What is human nature? What is society? What does one have to do with each other? The dictionary definition of human nature is “the general psychological characteristics, feelings, and behavioral traits of mankind, considered to be shared by all human beings.” The definition of society is “a part of a community held together by common interests and standards.” So how are society and human nature connected? They are connected by the fact that society is made up of human beings. Human beings and their individual nature merge to form society. William Golding wrote about society and its flaws in his book, Lord of the Flies. He wrote: “The theme [of Lord of the Flies] is an attempt to trace the flaws of society to the flaws of human nature. The moral is that the form of society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system, however apparently logical or respectable." He meant that the defects of society, such as selfishness, cruelty and the thirst for power, are directly linked to the defects of human nature. Consider the Nazi regime. People hated this particular form of government because they thought it was cruel, selfish, and evil. The same traits are also considered undesirable in individual people. Why is society important? Human nature pushes us to follow some sort of code, whether it's our own or someone else's. Society has rules that people are expected to follow. This is how most children are raised. When children are young they learn to listen to their authority figure, most likely their parents. This person taught the child the rules to follow, what was considered correct and what was not acceptable. The same happens in society. There are rules we must respect... middle of the paper... that William Golding worked with in this book. People are the reason society doesn't always work. No matter how much we would like it, society's flaws cannot be attributed to any individual. Golding's quote says that our flaws are directly linked to the flaws of society. Society is intended to keep the dark side of human nature in check, while providing an organized structure for good to manifest, thus creating a safe place for people to live. The definition of society is constantly changing and redefining. Society sets limits, and human nature thrives on pushing the limits. What was considered unacceptable at one point may later be considered normal. Therefore people cannot expect society to fix what is wrong, but rather must strive to become individuals willing to cultivate desirable traits while learning to control undesirable ones..