My model for what it takes to become a basically good human is... failing your way to success. Humans are fundamentally good, as well as fundamentally lazy, greedy, and selfish. The right culture for really promoting human development needs to have both consequences for bad actions and the possibility of mercy. Otherwise, a huge shadow side is created where we hide our failings, deny our weakness, project what we don't like about ourselves onto other people or groups, fear our own imperfect nature, and cultivate as a culture (or subculture) a kind of "proxy morality" where certain acts and beliefs are fetishized as being "good" without really investigating whether that is true or not. Sometimes I think the overall situation is basically hopeless... but moment by moment it seems like it can still be navigated.