I think I used to sincerely believe in inherent goodness of humans.
I still pretend to do the same when I hear people claim to the contrary and the I half heartedly argue with them.
But I am not longer as self assured of that. And I wonder if it is too much reading is what sowed that doubt.

This weekend I heard how a Turkish official tweeted how she hoped that Jewish-American tourists wounded in an explosion on İstiklal Street in Istanbul would die. ( this was before this morning’s news from Belgium)

How can any human being not only think this, but also proudly announce it to the world? She may have been fired, but that did not make her change her mind.

I foolishly tried to bring it up to R, but she did not want to hear it – since it is contrary to the worldview of inherent goodness of humans. If one is to start doubting that, then the whole system would crumble and all that would be left is despair.

She is right. It is probably best not to know. But maybe it is too late for me?