Do you have faith in humanity?
 

As the title indicate, some might have guess that i have lost my faith in humanity. I used to believe in the good and just of people, no matter who they are, there is still a small part of people that are good and just. And then the faith failed me, it come down crashing and burning in it crushed debris. For all i see in people now is neither good or bad, there only one type of people, who react to stimulations of the outside world without any conscious thoughts of their actions. It may be a very grim view of human nature but the evidence of people around me really suggest otherwise of humanity.

Any thoughts?

This kind of reminds me of an old film I once saw, 'The Story of Mankind' I think it was called. The idea was a demon and an angel debated whether mankind was essentially good or evil, using real examples from history, the conclusion was mankind is capable of both, that we are born both good and bad. I've used this example because I think it basically sums up people pretty well. We're all capable of good and bad, action or inaction, intellegence or stupidity, but its up to the individual how they act or how they percieve the world.

There are people like you've described, maybe more so than there used to be for a variety of reasons, such as a changing society. The thing to remember is there's also humans who are capable of great feats, kindness and action, people who change the world for the better or seek to help others as best as they can. Sure I could give examples, but if you've really lost faith in humanity maybe its best to find your own. You'll be suprised at how many redeeming qualities people have, even if it can be hard to see it at times.

funny someone asked this question at my company yesterday.

My answer is still the same. As of right now hell no do i have faith in humanity. We are too divided until humanity starts thinking about the planet as whole and not just our individual countries, race, religion, ideology ect ect. We are headed towards a not so bright future. I hate to say but i think its going to take some cataclysmic event to wake up the human race.

Humanity is capable of great good only matched by our capacity to commit great evil. We always seem to find a way speed ourselves towards the abyss but at the very last second manage to pull ourselves away and keep from tumbling down. Humanity has infinite potential because we possess something that no other species on the planet does imagination. However we choose to use this gift more often than not in finding new ways to commit the oldest of sins.

I dont expect some global Utopia but sometimes the things we can do to our fellow humans truly disturbs me. But there are times when my faith is restored ever so briefly. Like when I see medical improvements or how a person put their own life in danger to save a person they didnt even know. Sometimes things can be the blackest just before the dawn. I just humanity gives that dawn time to come.

I agree with RobinMask (And that movie indeed sounds very interesting) about soceity being capable of good and evil, but I also think if you say that you have no faith in humanity that you have no faith in yourself, because you are a part of humanity, whether you want to be or not, no matter how small your part. Still, because of the current times, I wouldn't blame a single person for not having faith for humanity at this point and time.

I see the hyped up media of the world has got to one person. I'll admit, Current affairs and News seem to report alot of Grim things. But you can't rely on that, nor can you rely on the fact that some people just...well..suck. And sometimes you may meet a helluva lot of them at the same time, but you can't generalise humanity as a whole.

As others have said, it's not a a problem with humanity in general. It's a problem with how more and more indivuduals are acting.

However, it also comes down to how you view various 'sins' or 'wrong doings'. For instance many more people would commit adultery than would commit a violent crime. This is down to modern society.

My faith is lost in a lot of people i have to admit. But disregarding people who commit violent crimes or murder, what truly bothers me is how few people have the willpower, the imagination and the indivuduality to live their life their own way.
This for me, is another way in which humanity is going downhill.

How many people buy clothing because they see others wear it, buy music because it's popular, watch only the popular movies, have hobbies which don't deviate from what is 'the norm' and what is again, popular.

I have no problem with somebody liking the music of some Pop artist in the charts...but how many people like that artist just because it's like by others?

Too many people lack that willpower to choose their own path, even if that path does cross many times with others, at least you still have your individuality.


All my friends ever want to do is drink alcohol and watch football. On occasion, i admit this can be a fun past time. But every week? None of them will try something new and different.

There...that's my rant over with. lol.


Alwaysh ave faith though, even if 1/100 people you meet is nice, honest, and decent with an indivudual personaility...it's still something.
Unfortunately, most of the people i know like that are met online because they are scattered so much. I only know 2 in real life.

....so your friends aren't nice, honest decent people? :/

@Blitzwing85 It's human nature to follow the crowd, though. Even animals, who haven't been corrupted by society, will follow what another animal in their group (assuming a social-type of animal) is doing, and that animal will be followed by another, and that one by another, and so on. Monkey see, monkey do.
The willpower to go on your own path isn't something we were born with, it's something we develop. Following the crowd is the norm because it is "default" in our instinct. Going out and doing your own things is something one must learn, and some may never learn it.

Anywho, I'm going to quote Aang from Avatar on this: "Everyone, even the most evil of people, are capable of great good and great evil. So everyone deserves a chance." Not the exact quote, but this is my general attitude. Losing faith in humanity, imo, will only make people worse.

My personal feelings on humanity is that the definition of such a word is varied and cannot be summed up into a black and white view. Determining what is good and evil comes from a persons view and the world and how they were taught to look at things. I believe that there is no definite good or evil, merely the choices a person makes and the consequences that follow.

An example would be how we in the modern age view that killing for any reason is wrong when merely a few centuries ago a person could be hanged for far less. Or even looking back to Aztec or Mayan culture, where human sacrifice to the gods was a very common thing and was displayed publicly so all could see a priest ripping a mans heart out.

Hm? Of course there is a little hope. No matter what, I want to believe this.

I use to be like you, and not have faith in humans . . .but then my eyes were opened . . .

People here are saying that part of the problem is people don't have individuality and I can see that. As somebody who DOES stick out, I have to say this.

You don't really live until you have a mind of your own, feeling if we stand out, nobody will accept you. The moment you decide to be brave and challenge them by brinding forth the real you, something completely different, is the moment you TRULY have a mind of your own.

The courage to want to stand out like that comes from faith and hope that there will be someone who will be willing to like you, or the strength not to be moved by your uniqueness seeming to put you against the world.

This doesn't come from any statistic, but I bet you the ubique people are much less likely to hurt people in strong enough ways to discourage heir hopes in humanity

So in conclusion, by saying there is no hope, you REALLY aren't helping. You were created with the potential to be good, even Hitler was . . .that means deep down, no matter what, you have a wanting to pull humanity back up so to encourage others and give them hope. And it starts with going out there and finding a trigger to unlock that wanting to be brave, and make something of yourself to be proud of, so that you're NVER encouraged to stick with the crowd, show people how it's done!!

I wish you luck :)