Human Nature

Through his exploration of human nature in reference to the major characters in the book, Brooks emphasizes the duality of human nature and the importance of acknowledging the bad along with the good. Throughout history, cultures and societies have had differing views of whether human nature is good or bad. However, in the modern day, humans are often seen as inherently good. What we need now, Brooks argues, is a balanced view that acknowledges both halves of human nature.

The Eisenhowers understood this duality and worked to combat sinning tendencies (55). Sin is a basic human tendency and needs to be defeated by working toward self-discipline. For any person, each day contains a number of moral dilemmas, and habitually building self-control by making the moral choice rather than the sinful or morally compromising choice. In his inauguration speech, Dwight Eisenhower reminded American citizens of the “bad” side of...