Other than religious doctrine, why do some believe people are fundamentally good (or evil)?

Question

Other than religious beliefs ..

What do you think, why do some believe that humanity is fundamentally good while others think people are basically evil?

Answer 1

I think it is the way one acts to other people. If one treats other people with politeness, courtesy, friendliness and Kindness they think you are good.

If you have no manners do not know how to say please or thank you and act Irrelevently in front of them especially if you are an older person then they obviously think you are bad and unruly

Answer 2

They have different experiences with different people? Maybe some are optimists and some are pessimists?  

Answer 3

I don't believe either.  I believe that except for a teeny tiny percentage of human beings who are born with a genetic defect that makes it impossible for them to acquire social attitudes, we are all born as a blank slate.  We learn in our early years either that the world is a safe place we can cooperate with or a dangerous place we must fight against.

Answer 4

Because they ARE. The trick is to hit a balance of Good & Evil.

Here's an example of a near-perfect balance of BOTH:

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