How do people become evil? Do even the most evil people have a good side?

[AfungusAmongus]

yeah, there is no such thing as objective evil. Good and evil are human concepts, they don't exist in a vacuum,

Agreed!

and there is no act that is inherently evil, since even the most vile act can be "good" depending on why you did it. [...] For every conceivable "bad" act there is always a possible "good" consequence that could outweigh it.

One problem here is that (as comics noted) some acts are clearly, horrifically evil, and speculating about good motivations or good results is an inappropriate response to such acts, real or imagined. It's excellent to give people the benefit of the doubt, but foolish to persist in this rosy impression if their actions are sufficiently rotten. We rightly feel horror at horrific acts, and express this feeling by calling such acts "evil". We rightly do this whether or not we believe in objective evil. In other words, our moral practice is somewhat independent of our underlying moral theory.

 

[Corigames]

People value different things. As the discrepancy between your own value hierarchy distances itself from someone else's, the greater the propensity to perceive their motivations as evil will follow. How you label something as evil is dependent on your own values which are influenced by a plethora of factors ranging from culture, childhood experiences, ideology, education, etc.

So, if we were to figure how someone 'became evil,' we'd need to look no further than how they arrived at their current values. When understanding that, you'll know that this person does have a 'good side,' and you find that in their justification for their values. Unless we are talking about a truly psychotic or sociopathic individual, they won't see themselves as evil and will provide reasoning for the values they hold. This may not make them good to you through your understanding of reality, but they may say the same about you through their mind's eye.

 

[Stu R]

I used to be a villain like you, but then I took an omnislash to the knee.

 

[zaiman12345]

Just a good philosophy question that makes you think. Evil people even have their reasons and in fiction most bad people are bad for a reason.

Donald Trump.
That's all my evidence as to why "NO" is my answer.

 

[#HBC | Red Ryu]

I find many of the ideas presented early of good and evil being meaningless in a vacuum to be dangerous thought to present on people.

Then again I do hate personally the idea that, "morals mean nothing because nothing matters in the long run"

Morals come from reason and emotion together. They cannot exist with both being used together.

People become evil because they can let one or the other get the better of them. Logical to the extreme where you refuse to acknowledge emotion if it is ok, or emotion to where you let it dictate you without any thought.

Both are a part of what I would consider a universal truth.

 

[Duplighost]

Everyone has a little good in them. We are born neutral with no morals or ethics yet developed, so the way we handle the situations the world presents us influences and shapes our conscience when we make decisions. We often see people that commit violent acts are victims of depression or a troubled childhood; evil is something obtained, not something you are born with. Some get so consumed by this negative energy that it overwhelms all of the good they once had, and we fail to see any light in them. People that are viewed as corrupt were all born into this world in neutrality, but the society they grew up in taught them what is "good" and what is "evil" based on inherently differentiated moral codes. We live by these imaginary yet uniform standards, and there will always be people that surpass the common grounds for evil, and in the same way for good.

 

[FalKoopa]

Evilness is not something you're born with. It's what you get from your experiences with your family and society, and what you are taught. Different societies do have different norms about what is evil and what isn't, which is also a factor (Blasphemy is a good example, varying from perfectly normal to capital crime depending on where you live).

When youngsters turn to violence and crime, often it's because they believe what they are taught is right. Or they are frustrated with something in their life and violence is a readily available outlet. They don't do that because they enjoy doing it.

Whether the most evil people have a good side, it depends on how long they've been doing it. Low key criminals will quickly shift to normal lives if they get are accepted and rehabilitated by society (they are often rejected because people are still wary of them, though that wariness isn't unfounded either). More hardened criminals can't really hope to have a normal life any more; they often know this too, so let the evil consume them. They'd probably require years of therapy and rehabilitation, and while it isn't impossible, nobody is really willing to invest time and money into that, because let's be honest, most would prefer that they be kept away from public life as far as possible.

It should be noted that even they are often not chaotic evil (excluding the psychopathic sort), they still do care about the their families and such.

 

[Jedi Reach]

The idea that people are inherently born evil is uneducated and false. The idea that we are also born holy is also equally ignorant and false.

Truth be told, humans are born in a neutral-positive manner.

Observe a child, without the parental influence and more around the tender age between 2 months to 1 1/2 years of age. They are neutral. They are observant, curious and interested. They are not born with racism, sexism, violence or the want or need to do evil. They are simply curious creatures, ready and willing to discover. The same goes for the holy worship of a child. No child is born to do miracles or wonders, although they can alter their own destiny to become great men and women through their own choice.

There are certain impulses from the universe that act as suggestions but these remain suggestions at best and nothing more. It is our choice how to paint the picture.

'Evil' is formed only through insecurities, perceptions, emotions and influences that the human being takes upon themselves during his or her lifetime. A good and easy example of this is the failure of one's dreams. This can be extended to the disappointment of friends, family, loved ones or enemies hurting the human in some way or another. Although negative influences are at best, influences - it is the human's choice to accept how these failures, disappointments, hurts and or radical beliefs, and how it should affect them.

To take this a step further, it is also your choice how to respond with negative or evil influences. It's easy for most people to continue the cycle of revenge, taking on the insecurities of their attacker or enemy and essentially becoming an unintended imitation of their enemies. This cycle continues as the newly self-intoxicated human passes this onto another, and then another, and so it spreads.

Yet all this is not a plague or some superstition. This is simply choice.

Emotions and feelings are not the same thing. Feelings are based on love, wisdom, logic and truth, while emotions are pent-up, unaccounted feelings that have gone unattended to. This develops into anger, depression, chaos, confusion etc. which makes it harder. Yet the reason why feelings and emotions exist is a sum of information in an alternate form of thought. Also the idea that feelings come before thought is false.

Thought is generated before feeling.

And to be more specific, it comes to the unconscious (which is not the subconscious, but the layer before the conscious)
The unconscious acts as the Link (no pun intended) to the conscious because it has faster perception than the conscious, which is the slowest perception of our overall consciousness. Thought is generated within the unconscious as a perception and expressed through the conscious as thought and feeling or emotion.

Wtf are you getting at Jedi?

Simple - control your thoughts. Easier than it sounds, I know, but it's self discipline. Through the lack of self discipline is how evil continues to form itself in the minds of people. Most of them unintentionally feed themselves the delusion of evil, along with many other emo, weak and delusional thoughts that furthers this process till the whole thing becomes unbearably hard to contain or understand by the human doing this to themselves.

So to answer the OP - Everyone is born with natural preservation laws within us to do 'what is right' for ourselves and our world. It is through influences and acceptance of these influences that people wither into being what you would describe as evil.

 

[Plunder]

The idea that people are inherently born evil is uneducated and false. The idea that we are also born holy is also equally ignorant and false.

Truth be told, humans are born in a neutral-positive manner.

Observe a child, without the parental influence and more around the tender age between 2 months to 1 1/2 years of age. They are neutral. They are observant, curious and interested. They are not born with racism, sexism, violence or the want or need to do evil. They are simply curious creatures, ready and willing to discover. The same goes for the holy worship of a child. No child is born to do miracles or wonders, although they can alter their own destiny to become great men and women through their own choice.

There are certain impulses from the universe that act as suggestions but these remain suggestions at best and nothing more. It is our choice how to paint the picture.

'Evil' is formed only through insecurities, perceptions, emotions and influences that the human being takes upon themselves during his or her lifetime. A good and easy example of this is the failure of one's dreams. This can be extended to the disappointment of friends, family, loved ones or enemies hurting the human in some way or another. Although negative influences are at best, influences - it is the human's choice to accept how these failures, disappointments, hurts and or radical beliefs, and how it should affect them.

To take this a step further, it is also your choice how to respond with negative or evil influences. It's easy for most people to continue the cycle of revenge, taking on the insecurities of their attacker or enemy and essentially becoming an unintended imitation of their enemies. This cycle continues as the newly self-intoxicated human passes this onto another, and then another, and so it spreads.

Yet all this is not a plague or some superstition. This is simply choice.

Emotions and feelings are not the same thing. Feelings are based on love, wisdom, logic and truth, while emotions are pent-up, unaccounted feelings that have gone unattended to. This develops into anger, depression, chaos, confusion etc. which makes it harder. Yet the reason why feelings and emotions exist is a sum of information in an alternate form of thought. Also the idea that feelings come before thought is false.

Thought is generated before feeling.

And to be more specific, it comes to the unconscious (which is not the subconscious, but the layer before the conscious)
The unconscious acts as the Link (no pun intended) to the conscious because it has faster perception than the conscious, which is the slowest perception of our overall consciousness. Thought is generated within the unconscious as a perception and expressed through the conscious as thought and feeling or emotion.

Wtf are you getting at Jedi?

Simple - control your thoughts. Easier than it sounds, I know, but it's self discipline. Through the lack of self discipline is how evil continues to form itself in the minds of people. Most of them unintentionally feed themselves the delusion of evil, along with many other emo, weak and delusional thoughts that furthers this process till the whole thing becomes unbearably hard to contain or understand by the human doing this to themselves.

So to answer the OP - Everyone is born with natural preservation laws within us to do 'what is right' for ourselves and our world. It is through influences and acceptance of these influences that people wither into being what you would describe as evil.

Well to be fair what you are saying is also false and partially uneducated.

The brain itself radically changes with age. Completely isolated from outside influence it can change your preferences, tastes, and morals.

A small example is that many people do not like the same foods or music at age 14 compared to age 30.

A bigger example is someone reaching an age bracket where genetic mental or personality disorders and abberations start to manifest themselves.

There are also so many different things that can go wrong with the brain that cause 1000s of differing degrees of mental and social problems and they can be completely or partially independent of society or external Influence.

All this is backed up by actual scientist who study sociology and psychology not to mention their actual experience with serial killers and extreme forms of psychopath/sociopath.

There can be a person at age 15 that is a perfect role model, that can turn into a hedonistic apathetic rapist who gets joy out of asserting power over their victims. Something inside can go wrong, something can snap and set them on that course. It might have been dormant, biological, genetic, and it may or may not be set off by external events. Or maybe it was all an act up until they revealed their true nature (psychopaths are often extremely intelligent and are great at blending in)

 

[Jedi Reach]

Well to be fair what you are saying is also false and partially uneducated.

The brain itself radically changes with age. Completely isolated from outside influence it can change your preferences, tastes, and morals.

A small example is that many people do not like the same foods or music at age 14 compared to age 30.

A bigger example is someone reaching an age bracket where genetic mental or personality disorders and abberations start to manifest themselves.

There are also so many different things that can go wrong with the brain that cause 1000s of differing degrees of mental and social problems and they can be completely or partially independent of society or external Influence.

All this is backed up by actual scientist who study sociology and psychology not to mention their actual experience with serial killers and extreme forms of psychopath/sociopath.

There can be a person at age 15 that is a perfect role model, that can turn into a hedonistic apathetic rapist who gets joy out of asserting power over their victims. Something inside can go wrong, something can snap and set them on that course. It might have been dormant, biological, genetic, and it may or may not be set off by external events. Or maybe it was all an act up until they revealed their true nature (psychopaths are often extremely intelligent and are great at blending in)

My post stands in its merit quite solid, though your ideas of attempting to disprove it falls flat unfortunately and remains nothing more than your opinion.

The initial examples you listed have nothing to do with evil, but changes of the human tastes which can act as influences for evil, or good for that matter.

Genetic and hereditary influences do play a role and makes the trigger easier to give into the impulses. However, it is still a choice, no matter if it happens in a milisecond without thought. This example you use of the person at 15 that suddenly turns into a rapist has a major hole.

Psychopaths are not born psychopaths. Even that is impossible. There are choices along the way that influences the brain configuration which would lead into a psychotic disposition. Whether they choose to blend in or not is irrelevant, because that was already building beforehand which actually goes to prove my post.

Had we, for example, lived in a world where we do not condone violence (that means no Smash Bros, no GoT, no WoW, no shows or games with any forms of fighting or death) would you really say that the psychopath would've developed the same way as our culture has affected them?

Who's to say that 15 year old, had we been in a different form of civilization and global culture, instead of snapping to **** - had snapped to play with pigs? How would he have even known in an alternate culture that '****' and 'killing' is a thing? See where this is going? You only go to prove my point further. Thank you.

So no, even with genetic disorders, it is still influence and choice - external and internal.

 

[Plunder]

My post stands in its merit quite solid, though your ideas of attempting to disprove it falls flat unfortunately and remains nothing more than your opinion.

The initial examples you listed have nothing to do with evil, but changes of the human tastes which can act as influences for evil, or good for that matter.

Genetic and hereditary influences do play a role and makes the trigger easier to give into the impulses. However, it is still a choice, no matter if it happens in a milisecond without thought. This example you use of the person at 15 that suddenly turns into a rapist has a major hole.

Psychopaths are not born psychopaths. Even that is impossible. There are choices along the way that influences the brain configuration which would lead into a psychotic disposition. Whether they choose to blend in or not is irrelevant, because that was already building beforehand which actually goes to prove my post.

Had we, for example, lived in a world where we do not condone violence (that means no Smash Bros, no GoT, no WoW, no shows or games with any forms of fighting or death) would you really say that the psychopath would've developed the same way as our culture has affected them?

Who's to say that 15 year old, had we been in a different form of civilization and global culture, instead of snapping to **** - had snapped to play with pigs? How would he have even known in an alternate culture that '****' and 'killing' is a thing? See where this is going? You only go to prove my point further. Thank you.

So no, even with genetic disorders, it is still influence and choice - external and internal.

You obviously think quite highly of yourself, and it seems that you hastily jump to conclusions or decide things without considering all the facts or even entertaining the very high possibility that you don't know everything.

These flaws combined with arrogance create people that are bad at debate, they are also signs of someone who is close minded or more concerned with being percieved as knowledgeable more than actually being right or studied on something.

Consider someone who is now openly transgender. How do you think that came about? Is that always a product of external influences? Were they not always transgender, or were they....but it took puberty and hormones triggering brain activity and connections to solidify that sexual alignment. Did they choose to be consfused about their gender? Do they choose to like men or women. There are most certainly impending genetic and biological predispositions each person has, even from birth like little time bombs waiting to go off and change how their brain works. They can be triggered by age via hormones or a culmination of bilogical events coded in their DNA. Don't make the ignorant mistake of thinking everyone's brain works the way yours does, or that everyone thinks the way you do. If everyone was a product of the things you listed everything and everyone's personalities and moralities could be predicted. That is not the case In the real world. There are tons of cases that have no explanation or reasoning. You can't reason why someone is autistic, or why someone has a low IQ, why someone hears voices, is a schizo, is bipolar, you can't explain everything by just considering external influences.

Your statements about how I supposedly "keep proving your point" make zero sense, but I doubt you will see why.

 

[Jedi Reach]

You obviously think quite highly of yourself, and it seems that you hastily jump to conclusions or decide things without considering all the facts or even entertaining the very high possibility that you don't know everything.

These flaws combined with arrogance create people that are bad at debate, they are also signs of someone who is close minded or more concerned with being percieved as knowledgeable more than actually being right or studied on something.

Consider someone who is now openly transgender. How do you think that came about? Is that always a product of external influences? Were they not always transgender, or were they....but it took puberty and hormones triggering brain activity and connections to solidify that sexual alignment. Did they choose to be consfused about their gender? Do they choose to like men or women. There are most certainly impending genetic and biological predispositions each person has, even from birth like little time bombs waiting to go off and change how their brain works. They can be triggered by age via hormones or a culmination of bilogical events coded in their DNA. Don't make the ignorant mistake of thinking everyone's brain works the way yours does, or that everyone thinks the way you do. If everyone was a product of the things you listed everything and everyone's personalities and moralities could be predicted. That is not the case In the real world. There are tons of cases that have no explanation or reasoning. You can't reason why someone is autistic, or why someone has a low IQ, why someone hears voices, is a schizo, is bipolar, you can't explain everything by just considering external influences.

Your statements about how I supposedly "keep proving your point" make zero sense, but I doubt you will see why.

Someone's ego got really hurt...

This is your false perception of me. The idea of arrogance is also your idea and your idea only when in reality I pointed out the flaws and the illogical ideas in your presented statement to disprove my post - which, up to now, you haven't and cannot, because my idea is grounded in truth. If this offends you, that is your issue and not mine. If you find that arrogant then you have issues to attend to, and are perhaps, projecting yourself onto others. In this case - me.

Sociology and Psychology are among my disciplines that I've studied extensively for over ten years and put to practice in various jobs and operations across the world and the internet. I am speaking from experience and practice, are you?

Right, now that we are onto the transgender subject, which is now drifting off of the OP (seriously? transgender? You consider homosexuality and transgender to be along the lines of evil now? Poor example, this is pulling on straws but I'll bite for my amusement.)

Some homosexuality is influenced externally. Others are genetically inclined. Neither of these make the act of homosexuality evil, and onto the point of transgender (which I find a poor example). If one is inclined to feel more toward the opposite sex of their birth then this is still influenced factors. Confusion of genders can stem from many forms of influence, including genetic factors. This does not make it evil, so your point is irrelevant.

Also there is indeed exceptions, but as previously pointed out in my former post - your points are irrelevant, because all of them still hinged on influence. How would you have the idea to kill and r.ape if it was never taught in society? ) Even if you are autistic or have a low IQ. If it was never taught or never seen, then it is ignorant to assume it can suddenly happen.

And a word of advice - everything is explainable, even if you do not understand it yet, does not mean everyone else doesn't. There are things unknown to me that others have greater knowledge about and the same applies to you. Be modest and be open-minded, you have a very long way to go.

PS: My opinion concerning why some are autistic is due to a new spirit form or low evolution. Same applies to *********** which I think that we were all at that point once in former lifetimes, which is also why overopopulation is detrimental to the planet. Genetic factors can play an influence in modes of behavior but it does not make a person evil. It's the choices that come after. I've met people who have these defects and are wiser, kinder and more loving than supposedly normal people.

Have a wonderful day.

 

[Plunder]

Someone's ego got really hurt...

This is your false perception of me. The idea of arrogance is also your idea and your idea only when in reality I pointed out the flaws and the illogical ideas in your presented statement to disprove my post - which, up to now, you haven't and cannot, because my idea is grounded in truth. If this offends you, that is your issue and not mine. If you find that arrogant then you have issues to attend to, and are perhaps, projecting yourself onto others. In this case - me.

Sociology and Psychology are among my disciplines that I've studied extensively for over ten years and put to practice in various jobs and operations across the world and the internet. I am speaking from experience and practice, are you?

Right, now that we are onto the transgender subject, which is now drifting off of the OP (seriously? transgender? You consider homosexuality and transgender to be along the lines of evil now? Poor example, this is pulling on straws but I'll bite for my amusement.)

Some homosexuality is influenced externally. Others are genetically inclined. Neither of these make the act of homosexuality evil, and onto the point of transgender (which I find a poor example). If one is inclined to feel more toward the opposite sex of their birth then this is still influenced factors. Confusion of genders can stem from many forms of influence, including genetic factors. This does not make it evil, so your point is irrelevant.

Also there is indeed exceptions, but as previously pointed out in my former post - your points are irrelevant, because all of them still hinged on influence. How would you have the idea to kill and r.ape if it was never taught in society? ) Even if you are autistic or have a low IQ. If it was never taught or never seen, then it is ignorant to assume it can suddenly happen.

And a word of advice - everything is explainable, even if you do not understand it yet, does not mean everyone else doesn't. There are things unknown to me that others have greater knowledge about and the same applies to you. Be modest and be open-minded, you have a very long way to go.

PS: My opinion concerning why some are autistic is due to a new spirit form or low evolution. Same applies to *********** which I think that we were all at that point once in former lifetimes, which is also why overopopulation is detrimental to the planet. Genetic factors can play an influence in modes of behavior but it does not make a person evil. It's the choices that come after. I've met people who have these defects and are wiser, kinder and more loving than supposedly normal people.

Have a wonderful day.

Wow.....none of this make any sense. And your sad propoganda like attempt to force comparisons between evil and transgenders. There really is no point in continuing this conversation, you've missed the point twice now in favor of attacking rather than discussing (by the way that was some really low rent baiting and deflection). My description appears to be more accurate with every post you make.

I hope this phony online persona you are operating under isn't a reflection of your actual self.

 

[Jedi Reach]

Wow.....none of this make any sense. And your sad propoganda like attempt to force comparisons between evil and transgenders. There really is no point in continuing this conversation, you've missed the point twice now in favor of attacking rather than discussing (by the way that was some really low rent baiting and deflection). My description appears to be more accurate with every post you make.

I hope this phony online persona you are operating under isn't a reflection of your actual self.

What are you even talking about? You're the one who brought up the idea of comparisons between evil and transgender due to a moot, defeated point o.O

We're done here. Learn to read.

“Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.”

― George Carlin

 

[Sucumbio]

Got the report. Rather than hand out infraction points let's just agree to remind ourselves that attacking the argument is not the same as attacking the poster directly. No need for name calling in other words. Thank you.

 

[FalKoopa]

That escalated... I suppose I can address Jedi's first post though.

I don't think I fully understand what he was trying to say, although he seems to be arguing that doing/being evil is a choice.

I don't agree. There are plenty of occasions where committing something evil might be necessary. Concepts of good and evil break down when your survival is at stake - as a simple example, a person wouldn't think twice about stealing food if he's starving and on the verge of dying.

Stealing is bad, but it's illogical to expect somebody to care about good and bad in that kind of circumstance. Everyone values their survival.

Another example is someone forced to work with criminals under threat.

Also, psychopathy is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, blaming it solely on external influence is flat out wrong.