Random thug 2: What's in all those kegs, anyway?
Random thug 1: Beer! We supply H.A.R.M.'s entire staff with the finest Deutsch brews.
Thug 2: Really? That must be a lot of beer.
Thug 1: Indeed. Our studies show that criminals drink three times as much alcohol as law abiding citizens.
Thug 2: So beer turns people into criminals?
Thug 1: A correlation doesn't imply causality. Just because criminals drink a lot of beer doesn't mean that beer causes crime. It's possible that people with criminal tendencies enjoy beer because it helps to soothe their conscience. Or perhaps criminal behavior is caused in part by a genetic predisposition that also, coincidentally, makes criminals like the taste of beer more than the average person. Who knows?
Thug 2: You're very knowledgeable about these things.
Thug 1: Criminal sociology is a hobby of mine. I think it's important to understand not just the individual, psychological roots of one's behavior, but also the social circumstances that foster that behavior. Whether we like it or not, we are shaped by our environment.
Thug 2: Surely you're not suggesting that individuals aren't accountable for their actions?
Thug 1: Oh, no, of course not. Just because we are products of the societies we're born into doesn't absolve us of personal responsibility. Our religions and laws teach us what is right and what is wrong. Frequently, the right choice is the more difficult path to take. It requires sacrifice, self-discipline, patience ? virtues that many of us find somewhat lacking in our natures.
Thug 2: But what if you're born into a hedonistic culture?
Thug 1: Look across history. The reason hedonism is discouraged by most religions and governments is that it weakens a civilization. It breeds sloth, petulance, degeneracy, and selfishness. A divided nation is a fragile nation, waiting to be conquered. Unity is strength. Humans instinctively fashion order out of chaos. It is a natural, probably genetic impulse. Therefore, even an individual born into troubled times has the capacity, and even the duty, to behave in a manner that promotes unity, however difficult it may be.
Thug 2: Then what about us?
Thug 1: I can only speak for myself. I am a product of a broken household, which introduced a general lack of self confidence in me at a very early age. These feelings of inadequacy blossomed into anger as I matured that the rigors of adolescence, with the teasing and abuse and awkwardness we must all endure, only exacerbated. But even though I've identified the source of my problems, I'm still too childish and petty to become a responsible, mature citizen.
Thug 2: Well, admitting you have a problem is the first step, I suppose.
Thug 1: I like to think so.
