With bad behavior like the cyber-bullying of the "Kick a Ginger" incident taking over the headlines, it's easy to grow cynical about human nature.  But before you give up on goodness, there's this new discovery to take into account: based on a series of studies done on very young children (and yes, a few primates for contrast) it looks like we humans are innately socialable and helpful to others and that we're born with a willingness to help. 

In his article in the New York TImes, scientific reporter Nicholas Wade sheds some refreshing light on the topic of altruism and it's evolution thus far.  Turns out that even before we see giving behavior modeled by adults, babies are likely to help, and to do so without the promise or incentive of rewards.  While yes, we're hard-wired for survival, it looks like we're also genetically predisposed to being helpful as well.  

The article goes on to comfort parents who, like I did, might start thinking, "Hey, what happened to my kid in the polite behavior department?" Most likely, despite becoming more selective with their "helpfulness" as they get older, most kids are more helpful outside the home.  So if it's any consellation, even if your kids aren't offering to help you clean the kitchen,  hopefully they're doing the dishes when they're at a sleepover (and you get the call telling you how well behaved your child is!)