Ok, so today in Friedman's class we had what I thought to be a rather fun discussion of the inherent nature of man. I mean, come on, what class is complete without one? It all began with Mr. Friedman saying that Hanley thinks that mankind is inherently good. Our class of cynics thought otherwise, of course. Actually, I'm kidding about the cynics thing; we're just not that naive. I have seen nothing to make me believe that humankind is inherently good. I don't know if that automatically means we are inherently evil, though. My personal problem with inherent good besides the fact that it is impossible is that I would much rather believe that I am choosing to do good in a situation in which I have the capacity to do evil, instead of it just being that I am innately good and I can't help it. Which shows better character? Being good doesn't just come with the human territory. It takes a developed mind and a strong will to recognize the oft-hidden merits of doing good when "evil" seems so rewarding, especially when there are fewer consequences. Admittedly, consequences do guide the force of good in people most of the time, but I believe that there are some moments wherein a person actively chooses to do good, perhaps even risking consequence due to doing so.

Are we inherently evil? Well, I think that the "evil" things we do are part of being human, yes. As a human, we are merely interested in that which keeps us alive and happy. Evolution, while knocking off those less fit, also allowed humans to develop emotional attachments, which extended the bubble around other people. Now we do those good things that make life better for us AND those we care about. I also agree with the idea that we refrain from evil because we don't evil to happen to us. I don't beat Bob over the head with a rusty crowbar because I wouldn't want Bob to beat me with a crowbar. So we desire that good things happen to us, not necessarily that we do good things. We do good when good is in our best interest or in the best interests of those around us. Now, perhaps there are those who feel a connection of all mankind. You give the remainder of a box of donuts to a guy on the street. You hold the door for a person carrying a stack of papers. You give Tiny Tim some Christmas presents. Whatever. The point is that some people can extend that good to others, even strangers. Why do we do that, if we don't know the person? I believe the answer lies in selfish desires again. We would want that person to open that door for us, give us those doughnuts and presents. We want good from others, so we give good. Think about those moments. You see the guy with the stack of papers,walking awkwardly towards the door. You think to yourself, "Poor guy, I should help him." Somewhere in your mind, your logic is "That looks tough. If I was him, it'd be great if someone opened that door for me. Wait, I think I'll do that for him then." There is no truly 100% selfless good deed, not even self sacrifice. That's not necessarily just because we want pleasure from everything we do, so we wouldn't do it if it didn't help us in some way. The reason is that we help someone and therefore, we do good. When we want good in the world, there is nothing more satisfying than creating a little, even if it's not directly for you. Good is good, just not inherent. Have a nice day.

And Good Lord, he's done it. A blog is born. God knows how many people will actually care enough to stop by this page,and frankly, so be it. This will be the place where the more public ideas that I have will be shared. Othe things will indeed be left to my mind and my Friedman journal. Who knows how long this will last?

Anyway, I suppose that the most prominent news in the life of Ian is that the college application process is o'er with. I'm done! I finished Princeton tonight and now I can hopefully put out the fire that my mom has lit under me. It's been the most grueling experience ever and I don't think I've ever had a situation in which I have simultaneously hated and loved my mother as I did during the last few months. "Just look at them andsigh and know they love you" Amen CSN.

By the by, I am warning all who think that Wayne Dyer's book is the easiest to choose for outside reading. I must tell you that, although merely annotating seems like the easiest assignment, the book is quite possibly one of the most annoying things I hav ever read. Hypocrisy abounds. Seriously, everyone, heed my word. It sucketh.