Misanthropy. "Are humans fundamentally good or evil?"

[Zythus]

Preface: This thread was not meant to offend, discredit, target, or isolate any individual, group, clique in any way. This thread is purely for discussion and debate from a mild to a moderate degree.


Misanthropy -A general dislike, distrust, or hatred of the human species, or a disposition to dislike and/or distrust other people. (Wikipedia)

The definition does not step that far and absolute. One can also detest humankind and act normally. Its a personal preference and a philosophical approach that one believes in, not necessarily a religion. An more extreme believer takes it as a code in life, to never interact with other humans.
Misanthropy would be the discontent solely based on the savagery, primitivism, and ego of human instincts and characteristics. As it is substantially apparent that humans posses the natural characteristics of greed, hate, avarice, lust, and ego manifesting in many direct or indirect ways that are demonstrated and exercised, it may also be arguable that humans have light in them amidst the darkness. Stereotypically, humans are also compassionate, caring, empathic, and many other traits that illuminate the positivity of humans, that is to say, the impression that we ourselves like to endorse.
I myself is a misanthropist, seeing absolutely no good in the existence of humans. The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer says that "There was some error in calculation for the existence of humans to have sprung up." Humans destroy, steal, kill, and all of the shenanigans that makes a human, human. It is a FACT that without the human race, the universe would be a much better place. Aside from the evil of humans, I justify the "goodness" of humans to be yet another part of "evil". Because of ego, humans build their infrastructures called societies. And because they have ego, it is needless to say that they want to portray themselves as something "nice". Thus, by a visage of being a "nice" organism by the refined rules of society, we blight ourselves to believe that humans are indeed compassionate creatures.
Does it sound pessimistic? Perhaps it only does if you feel that humans are some sort of revered existences. And yes, I do understand that I myself am human too. This isn't for the faint of heart.

My question would be:

Are humans fundamentally evil or good?

For some more enlightenment, I was reading an article about the 10 Myths of Reality. It basically talks about how the author thinks that our society's common acceptance of subjects is to be looked differently in various ways. He goes on to state his opinion of the 10 aspects of society which I found very interesting and true.

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.u...orycode=401547

Note again that this is a moderate discussion, be composed and a bit more accepting than you normally are.