In middle school, high school, and even in certain classes in college, I have been asked repeatedly — are humans inherently good or evil? For me, the answer to that question has always been complicated. I like to think that humans are basically good, and want to do what is right. But when I learn about horrific events that have happened throughout history, all over the world — the concentration camps during WW2, genocides in Cambodia and elsewhere, the massacres that occurred during the Vietnam war, and the usage of chemicals in warfare like Agent Orange — these events might lead some to argue that humans are inherently evil. I would like to contend that they are not. As an anthropologist on a study abroad program looking at the legacy of conflict in Vietnam and Cambodia, I wanted to see how conflicts from the past made people treat each other in the present. What I witnessed solidified my viewpoint that humans are good.
When I first saw the above picture — the “All You Need Is Love” graffiti on a door in Vietnam — it brought an enormous smile to my face and a feeling of warmth. This feeling followed me in my everyday interactions with people. Everywhere we went, people greeted us with open arms. They were also willing to help me personally navigate my way through various cultural intricacies, such as paying for dinner or getting directions to the other side of town. These small everyday acts of kindness might go unnoticed to many people, but to me they stood out. Growing up in the military, I have was told by multiple teachers that it is the small things in life that make the biggest differences. Whether that was the exact wording they used or not, they all had the same message for me.
My initial journey in Vietnam started in the relatively small mountain town of Sapa, in Northern Vietnam, where I took part in a trekking tour through the rice paddies. My girlfriend and I had decided to arrive a few weeks earlier than the rest of our classmates so we could explore more of the country on our own. In Sapa we stayed at a homestay with a bunch of different people from all over the world. The owners had kids that hung out and played games with us in the evenings. One of their children was a little girl that was probably around 2 or 3 years old in age and was the biggest ball of love and joy. The only thought going through this little girl’s mind was to have fun. Evenings consisted of all of us laughing, eating, telling stories to each other, and singing karaoke. Those few days in Sapa showed me how there was no inherent hatred in that little girl, and there was nothing but joy amongst this group of strangers that I was with. If people were inherently evil or bad, then why wasn’t that little girl more fearful or hesitant towards this big group of strange foreigners? As previously stated, I do not think that people are born evil or born bad. Rather, I think that fear, animosity, or hatred is something that is taught to children or individuals as they grow older. It was noticeable that the little girl was extraverted and that she probably liked being around new people and the attention she got from us, but in every small town, city, gas station, and village I went to over the next three weeks in Vietnam, I did not once feel any negativity directed towards me. These experiences, while I realize are somewhat limited in nature and scope, showed me that fear and hatred are learned concepts.
As previously stated, the focus of my study abroad program was on the “legacy of conflict” in Vietnam and Cambodia, which had me somewhat confused at first as I was insure whether “legacy” was a positive or negative concept. To be honest, I still don’t know if it is positive or negative. As witnessed in many of the sites we visited in Vietnam and Cambodia, conflict — such as war and genocide — is horrible and should be avoided at all costs. However, I also see that conflict can bring out the good in people and bring them together. When you look at a conflict that is happening in the world right now, such as that in Ukraine, you see the horrors of war. But, if you look for it, you also see so many individuals go out of their way to help those in need and that, to me, is beautiful. At times, it feels like this only happens when conflict arise, but I also think it should be something that is always happening.
For example, visiting with victims of Agent Orange in Vietnam has showed me some of the positive things that can happen after there is conflict. In a room full of first generation victims, we talked with them about their experiences with Agent Orange, and how it has impacted them individually and collectively. One of the men that served in the war and had the chemicals dropped on him and begged us to never let that happen to anyone anywhere, ever again. He stated that he knew that our generation cared because we were here in Vietnam learning about what had happened, so we can prevent it from happening in the future. His words left a mark on me and, I believe, on all of us present. This was a man that had fought against the United States military in his youth and now, as an elderly man likely in his 70s or 80s, had no apparent hatred towards us. After that meeting, he smiled, shook our hands, and laughed with our group. How can humans be evil? Humans are not evil or bad. Humans are put into situations that can be evil or bad which, in turn, can make good people can do bad things, especially when it comes to saving or protecting their families and loved ones.
So, returning to conflict, I think that it happens to remind us of the good in people and to help us better appreciate that good. Wars and conflicts can destroy and divide people, but they can also bring them together. There is nothing to prevent people from working together to stop them from happening in the future. Those are legacies. We are the legacies. I am here today to learn and remember from the past and to carry it with me. There was a reason I came to Vietnam and Cambodia and there is a reason I gained the knowledge that I have. I can help build a world full of peace and love, just like that little girl in Sapa or that elderly man wanting peace. I am the legacy and so are you. Let’s learn and build with each other. We are good.