Human nature, by definition, is universal. Those who try to define human nature are making a claim that applies to each human in the effort to explain the flaws in human experience; war, crime, poverty, etc. But a theory that explains everything explains nothing, which means that there is no analytical value in finally understanding human nature. If every scenario can be explained by a theory of human nature then we have no way to actually use that variable. I'll put it another way. To enact real change in our society, namely through political institutions, we need to understand why people do things. We do this by finding indicators of human behavior. When *x* variable shows up we can be reasonably certain that *y* will happen. But human nature is a variable that always shows up. Humans are always being humans. Claims about human nature can actually be incredibly harmful. If we think it is in man's nature to be aggressive then men are more likely to be aggressive. Not only that, but when we subscribe to a theory of human nature we believe ourselves invulnerable and we stop questioning the foundations of our world. Human nature limits our worldview by blinding us to our own assumptions and facilitates behavior that is similarly limited. A dynamic understanding of human behavior is needed to effectively engage in civic life; our understanding of others in the world needs to be built on an ever evolving image of the world and all its constituent parts (a process I believe is never finished, always in progress). Sources: Kenneth N. Waltz, 1959. *Man, the State, and War*, New York: Columbia University Press, Ch. 2

It is not pointless to define "human nature," or at least piece it together. Human nature attempts to consider aspects of history while continuing to transcend time. Denying that overlooks the purpose of reason and knowledge – I believe it to be growing in every way possible overtime and knowing why. Defining human nature is an act of the times. Anything from Plato to the Enlightenment and modern science comes to mind here. The point of acknowledging human nature today is to appreciate these claims throughout history. The greatest issue becomes misusing a perspective stemming from these claims. Maybe defining it overall is somewhat pointless when trapped in the loop of blame and defeat based on such claims, but human nature continues by expanding our view. Clearly, humans are more than they are claimed to be and the source below quotes Henry Miller saying, "Man has demonstrated he is master of everything – except his own nature.” I read this quote as positive and motivational. The reason and questioning that goes into defining human nature is what reveals humans to be more than their due diligence and assumptions. I do 100% agree with that last sentence. Human nature is rooted in experience. http://w3.salemstate.edu/~hbenne/pdfs/reflections.pdf

I can define literally anything. Fight me.