i strongly believe.....that children learn by modelling what they see about them. and that if you are postive with children, helping them by giving them interesting things to do, and raise them with respect and courtesy, that they learn those values on a very deep level.

any numbers of studies of criminals (and I've worked with crims in the past) show that they've had some heavy childhood experiences/deprivations that have helped make them what they become as adults. the basic modelling for a sociopath is physical or emotional cruelty before the age of seven, which causes the child not to trust anyone, and destroys their ability to empathise.

rather than believing we are born with original sin, i think we are thrown into life without hangups, we are cultivated in our home and school environments, which help pattern our emotional responses. we encounter good and bad experiences, and have to learn to respond constructively, to swim rather than sink, with whatever we've got.