment. In my experience the people you don't want to meet in life run from the same environment and usually come from the same families. I think somebody already said that most "evil" deeds have to be taught.

We need rain desperately, thank you for noticing that. My neighbours are interesting people, but some of them are great people. My one neighbour might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but if I ask for help, he'll be right there and I'd do the same for him. I just don't appreciate almost being run over on a regular basis.

[EJay]

For FlameKeeping, humanity simply IS.

I agree with that. Good and evil are measured against ourselves. Like intelligence. I find it interesting how we measure all things by/against ourselves and the new big thing in intelligence is slime mold. If it thinks like us, it's intelligent.

A little OT, but after moving to Texas, I've become fascinated with my new nemesis--the fire ant colony. The colony is completely foreign when compared to human intelligence, but I'm not convinced that its intelligence as a colony (really just an organism) isn't superior to ours.

Of course, like in most topics, this comes down to definition.

I do believe that we are becoming better people, in general - we do not accept things that in the past were accepted. The more we move away from simple survival, the more society gives people freedom to be themselves instead of conform to a norm. I believe that we can /become/ better, as a people. Doesn't mean there aren't times we fall back, but hey, that's human nature too.

Not sure I agree with this. I guess it depends on how broadly you define "we." I think "we" are capable of more atrocities than ever, perhaps because we have too much time to think rather than concentrating on survival.

The social media has it's good points, like this site, but I'm a gamer who loves to play World of Warcraft and I tell you what! People speak to me there like they would never dare to in person. Actually, I think folks speak to each other here like they would never dare to in person--in good ways and in some not-so-good. I don't think hiding behind a monitor/phone/tablet is helping to make us better, but I suppose this is a separate topic.

I just don't know if I agree that humans will get "better." I think humans just "are." We live our lives being human and judging everything by human standards. That's just the way we are, as humans.

I don't think we'll every be a utopian species. I believe we're already a "utopian" soul temporarily residing in a very interesting human existence, but I really don't see a "better" in what we are now from what we've ever been.