I watched a debate [between an Orthodox rabbi and non-Orthodox Jew] - are human beings basically good or bad? One side - the non-Orthodox Jew - insisted that human being are at the core miserable, wretched beings. The other side insisted that human beings are basically good.
I don't understand. Human beings are both good and evil. We get to decide if we will follow our good side or evil side. We have a pure soul from Hashem and we also have a Yetzer Hara. [At the end, the rabbi acknowledged this]. Some people are more inclined to evil and some to good but we all [except for the real sickos] have free choice.
Every human being has urges to speak negatively of others or get jealous or angry - we also fight this. Some better - some less well.
The Torah says "לא תרצח". This was said to Jews who saw Hashem's miracles in Egypt. All of the mitzvos are to perfect our character and make us more G-dly and less human. I think it is fair to say that the Tanach is more a story of human failure and weakness than of success.
If a person learns Mussar and works on himself he will be better. If he doesn't, then he will follow his nature - sometimes for better and sometimes for worse.
"א-להי, נשמה שנתת בי טהורה היא" and "יצר לב האדם רע מנעוריו". Two poles - we get to decide where we go.
