People want to believe that deep down, most people are good. I believe this to be a lie people tell themselves. No, most people are awful and would fuck over anyone they don’t know if they do much as think it will make them better off.
I think you’ve got it twisted. People do awful stuff because they think it’s good. The Nazis thought Jewish extermination was helping. Theirs a Documentary on Netflix about German soldiers tasked with shooting Jews. For most of them it was a horrible ordeal. One of the biggest motivators for continuing was the thought that shirking one’s “duty” meant your comrade was going to have to do it for you. (one of the rationale for the concentration camps was to spare the death squads from PTSD)
I mentioned the Milgram experiment. If you take psy101 they’re going to tell you that that experiment proved that humans will harm each other for the sake of an authority figure. But that’s not true. Repetitions of that experiment that replaced the lab-coat guy with one wearing a military or police uniform and you went from the vast majority willing to harm people to the vast majority refusing. People weren’t obeying authority, they were volunteers who wanted to help science. They thought continuing a harmful experiment was their duty.
You’ve probably heard that quote from Fred Rogers about how when something tragic happens, “look for the helpers”. Well, it turns out that many of the people who cause tragedy think they’re helping.
Yes, Trump supporters honestly believe that the vast majority of undocumented migrants are criminals and terrorists. They honestly believe that the Democrats are trying to create a Soviet style dictatorship. They honestly believe we need a strongman to rid the country of people who are genuinely trying to destroy it. I know a bunch of them; they think they’re helping.
People are good, until they aren’t. That’s the trick: Creating environments where people become more awful, more quickly. Like upgrading your barracks in a RTS game.
I think it depends on context. If you’re brought up in a wholesome environment with respect and positive values, you’ll realize that living like that is better. If you’re brought up in a cesspool of fear and violence, you’ll think that’s the way the world is, and you’ll behave accordingly.
It’s not that America is inherently bad, or any particular cultural system. It’s that when a society doesn’t maintain its values and spiritual core, it will rot from the inside out.
The problem is our society has sold out so much of our community, our education, our values for convenience and corporate greed. This is like what the Right used to blather on about, but they’re to blame for most of the real depravity. In any case, we’re just seeing the fallout.
People want to believe that deep down, most people are good. I believe this to be a lie people tell themselves. No, most people are awful and would fuck over anyone they don’t know if they do much as think it will make them better off.
I think you’ve got it twisted. People do awful stuff because they think it’s good. The Nazis thought Jewish extermination was helping. Theirs a Documentary on Netflix about German soldiers tasked with shooting Jews. For most of them it was a horrible ordeal. One of the biggest motivators for continuing was the thought that shirking one’s “duty” meant your comrade was going to have to do it for you. (one of the rationale for the concentration camps was to spare the death squads from PTSD)
I mentioned the Milgram experiment. If you take psy101 they’re going to tell you that that experiment proved that humans will harm each other for the sake of an authority figure. But that’s not true. Repetitions of that experiment that replaced the lab-coat guy with one wearing a military or police uniform and you went from the vast majority willing to harm people to the vast majority refusing. People weren’t obeying authority, they were volunteers who wanted to help science. They thought continuing a harmful experiment was their duty.
You’ve probably heard that quote from Fred Rogers about how when something tragic happens, “look for the helpers”. Well, it turns out that many of the people who cause tragedy think they’re helping.
Yes, Trump supporters honestly believe that the vast majority of undocumented migrants are criminals and terrorists. They honestly believe that the Democrats are trying to create a Soviet style dictatorship. They honestly believe we need a strongman to rid the country of people who are genuinely trying to destroy it. I know a bunch of them; they think they’re helping.
That’s the kind of uneducated opinions that Trump proclaimed his love for.
People are good, until they aren’t. That’s the trick: Creating environments where people become more awful, more quickly. Like upgrading your barracks in a RTS game.
We’re all still animals following basic instinct. When we feel that our “herd” is threatened, we get ugly fast.
It’s really easy to play on those feelings.
I think it depends on context. If you’re brought up in a wholesome environment with respect and positive values, you’ll realize that living like that is better. If you’re brought up in a cesspool of fear and violence, you’ll think that’s the way the world is, and you’ll behave accordingly.
It’s not that America is inherently bad, or any particular cultural system. It’s that when a society doesn’t maintain its values and spiritual core, it will rot from the inside out.
The problem is our society has sold out so much of our community, our education, our values for convenience and corporate greed. This is like what the Right used to blather on about, but they’re to blame for most of the real depravity. In any case, we’re just seeing the fallout.