Good evening once again. Today’s word is “性善説と性悪説”(せいぜんせつとせいあくせつ), which is the theory of good human nature. When I finished my service in the army, I left behind a saying which described the most important thing I learned while serving. “No one is inherently good nor bad, they just do things to obtain something they want or escape something they fear.” The meaning behind this is that everyone’s actions are motivated by something, such as an unmet need, rather than a desire to hurt others. Of course perhaps there are such people too, but I choose to believe in the best of them. こんばんは。今日の言葉は「性善説と性悪説」です。僕は兵役を終えた時、仲間にこういうことばを残した「誰にも本質的に善も悪もありません、ただ欲望を得る為、または恐怖から逃げる為に行動する」。これは多分僕の兵役中の最も重要な教訓かもしれません。 僕が、皆は他の人を傷つくより何かが足りないもので動かす、とそう信じています。もちろん傷つけたい人も居るかもしれませんが、僕は人の性善説を信じています。 I know it sounds like I’m being contradictory here but I guess the nuance in “neither good nor bad” is in their intention when doing something that causes harm rather than their nature.