Do you have faith in humanity?

[PlanetaryOrbit]

I originally planned to make this a much more philosophical or detailed post, but just figured it was best phrased as a simple yes/no question.

[1000words]

1. If one doesn't have faith in humanity ...

one has no faith in themselves.

[rainy]

2. Yes change must come

or we die, that's incentive born of necessity.

[hrmjustin]

3. To some extent.

[NoOneMan]

4. Faith: belief in that which cannot be proven

Faith in regards to what? That man will, contrary to all recorded history, pull his head out of his ass? Not really. I tend to think that humanity will keep on keepin on till it can no longer carry its load.

[JaneyVee]

5. I'm optimistic about humanity.

[Vashta Nerada]

6. I don't put faith in anything.

So no, I have no faith in humanity.

[rug]

7. Yes.

[flvegan]

8. Absolutely, and I say that without pause.

Humans are brilliant creatures, full of emotion...something other species allegedly lack. If we could only channel that emotion to do what's good, right, ethical and moral the world would be so much better. And I have faith that we can do just that.

If I didn't, I'd have started phoning it in a long time ago.

[tblue37]

34. Many other species also have rich, complex emotional lives! nt

[LumosMaxima]

9. No. nt

[A-Schwarzenegger]

10. Faith, no, but I'm fond of a lot of it.

[elleng]

11. No, unfortunately.

Nature 'rules,' and it doesn't appear that 'humanity' is able positively to improve things in the long run, imo.

[Locut0s]

22. Nature at its core plays the ultimate long game....

I'm sick and disgusted by what humanity has done to the natural world but in the really long run nature will have its way with us.

Whether we make it through the coming bottlenecks smoothly and rehabilitate the planet, or choose to practise scorched earth in coming generations. In the real long view nature will continue unabated.

It's a sad fact that humans live only a century at the very outset. Not for us individually but for us collectively, we didn't evolve to be able to handle the kind of long term decisions and consequences we are faced with. We think in 10 to 20 year increments tops, and we are lucky if that. We need multigenerational concepts and planning.

[1000words]

30. Good post

In my opinion, you are indeed an "old soul."

[Locut0s]

31. Why thank yee, 1000words :D nt.

[uppityperson]

12. Too vague, or rather, incomplete question. Faith in humanity as to what?

Faith they will take care of the world? Faith humanity will survive? Faith in humanity to.....what?

[Raine1967]

13. Yes.

[mike_c]

14. no-- or perhaps more accurately, I have complete faith...

...that someone will always cheat, that someone will always seek personal advantage even when everyone around them is altruistic, and that humans will sell their grandmothers into slavery if that's what it takes to pump the last drop of fossil fuel from the ground and squeeze the last iota of profit from those who cannot defend their rights. I guess that's a kind of faith.

[BuddhaGirl]

15. Yes, absolutely

Namaste!

[Nay]

16. No, not really. From what I know of history, added to the stuff I've seen

in my 62 years, I can only say that some human beings are terrific but most seem to be slaves to what used to be called their 'baser nature.' I don't know how you fix that.

[pscot]

17. Trust, but verify

And always carry a stick.

[grilled onions]

18. Yes and No

I could wake up optimistic as one can be but then I check out the news. Some "creature" tortures another,harms an animal and I feel angry that so many are so cruel. But then I hear about a person or group that helps those struggling to survive be it food, shelter, basic needs and I feel better. We need more who act like civilized human beings who care for each other no matter who they are. We need more who care about the animal world,our planet in general and less about doing things for show or for financial gain(beyond the basics and a little luxury here and there). We need to teach our young how to act respectful to others. They learn by seeing the adults around them act out and by the hate they may have for others.
It is up to us to save this planet and all who live on it. I hope it's not too late because hate and greed is all around us and those who have the most $$ often harbor the most hate and greed.

[tblue37]

36. Unfortunately, I believe it IS too late and that civilization is like a rabbit

shot on the run: it keeps going for a while in the same direction before it falls over, but it is already dead.

[Locut0s]

19. I have faith that 80% are good. But also that the 80% might let the 20% ruin everything...

I think the majority of people are at their core good people. Even many / most of those who vote right wing do so out of ignorance and fear more than hate. But a good 10 to 20% of humanity have the potential to bury us all! and they are on their way to doing so. The good lack all conviction as they say...

[ElboRuum]

20. Perhaps some more detail is necessary.

Faith in what sense? To do what? To what end?

[Lifelong Protester]

21. Yes, it keeps one getting up in the morning

I've seen some serious 'bad' but I've seen some awe-inspiring 'good', so yes, (unless I watch the Constantly Negative News, which I do not anymore).

[2naSalit]

23. Not anymore.

[bhikkhu]

24. Its better to have knowledge than faith

read a good book, heavy on statistics: "The Better Angles of Our Nature", by Steven Pinker. Lots of others come to mind, Carl Sagan was also a very good writer on the subject.

Its much better to know than it is to "believe" or have "faith". You can't learn much about humanity from just listening to your neighbors, or reading the paper or the news. Its a little more work to read a book, but it is more effective if knowledge is the goal.

on edit - or, to actually answer your question, yes I do think that most people are good, honest, and hard-working. I base that on years of experience, and plenty of study.

Believing the opposite leads easily and rapidly to a right wing perspective, as the foundation of the GOP is the belief that most people are dishonest, lazy, and not worth much.

[X_Digger]

25. Without being pedantic over 'faith', using the vernacular, yes. Yes, I do.

[TlcJobCoach]

26. Yes

I think in general humanity improved over the years. Think about all the barbarism that was going on in the middle ages.

[DreamGypsy]

27. Devil or Angel - I can't make up my mind.

When the dogs and I are in the city we frequently pass by this sign on one of the daily walks:



...and I get a little teary.

But within another two blocks I find myself speculating...that if the Koch brothers visited Portland, they would probably rip this guy off just to get their pants pressed for free.

Plaza Cleaners in Portland, OR, helped over 2,000 unemployed workers who couldn’t afford dry cleaning. The store’s owner estimated that it cost his company $32,000 dollars.


Welcome to DU, Planetary Orbit.

[1000words]

29. Allow me to second that welcome, Planetary Orbit.

And hello to you, fellow Portlander! Plaza Cleaners is just a few blocks from my home. Super nice folks.

[Deep13]

28. No, not faith. We are what we are. nt

[Jamastiene]

32. NO.

I live in a rural area of NC. I see the dregs of humanity every single day. Trust me. They outnumber the good people by a large margin. I have zero faith in humanity.

[tblue37]

33. I have faith that in general humans will behave irrationally,

aggressively, destructively, and self-destructively.

Humans are capable of amazing things, but in general I think we are not a pleasant or safe species. If we were less capable of overwhelming the ecosystem and destroying to the incredible level at which we destroy, I would not fret over our destructiveness as much, but we find so many ways to amplify the worst impacts of our worst behaviors that I have little hope for the future of our species or of most of the interesting and appealing species that have the misfortune to share this planet with us.

[ProgressSaves]

35. At times.

I try and tell myself that a lot of the problems in the world are caused by a vocal and violent minority.

As a whole, I'd like to think we're going to be OK...

But it's so difficult sometimes.

[tblue37]

37. I HOPE we will be OK, but I fear (and *strongly* suspect) that we won't. nt

[LeftyMom]

38. Humanity, generally? Heavens no, I know too much history.

Individual humans are almost all decent. But collectively? Not so much.

[El_Johns]

39. Much less than I used to.

[Iggo]

40. Faith? No.

[Shandris]

41. An interesting question.

On the one hand, I must say that from all I have seen and witnessed in my life, absolutely not. I have seen more evil, cruelty, degradation, depravity, and outright hatred than any 20 people combined should ever see. I have had my trust in people shaken by every single person I have ever trusted (save one), and not in minor ways either. I have been subjected to countless years of abuse at the hands of those who claimed to care for me. No, the rational part of me not only has no faith in humanity, it has no desire to ever even -see- humanity.

HOWEVER.

Humanity is not a rational creature, and by extension neither am I. While rationality says it is better to stop risking, my personal ethics -demand- that I risk, that I love even when hated, that I care when ignored, and that I protect those who neither want nor ask for my aid. I can ask nothing more of another person that I would not be willing to do myself, and I hold myself to these beliefs. I don't exactly know why, or where they came from, or any of that; what very VERY brief introduction to philosophy I have had (and by brief, I mean 'a couple hours') has said I'm a Kantian. I don't know if that's entirely accurate, but others say it is. I must have faith in humanity, because I know it can be fundamentally good; I know this because I try to be fundamentally good, even if I fail occasionally, and if I can do it then the rest of humanity MUST be able to also, regardless of what my personal, anecdotal experience tells me. If that were not true, then it would mean I am somehow special and I know I'm not. So the only rational answer...is irrational action and belief.

I hope that made sense.

[Blue_In_AK]

42. As a whole, no,

although I do have faith in some individual humans.

[Recursion]

43. Yes

I do. It costs me, but it's worth it.

[Waiting For Everyman]

44. Yes!

The few good eggs make the many rotten ones worth it.

[MarcPierre]

45. PlanetaryOrbit

Yes, The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

[jmowreader]

46. Anyone who's worked retail for more than six months will answer no