Good vs Evil

Are people inherently good or evil? A Yale study attempts to answer this question by deciphering whether young babies could choose right over wrong. One of the things they did within the study was a puppet show with two characters: one a “bad guy” and the other the “good guy”. After, the babies were told to choose which puppet they would rather play with. Results showed that the babies chose the "good guy" over the bad. This means that people are born with the ability to know the difference between right and wrong. It is their upbringing, their social surroundings and mans' natural tendency to compete that eventually form, and later reveal, their capacity of evil.

A child's mind is extremely absorbent at birth. Their minds are heavily influenced by their surroundings. What they are exposed to as a child eventually develops their moral backbone, or their version of what is considered moral. An example of this was demonstrated in the movie “Shake Hands with the Devil”: Romeo Dalliere, an UN Peacekeeper, needed constant military protection because he was wanted by the Rebels and there was a ransom on him to the person who could capture him. Unfortunately he came face to face with a child rebel carrying a military rifle. Instead of being afraid, Dalliere put out his hand which the rebel child shook. It was a silent agreement to not kill Dalliere. After the child shook Dalliere’s hand, he had the same look of disgust and regret just as Dalliere did when he was forced to also shake hands with the Rebel leaders. In the child’s mind, shaking hands with Romeo Dalliere was as if he was shaking hands with the devil. This means that from an early age, the people were taught to hate a certain group of people. What is seen as the "right" point of view in their eyes is seen as evil by others. The rebels are only taught one way of life, their chances of seeing the world differently only change if they have the opportunity to become educated or experience other ways of life.