For a long time I have questioned humanity's natural state and whether we are born with good and bad qualities, or whether our experiences shape the way we act, and the way we develop into human beings or monsters. I have heard many conversations about the subject and a number of people believe the following to be a universal truth: Human Beings have an innate ability to distinguish between right and wrong. Even the dictionary lists it in an example. I wholly disagree with this statement.

As soon as we are born we begin our evolution to becoming a human. When we are children we possess a lack of strength and an abundance of ignorance which leads us to be constantly supervised so we do not harm ourselves. When we grow older do we not develop a sense of right and wrong through our supervisors. When we act in such a way that our supervisors feel the need to discipline us did we simply affirm that our action was wrong, or did we learn an act to be wrong because of the reaction of others.

This begs an important question, if we are not born with any innate qualities and simply learn right and wrong by observing the reactions to our actions, is there a gauge that can measure right and wrong, or is it simply relative. If someone commits an act because it provides them with a sense of altruism are they right in commiting that act, and who can judge without providing their own perspective on the spectrum of right and wrong.

We forget that we are not born with morals and that they are developed throughout your lifetime. We forget that we are shaped so very much by the environment in which we are surrounded by everyday. We think that we are innately good, but if that is true then why do children hurt others, why do they kill animals. If we are born with an ability to decipher between good and evil then why do we choose evil, why do people choose to hurt, rape, injure, or kill.

I like to believe in the goodness of humanity, but I question its existence in a species that is born with the ability to commit such great evils. The only thing we are innately born with is the ability to choose, the ability to think, to question, or to not choose anything at all.

Knowledge???

The more I learn about this crazy world that we live in, the more it frightens me. It is true that ignorance is bliss, and there is no short supply of people living in bliss...and there never will be. Some choose ignorance like they choose a flavour of ice cream, deciding what truth they are in the mood for that day. Others do not choose ignorance at all, but are simply blind to the way the world truly is. Blind because they themselves are good and trusting people and they have a hard time believing the dark traits of human nature.

As we grow older and wiser, we begin to kick down the protective walls that shielded our eyes from the truth, but still there are remnants that remain. We do not see things for what they are, because the lenses that we peer through are still dirty from our perspective. Unfortunately, perspective is an evil buildup of mildew and mold that takes more than just glass cleaner to penetrate.

When you can peer on something wihout perspective, it is only then that you can say that you are knowledgable of the subject. That being said, perspective is not something we should attempt to rid ourselves of, but rather it is something we should be collecting: like bottlecaps and stamps. My own personal collection is merely a trifle of the vast collection that exists, but hey...you have to start somewhere.