When I was in college I had a very idealistic view of things. I was a Political Science major, ready to change the world. I remember that I believed the core nature of humankind was community oriented, a social rather than independent or individualistic nature. I fought with anyone who disagreed. I wanted Anarchy because I believed that people were so community oriented that they would create a world of loving kindness, and leave the world of war, poverty, hatred, and crime behind.
As I get older, my philosophy has started to change. Is fundamental human nature really community based, or is it the Hobbesian image that life is "nasty, brutish, and short?" From what I see and from who I meet on a day to day basis, people tend to be defensive, finger pointers, and in it for themselves. It is a strange evolution from early 20's, where you really haven't seen much of the "real world" except for what is on MTV, to early 30's, where you have seen enough of the "real world" to know that you wish it were as cut and dry as the MTV version. I guess all I can do is make my little circle of friends and family as Utopian as possible, and hope that I don't get more cynical as I age.
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