Humanising Evil
Our gauge for what is considered evil has become much more sensitive. Many people would not raise an eyebrow if you called Hitler evil. Nor would the same eyebrow lift if you called Trump evil. It is as if Trump’s failed mission to build a wall between the US and Mexican border and to limit immigration into the US can be equated to Hitler’s actual orchestrated mass killing of Jewish, Polish, and Russian.
Our gauge for what is considered evil has become much more sensitive.
Some know-it-betters would probably cut in now to say that if Trump had more power, he would too be responsible for the deaths of so many people. Fortunately, you cannot yet jail people for hypothetical crimes — and even Philip K. Dick[1] shows how predicting crime can go wrong.
Some know-it-betters would probably cut in now to say that if Trump had more power, he would too be responsible for the deaths of so many people. Fortunately, you cannot yet jail people for hypothetical crimes — and even Philip K. Dick[1] shows how predicting crime can go wrong.
Another know-it-better might say it is Trump’s words that are truly despicable. Can we really label someone evil based on the words leaving their mouths? If people are labelled evil for what they say, I better start preparing for my eventual trip to hell.
If people are labelled evil for what they say, I better start preparing for my eventual trip to hell.
If this is the case, hell is not going to be lonely. I can also look forward to meeting up again with some of my friends and family members. Hell does not seem so daunting if I can spend time with these people for despite the fact that they have said hurtful things to me and others — and even, behind others’ backs — I would still like to be with them in hell (BTW: I am an atheist, but I believe hell exists).
On another note, I have come round to acknowledging that a large part of me is evil. One of my deeply flawed traits and one that everyone unanimously agrees on is that I am horridly and shamefacedly argumentative. Now, do not think I am blowing this up or being cute. MY ARGUMENTATIVENESS is APPALLING:
- it has no time limits. (I could patiently argue the length of evolution itself)
- it is not pretty. (Even the Dalai Lama would cringe if he heard and saw me getting started on a rampant debate).
It gets worse, there is another aspect of me that is much more sinister, which until two years ago, I did not take seriously. My anger is a problem. When I get angry, cockroaches flee every building. Shadows stand still and earthquakes are put to shame. Now, I am trying to be funny, but I am still not being cute.
[A] large part of me is evil.
This is really how bad it is. In fact, I get so angry and so caught up in my anger, that, at times, I experience patches of memory loss. It is not my intention admitting this to evade responsibility. Rather, what I am stating is that it is uncontrollable. It has complete power over me and turns me into something that my loved ones do not recognise. Luckily, but puzzlingly, they still love me in spite of it. Yet, they remain cautious.
One of my special and not so well-known skills is the ability to harness all the hate in the world and throw it all at you in a single stare.
For now, I fear getting this angry, but I know I cannot simply avoid it.
Now, combining an argumentative personality with one uncontrollable, wrathful individual is deadly. What it means, is that not only am I going out of my way to clash on beliefs, but I am always probing and probing my own anger like a mosquito trying to find blood. How blessed I am to have such a blend of traits. Nevertheless, they are my burden to bear. One good thing about having such deeply, troubling, pain-creating flaws is that they can keep me humble.
I am always probing and probing my own anger like a mosquito trying to find blood.
If I can single-handedly say such atrocities which manages to isolate nearly every human from me, I know that on some level what I am doing is wrong and bad. Alternatively, my argumentativeness also has some uses. It occasionally, but not always, shields me from herd mentality. Nevertheless, both my argumentativeness and anger are severely extreme and need much balancing.
What would strike you as odd is if you actually meet me. I am rather petite, slightly tall, and friendly. I embarrassingly have to say I fall in love quite easily, which is inconspicuously hidden by my friendliness. On the other hand, I am also reserved and spend large amounts of time on my own until I get the itch to socialize often ending in debates — no surprises there. Sadly, I am quite boring. I read, do pilates, walk, write, eat, and sleep.
However, I do want to reiterate that though I am slightly friendly and mostly boring, I have my shadows. My evil is worse than what I have described because I am comfortable sharing those aspects of myself on a public medium. What I do not choose to share stays close to my heart. It poisons my heart, but this naïve, caring organ does what it can to prevent other people from knowing that about me.
I do want to reiterate that though I am slightly friendly and mostly boring, I have my shadows.
This toxic relationship my heart has with my evil is an ever-present reminder that the battle within me is a noble struggle. It is because of this struggle that I cannot look anyone else in the eyes and call them evil. By naming them evil, I look down on them as if I am superior. I am not. I am not arrogant enough to say that I will not do some things in some situations if a specific amount of pressure or desperation was present. My uncontrollable anger is proof enough that I am not always the one in the driving seat.
Most importantly, despite recognizing that part of me is evil, I do not consider myself evil, because then the war is lost. By concluding or identifying something as only evil, you remove their responsibility from being otherwise. You force them to give up that noble struggle.
By concluding or identifying something as only evil, you remove their responsibility from being otherwise. You force them to give up that noble struggle.
In her TedX talk Time to Rethink Evil[2], Dr Julia Shaw tackles this topic. She refers to Jeffrey Dahmer saying “when asked why he kept the dismembered bodies from his victims, he said ‘I was so lonely I didn’t want them to leave’” (2H15–2H26). With this line, and her whole TedX speech, Dr. Shaw humanised evil. What we do, myself included, is call someone ‘evil’ to dehumanize them. Once labelled as evil, you become an irredeemable monster who can never defend yourself.
Dr. Shaw humanised evil. What we do, myself included, is call someone ‘evil’ to dehumanize them
The ironic part, which Dr. Shaw brings to light, is “When it is our turn to be the monsters, we see the nuance”. (1H55–1H59) Unlike those who label someone evil, Dr. Shaw is extending a kindness to them. Alternatively, when I accept that parts of me are evil, I, too, am extending kindness to myself.
THE truth speaks otherwise. The truth is a PAINFUL thing to look at.
If after reading this you conclude that you are a morally superior individual who can always rely on your inner goodness, thereby granting you the right to call someone else evil, I would like to remind you that the truth hurts. Not your truth, not my truth, THE truth. For example, if I go on an argumentative rampage and everyone simply exits the room from exhaustion or utter shock, I can use “my truth” to say that they did not understand my reasoning or did not want to understand. THE truth speaks otherwise. The truth is a PAINFUL thing to look at. However, it can also be your best and sometimes only friend. It is one of the few foundations we have that shows us who we are and what we are capable of.
“The battleline between good and evil runs through the heart of every man” (Aleksander Solzhenitsyn)
In conclusion, I implore you to use the truth to learn about the extent of your evil. I also beg you to not call someone else evil. We all have our battles to overcome its tenacious grasp. I would like to end with this line from Aleksander Solzhenitsyn, “The battleline between good and evil runs through the heart of every man”[3].
List of Sources
[1] Philip K Dick’s The Minority Report explores the concept of hypothetical crime and shows how this system can be manipulated to frame someone. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Minority_Report
[2] In Dr. Shaw’s TedX Time to Rethink Evil, the nuance of evil is explored. She provides numerous reasons why evil occurs, but she also extends kindness to those labelled as monsters, murderers, rapists etc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atReK1tebCA
[3] Aleksander Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago.
