"Do you believe it's human nature to make war?" Athena asks placidly. Considering his only options for male role models thus far in life have been gangbangers who worshipped at the bloodthirsty altar of Ares, she could hardly fault him for reaching that conclusion. "You wouldn't be entirely wrong. But war, for most, is a means to an end. Yes, there will always be humans fighting over the capstone, but there are at least as many who would be satisfied with a stable ledge, if given the choice. If a man is raised from childhood to understand he must climb over others to survive, if he is punished for honesty and rewarded for aggression, is that human nature, or failure to nurture?"
She reaches for her coffee cup again, without taking her eyes away from his. "So, no, my young friend, you can't change human nature. But with a great deal of work, you can change human systems."