There but for the grace of God go I...

Have you ever considered who you'd be if you grew up somewhere where the prevailing culture did not encourage you to be a good person? The other day I found myself wondering - if I grew up with a father in the Ton-Ton Macoute, or something, who would I be? I can't much claim any of my better features as my own invention - most of what I've ever done that's any good was either natural talent that I didn't do any work to make any better, or the influence of good parents, etc. If I had crummy parents? I'd be a horrible criminal. It's humbling to know that really I'm no better a person than, say, one of the rebels in Sierra Leone, raping villagers and cutting their husband's hands off.  Just luckier.