to think some people are just born evil?

[themomentsinbetween]

Do you think some people are born bad?

Or is it there surroundings and people in their lives that make them bad.

For example, Thompson and Venables, were they just born bad?

Charles Manson?

Harold Shipman?

Good people don't just have a bad day and start killing people.

[peaceandlovebunny]

got an article to write?

[LaCiccolina]

Blimey how bored are u to start that off?! Unsure it's an aibu question but good luck nevertheless.....

[MammaTJ]

Good luck with the article!! How much will you get for it?

[girliefriend]

No I don't believe anyone os born evil, how can anyone look ay a newborn baby and think that?

I think awful things happen to people and for whatever reason their capacity to empathise and have compassion do not develop normally. Thompson and Venables I know had been exposed to abuse themselves. I do not believe children from loving, caring, compassionate homes go on to be murderers.

[insancerre]

nature v nurture?
god help you if you think this lot can help you answer that

[CogitOCrapNotMoreSprouts]

Personality traits are fairly fixed. Introverts will rarely become extroverts and vice versa, for example. 'Good', 'bad', 'evil', 'criminal' are social constructs that are not consistent across cultures. So usually learned behaviour.

[TapirAroundTheChristmasTree]

Google is your friend here - we're not writing your article for you.

[themomentsinbetween]

Wow .... erm ..... ok.

It occurred to me when I was thinking of the shootings in Newtown. As I just read about a remembrance service.

I'm not writing an article, neither I am bored.

You can either answer what I what wrote or just ignore it.

No need for snide and nasty comments.

[PlainoldWitchesTit]

Nope.

Thompson and Venables were children born into and brought up in awful horrible abusive family circumstances.

What a disgusting thread.

[SantasHoHoHo]

Good people don't just have a bad day and start killing people.

Depends really, some good people have so much shit thrown at them in life. Pushes some to suicide so why not murder.

[Celticlassie]

Sadly, some children from loving homes DO go on to become murderers, but they are the exception, rather than the rule.
However, I do not for a second think some people are 'born evil'.

[SayMama]

Interesting first post

[themomentsinbetween]

What a disgusting thread??

What? Why?

Some people are far too easily offended.

I said were they born bad? I never said they were.

Also I'm sure much worse has been said about them.

[okaynowitstheseason]

I don't get all the "article" comments. Some mumsnet posters have a very high opinion of their opinions!

[strumpetpumpkin]

Charles mansons background would make you weep.

[SantasHoHoHo]

Maybe the OP's next post will be 'Do you think good people are born gay or are they turned by the company they keep'

[MammaTJ]

So this is such a burning issue for you, you thought you would join MN especially to ask about it?

[CailinDana]

Ignore the nasty responses, I'm not sure what the point of them is.

It's an interesting question, and I think, no, there's no such thing as "evil". If you think about it logically the concept of "evil" doesn't really mean anything. I think saying some people are evil is just a way of us separating ourselves from the people who commit such awful crimes. It's comforting to think that they are different somehow, and that we could never be in any way like them because they are "evil" and we are not.

I think absolutely everyone is capable of heartlessness and cruelty to a certain extent. What stops us from being "evil" is our desire to fit in with others, our empathy with others and our wish to have a smooth and happy life. I think people like, say Harold Shipman and Ted Bundy lack that desire. They honestly get pleasure or satisfaction from hurting others. Research has shown that this tendency to get pleasure from killing or hurting others has its basis strongly in genetics, but also has a nurture element. So in that sense I suppose you could say some people are "born evil" - I just think "evil" is a bit of a meaningless term.

This talk by Jim Fallon might interest you. He's studied psychopathic killers and comes from a family line of killers himself, and shows psychopathic tendencies but isn't a killer, which shows that your genetic heritage doesn't absolutely determine your life course.

[peaceandlovebunny]

i don't think its genuine. therefore i am not going to engage.

[TheOneWithTheHair]

Is this your first post op?

You sound like a journalist.

[cinnamonnut]

OP mixed up there/their in her first post. Do you really believe she's a journalist anyway?

[CailinDana]

Why comment if it's just to be nasty or say something pointless like peace did? If you don't want to contribute to thread, don't bother. And grow up a bit while you're at it.

[HecateQueenofWitches]

think about what it means to be 'good' and 'bad'. Is good always good? Is bad always bad? It is bad to steal. Is it always bad to steal. What if you are feeding a starving child? Are 'good' and 'bad' real or are they dependent on circumstances and on perceptions?

Also, do some research into psychopaths and the nature v nurture debate.

Google John Locke as well.

Also look at the research about biology - hormones part in aggression, etc.

Google the research at John Hopkins university on the effect of a specific gene (absence of it, I think,) on mice. Turned them into sex mad killers.

Also think about the need of people to believe that there is something intrinsically wrong with evil people, in order to believe that they could never become that.

[pigletmania]

Whats wrong with disgusting it. Yes I do think some eople are born evil, Myra hindley and Ian Brady spring to mind