I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart. Anne Frank

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

It's a generalization. All people? All of the time? No. But, generally, in my 70 years of encounters with all kinds of people, I've found them "good at heart".

Your opinion?

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	Agree
	3 (30%)
	Disagree
	4 (40%)
	Maybe
	3 (30%)
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[Journeyman]

1. Individually? Mostly. En masse? Rarely . . .

[el_bryanto]

2. Most people live in a range between being kind and being an asshole

It depends on what you consider more representative of their heart - generally that is a function of empathy. If you feel a kinship towards someone, if you see yourselves in them, you believe them to be more good of heart; you over look their asshole qualities. By the same token if someone seems alien to you than what small moments of kindness they might exhibit are overshadowed by their larger assholery.

It's also a function of what you can get away with. If you can do a shitty job at work and someone else will cover for you, you will do a shitty job at work. That's why people are such assholes on the internet - there's no downside to being an asshole here.

Bryant

[Bluenorthwest]

8. Of course Anne wrote that while in hiding from the fascists who would eventually kill her.

Certainly not as bad as the workplace or the internet, but fairly stressful to one's outlook nevertheless I'd say.

[el_bryanto]

9. Ah - I didn't realize the correct answer was "She was hiding from Nazis so she was 100% correct."

I'd be surprised if you agreed with her actually.

Bryant

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. It depends...

Most people can be kind and nice about some things, and not so nice about other things.
Human nature and all that.

But... I do think most people strive to be more their better selves.

Altho, for some reason, I can never picture Cheney with a purring cat.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. Well...maybe if the cat was a kindred spirit.

[dixiegrrrrl]

12. "I had fun once"

[Kber]

13. I had a cat that was 100% pure Evil once. Even her purrs sounded ominous.

That said, she was the prettiest and smartest cat that ever graced my home and she managed to be quite sweet and patient with my young children.

She made anything with four legs absolutely miserable, though. The terrorized the other cat that outweighed her by 5 pounds, the dog that outweighed her by 60 pounds, and any rodent that got within a acre of our back door.

I miss her.

[rock]

4. I'm voting 'Disagree'

Though the statement is generally true, I do not find it reliable (certainly not highly reliable).

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. As I said, it's a generality.

[Avalux]

10. There are billions of people on this planet. Most don't cause problems.

People are not good OR bad, it's a combination of the two, as determined by their actions. I believe the percentage of people where the combination is defined by bad acts is relatively small.

"Bad acts", in this context, are decisions made to intentionally inflict pain and suffering on others without care, as a means to an end.

[Marr]

11. Not particularly, no. Adults are about as selfless and kind as children.

And children are certainly not selfless or particularly kind.

If all is well, sure-- I think most people are pretty decent. Make things difficult and they get a whole lot less decent, very quickly.