Are We Born Good or Made Good?

We will be at Southeast Regional Library in Room C (Big Room!!!)

About the Group:

This is a friendly Socratic Café where we explore big ideas through open conversation. No philosophy background is needed, just curiosity, respect, and a willingness to share and listen.

### I. Defining the Terms

1. The Elevator Pitch: If you had to explain what "character" is to a five-year-old, how would you define it?
2. Reputation vs. Reality: Is there a difference between "personality" and "character"? If so, where is the line drawn?
3. The Blank Slate: Are human beings born with a specific character, or is it 100% learned and developed over time?
4. The Essential Ingredient: If you could only pick one trait that defines "good character" (e.g., honesty, courage, loyalty), what would it be and why?
5. Fixed or Fluid: Can a person’s character truly change later in life, or is the "die cast" by the time we reach adulthood?

II. The Blueprint: How to Build Character

6. The Crucible: We often hear that "suffering builds character." Do you agree, or can character be built just as effectively through joy, comfort, and success?
7. Habits vs. Moments: Is character built through major life events (crises and triumphs) or through the boring, repetitive micro-habits of daily life?
8. Nature of Instruction: Can character actually be "taught" in a classroom, or must it be "caught" through observation and experience?
9. Fake It ‘Til You Make It: Aristotle suggested we become just by doing just acts. If you force yourself to act like a good person even when you don't feel like it, does that eventually change your actual character?
10. The Role of Others: Can you build character in isolation (on a desert island), or does character require interaction with other people to exist?

III. The Moral Compass (Ethics & Dilemmas)

11. The Dark Room: There is an old saying: "Character is what you do when no one is looking." If you knew with 100% certainty you would never get caught, would your behavior change?
12. Strong vs. Good: Can a "bad" person (someone with evil intent) still have "strong" character (discipline, resilience, consistency)?
13. Intent vs. Outcome: If someone tries to do the right thing but causes a disaster, does that reflect poorly on their character? Conversely, does accidental good reflect well?
14. The Price of Integrity: Is having high character a disadvantage in a competitive world? Does it "cost" you success?
15. Forgiveness: If a person with a lifetime of good character commits one terrible act, does that one act redefine who they are?

IV. Society and The Bigger Picture

16. Leadership: In a leader (politician, CEO), what matters more: their moral character or their competence/effectiveness? Can we separate the two?
17. Modern Values: Do we live in a society that values talent over character? How does social media affect this dynamic?
18. Cultural Relativism: Is "good character" universal across all humans, or does it change depending on the culture and time period you live in?
19. Technology: Will AI and technology weaken our character by making life too convenient, or will it free us to focus on self-improvement?
20. The Future: If you could magically instill one character trait into the entire next generation of humanity, what trait would save the world?