Some people live with a constant urge for improvement. Improving their communication skills, improving their ability to acquire financial wealth, improving their ability to attract a mate, etc. It is basically a life-long journey, and it is not always enjoyable. Improvement requires change. The biggest improvements may only come with the most dramatic changes. Dramatic changes are more difficult, but they do not need to be revolutionary, meaning they do not need to be abrupt. An evolutionary approach to change can ensure longer-lasting results.
To improve ourselves we need to change but if change is difficult, then it turns into a taming process. I do not mean to say civilize as the definition of civilization may change over time and based on the context. However, the need for control is absolutely necessary. Imagine someone who only does what they like immediately and in the most basic sense. That person would be a nightmare. They would steal, rape, and murder. Perhaps less importantly, they would not care about their health or hygiene either. Why? Why do we need to control ourselves to ensure these results? Does not anybody naturally like being controlled?
The answer to this question lies in our childhood. All human beings are born entirely selfish and to some extent evil, if I would be forgiven for calling babies and little kids that. This is not a coincidence or some unfortunate reality about our nature. If there is one feature common to all babies and little kids, it is the fact that they are ignorant. They are ignorant about the world, ignorant about other people and how they feel. They are even ignorant about who they are or what they are capable of. I would argue that this is the main reason behind their selfish and evil nature.
In this context, let us also investigate animals. Animals are also ignorant from a human perspective. Therefore, they have absolutely no morality. To be fair, some animals do show rudimentary signs of morality but those are also our closest relatives. Not surprisingly, they are also much smarter than most animals. There seems to be a direct correlation between morality and intellect. This is why we need to tame ourselves with knowledge, because good comes from knowledge and intellect. Only the educated and the intellectual can define good, because understanding the logical foundations of order and efficiency requires rigorous training. If the word good is carefully investigated, it will be understood that it is just another way of saying efficient or smart.
With a simple approach, one could claim that intellect could be evil. However, a long-term and general look at society will reveal that everything that is good can be defined as good for society or good for the individual in a broader sense and more importantly in the long term.
For instance, we do not kill. Not killing is good. Why is that? Because it is a smart strategy for everybody. A not-so-smart person could think that they would kill just this once and steal from the dead. However, they will eventually realize that killing for material gain implies that everybody, including themselves, will have sleepless nights in fear of death. It is common sense to ban killing, especially for personal gain. I believe lawyers call this type of killing first degree murder, being the worst kind of offense.
Why is looking after the less fortunate good? Not because we will get what we gave back with some interest in a fairyland, but because living in a compassionate society is reassuring. Even if we know that our chances of falling into abject poverty are slim, we would appreciate the feeling of this “insurance”. In a world where the insurance business is commonly pursued or utilized, it is striking that many people do not understand the logic behind social safety nets. If you are not smart, then you are not good. If you do not understand the logic behind efficiency and order, you are either intellectually inferior, or you are uneducated. Thus, you are bad.
We need to tame ourselves. We can only do this through knowledge. This is what makes us human. This is what makes us good.