When we consider history, I mean the beginning of mankind; survival relied on an intense amount of physical strength. Man had to coexist with the wild. Humans then were forced to create or fight for their own shelters, they had to battle animals for food, and they also had to defend themselves. I do believe that during this time, in order to exist and thrive, individuals had to be selfish to a certain degree.
So, this idea of being a self-thinker was important for their survival and I think translated on to following generations.

I do not want to say that humans are inherently evil, but I think it is important to acknowledge that neither is good inherent. Selfishness, however, is very possibly an inherited trait from that period in history. Though our living conditions have advanced through knowledge and technology, it would appear that our mentality has not altered too much at all.

If we were to survey the world honestly, I feel that the majority of mankind would have acted in their life more selfish than they did act “good.” I think this is evident in such rudimentary tasks as driving to or from work during rush hour, or standing in a line for whatever reason. When individuals are driving, although they share the road with several other drivers, the majority of them are worried only about themselves. They may make dangerous or risky decisions based on arriving to their destination on time. Or should they be stopped at a red light and a panhandler should come around, many look away or deny them for whatever reason. Insofar as standing in line, I think people tend to get frustrated and they are more likely to cause a problem if they feel someone is skipping ahead or not paying attention. I don’t mean to give incredible importance to seemingly insignificant choices in our day, but merely to call attention to all the opportunities we have to do something generally good and instead consider ourselves.

Should goodness be inherent, the world would certainly be a better place. I think one of the greatest problems within the human race is our egotism. It is as though we are thinking of ourselves ahead of others, and we wish others to do the same. So, when others act in a way that doesn’t particularly seem in accordance with our priorities or values, we become upset and this definitely does cause a lot of stress throughout the world. I believe that if goodness were inherent, it would be a far more dominant trait throughout the world, and would certainly be in a majority position.