Evil is causing something awful with a desire to cause strife. It is something that is done solely for the joy of other people's suffering. I see this as trying to hurt people for absolutely no reason. It could be physical like pushing someone out of the way, but it could also manifest emotionally. It could be slander, withholding important information, or lying with the intention to cause harm. It isn't telling someone that they look good to boost their ego when they don't or having ulterior motives. Evil is desire for terrible things to happen just because they're awful.
Evil is indiscriminate. It happens when people attack unprovoked. It has a sadistic side to it. The evil doer might not even get any benefits from doing anything to their victim. They might get a power rush, but there is no real gain. They do it just to exercise any sort of power and control.
I consider myself to be a cynical person. I personally think that people are inherently evil and the only thing that keeps them from being cruel is their fear of abandonment and rejection. Everyone tempers their desire to do unethical things because they will reap more rewards by being nice than being an utter jerk. No one is really that nice. They just know that doing nice things will get them the social benefits that they crave.
I agree 100% on your definition of evil, though do you have to be cynical to consider everyone evil? I personally think if you can't see evil in everyone your being blind or just too optimistic.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your explanation of evil too. In my completely true opinion, I don't do evil, because I feel empathy for the other person. I would really feel guilty and bad, because I know that I wouldn't want that person to do the same to me, and because supporting people rather than stepping on them makes me feel better. I believe that everyone has the opportunity to do good, but in human nature, evil is competition and survival, so we all do a little evil sometimes.
ReplyDelete-Bailey
Dear Sienna,
ReplyDeleteI honestly beg to differ with your cynical description of evil in human nature. Why not believe that everyone has kindness in their heart and that evil is a seed that is planted by social strife or disorders that cause one to become abnormal such sociopathy. People can surprise you, not with the evil that they can commit, but by they kindness that they can show. Evil is overrated and kindness is underestimated. The fight between good and what is perceived to be evil could really be a small rebellion created by a select few tormented by problems that are the result of others of the sort. It's time to open your eyes to a new reality besides those left behind. We are afraid of the truth. We say we are born with evil to escape the realization that we have our own flaws. Imperfection is now an evil when its only natural. That's human nature not evil.
Sincerely, Jacob A. DeWitt