The inherent goodness of humanity

Human beings are created in the image of God as a manifestation of His divine power. Even as we come with our bundle of infirmities and imperfections, there is the gleam of goodness in each of us which finds expression. Human beings are innately good, and doing good comes more naturally than doing evil.  This is the truth from the fourteen-year-old Anne Frank while in the midst of the horrors of the Nazi regime: Human goodness does not lie in wealth or power but in character and goodness. People are just people, and all people have faults and shortcomings, but all of us are born with a basic goodness. We observe that while human beings commit atrocities, they are also capable of astounding acts of grace, goodness and sacrifice.

Being good is one’s inherent nature; there is no direct relation between how good you are and how much suffering you have to endure in your life. Goodness grants neither immunity from nor compensation for the evil or misfortunes you may encounter. The Stoics believe virtue is the only good, and people must lead a virtuous life to be accomplished and complete human beings. Virtue is sufficient for happiness, as it would make one emotionally resilient to misfortune and free from undue attachment. Seneca, the Roman philosopher, states, “Do you ask what it is I seek in virtue? Only herself. For she offers nothing better – she herself is her reward – or does this seem to you too small a thing?” 

Chinese philosopher Mencius and French philosopher Rousseau believed human beings are naturally good but susceptible to the evil influences of the social environment. Sant Kabir says, “I wanted to find a bad person in the universe and found none." In the Walt Disney movie Cinderella, “Where there is kindness, there is goodness, and where there is goodness, there is magic”, the interconnectedness of kindness and goodness that gives rise to wonder and possibility.

We must therefore  tap the good impulses in us, wean out the mean impulses and learn the luxury of doing good . Marcus Aurelius  the philosopher emperor says, “While you live, while it is in your power  be good “. Theologian John Wesley exhorts us to "do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”