Wen Tzu - Verse 134

from Verse One Hundred Thirty-Four

When you get to the root of human nature by means of the Way, there is no perversity or pollution; but when you are steeped in things for a long time, you forget that root and conform to a seeming nature.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

All of us are weighted down with baggage. We each view life through a subjective lens and, often, our lenses get out of focus. We each follow patterns in our lives and, people like me, follow them excessively. And I've never met a person that hasn't gotten stuck in a rut from time to time.

While I agree with the general tenor of the passage above, I don't agree completely. I think we all share a general nature, but not a specific one. I believe that biology plays a big role in dictating a person's internal nature.

From what we can discern, some people are born to be sociopaths. Some basic elements of remorse and compassion simply seem to be missing in their brains. Sad to say, this wanton disregard for the rights of others appears to be part of their essential nature.

Now this is not to suggest that there may be environmental triggers at work too. But it's hard to argue this point when a very young child is given this diagnosis. To me, this provides a far stronger indication that the problem is organic, not from the ego.

This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.