Recently I read the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad; it was ambiguous, appalling, abominable — I loved it. The novel implies that everyone has the capacity for evil and they are one false step from becoming it. It implies that all humans are inherently evil and we must fight to remain good — as relative of a term that is. Socrates, on the other hand, said that humans are inherently good, since we always act on the best intentions for ourselves in every situation. I believe they are both wrong. Sure, we have a propensity for evil, but with it comes an attraction to righteousness. Humans can vacillate between good and evil on a whim, and become truly good or evil. That’s one of the things that makes life so simple yet so complicated: you are the embodiment of your thoughts. It is as Lou Tsu once said, “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habit. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” In this way, we are our own worst enemies.
Keyes' Kingdom 