I love my wikipedia. I learn a lot I didn’t know and I refine my thinking by finding fault too. (The problem is knowing what is worth learning and what needs unlearning!)
Consider the wikipedia definition of evil:
Evil is generally defined as any activity which takes advantage of another person for one’s own benefit….(In contrast, good is helping others, even sometimes self-sacrificially; see saint, sainthood.)
There’s something dodgy about the form of this definition and also something very familiar about its implications. For one thing, it fits with the the lable ‘anti-social’ which refers to behaviour which has ill effects, but good intentions – “well, in his culture that behaviour is normal”. Whatever happened to ill intent, though? (For another thing, what’s the counterpart to sainthood?)
According to this view all employers are evil because they necessarily pay their employees less than they earn (‘necessarily’ because otherwise there would be no profit).
The definition attempts to define evil by contrasting it with good. So far so, um, good. But then it weighs them up wrongly, and we are left with a picture of evil that is indistinguishable from graspingness and greed. According to this view evil might have ill effects on the other, but that is not the intention; its primary intention is to gain advantage.
This is a fine example of how thinking about evil can go askew. (And, I suspect, thinking about good too.)
By re-balancing the wording of the above definition another meaning of evil becomes clear.
If good is helping another (possibly involving self-sacrifice) then it follows that evil is harming another (possibly involving self-benefit).
This is all the difference in the world. Now we can see the true intention of evil – it is to do harm. Evil is only secondarily about want, appetite, greed, jealousy; it’s true nature is malevolence, envy, cruelty, viciousness. Indeed, for evil the getting of things is happily foregone if what is primary can be achieved: power over another.
What say you?
What is Evil?
To scratch the skin off a persons legs….
To kick a pregnant woman in the stomach…
To throw a hammer at her…..
To smash a door into her face….
To spit in her face…..
To say you are sorry when you don’t mean it…..
To bring her shopping on Christmas eve and tell her there is no money for her to buy her parents a gift…while you spend thousands of dollars on your family…
To beat her and throw her out on Christmas eve…
To take her child from her on Christmas eve….(Thank God the police made him bring her bacK)
To lie and cheat and dishonor your partner….
To say you are something you are not for the benifit of gaining something for yourself….
To steal and covet anothers property….
To pretend to be a partner when you are actually an enemy…..
To cause severe stress on another person so as to get your own way….
To make another person sick….
To implant thoughts into another persons mind so as to gain control…..
To think you are better and more intelligent than another person and to think you have the right to steal from them because of it….
To use another person sexually when you do not have the proper feelings for that person…..
To say you “love” when you do not understand “love”….
TO ALL OF YOU EVIL DOERS…..THE KEY TO HEAVEN IS TO NEVER LOOSE…….LOVE……
Further:
To say my way or the highway….
To say you are God……
To say I prayed to God for me to meet a nice girl like you….
DON’T USE GOD FOR YOUR TRICKS!
Dr. Steve,
I think your definition is better. It captures the intent in an active way (i.e., helping, harming) but it seems power is still secondarily another a want, though as you point out the predominant one. But does evil have to be something you do or can it be something you are? Is there an “essence” that is missing in your definition? How about a pervert that sees a child and imagines having sex with the child. The pervert didn’t harm the child, but I think the pervert is evil, i.e., having no conscience.
Benz
Dr. Steve,
While writing Driven to Do Evil, I initially used the Wiki definition but it has since changed as the encyclopedia is frequently revised. The initial definition was “that which causes harm and fails to honor agreements.” I also purchased all the recent books on human evil written by social psychologists. FYI here are the titles and the definitions of evil given in these books:
Roy Baumeister is I think, America’s leading social psychologist. He wrote: Evil Inside human violence and cruelty. He says on page 8 “The prototypes of human evil involve actions that intentionally harm other people.”
Another book “The Social Psychology of Good and Evil” edited by Dr. Arthur G Miller says on page 22 “Evil can be defined as intentionally behaving, or causing others to act, in ways that demean, dehumanize, harm, destroy, or kill innocent people.”
The last book is by Ervin Staub, “The psychology of Good and Evil Why Children, Adults and Groups Help and Harm Others.” On page 5 he says “My definition of and concern with evil has to do with human actions that harm others. The focus is on evil actions. But individuals, as well as groups or societies, can develop characteristics that make it likely that they will repeatedly engage in such actions. Whether we do or do not want to call such individuals or groups evil, we must recognize their inclination for harm doing. We must come to understand its roots and develop knowledge required and the will to use this knowledge to prevent distructive behavior.”
Dr. Staub says it all. Thanks to Donna Andersen and this web site, everyone can recognize the inclination of sociopaths/psychopaths to inflict harm on others. Recognition is the first step at preventing the destruction they cause.
LL
I think the difference between “bad” and “evil” depends upon your spiritual beliefs.
If a thief steals from you, but not specifically to hurt you, and the hurt he inflicts on you is a by-product of his wanting what he steals, is that just “bad” or is it “evil?”
If a thief steals from you with the PURPOSE OF IMPOVERISHING YOU, and the gain he gets is meerly a by-product of his hurting you, is he “bad” or is it “evil?”
Satan tempted Eve not for his own personal gain, but to hurt her. That is obviously EVIL intent, gain by inflicting pain upon another. That would make it in my mind EVIL. Without question.
Intent to harm would in my mind be an EVIL thought or act.
Where the problem comes in, is the person who harms you as a by-product of seeking his own desires, without considering your harm that results from him acheiving his goals, is that EVIL?
How about FAILURE to help someone? The story of Lazerous and the Rich man in the Bible. The Rich Man walked by each day and saw the begger, he even threw him scraps, but he failed to have compassion on this man, failed to truly help him. In the story, his FAILURE TO DO GOOD was counted as EVIL. He didn’t kick the man, he didn’t persecute him, but he simply FAILED TO DO GOOD.
The psychopathic mind has no empathy for the victims, and in fact, in the worst cases, ENJOYS the power and control and the hurt that they are capable of inflicting. Yes, that makes it EVIL in my opinion.
The spiritual aspect of yourselves is injured by the psychopath as much as the emotional, mental and even physical aspects. Our spiritual healing is just as important as the other aspects that they injure and we must heal.
The LACK of a spiritual connection with the rest of humanity, the LACK of empathy with other humans, the ENJOYMENT of torture, humiliation, or just watching someone suffer without any compassion, as in the Rich Man in the story in the Bible who walked by the begger on his doorstep every day, he didn’t kick the begger, but he FAILED TO HAVE COMPASSION on the man, failed to CARE that his fellow man suffered while he was RICH and had more than enough to share.
In the after life he was punished for his FAILURE TO CARE, failure to have compassion and act on that compassion. He wasn’t punished for the other 100,000 beggars in his area that he didn’t have compassion on, but the ONE man he saw day after day as he entered or left his mansion, well fed, and walked by without caring about the hungry man on his door step. He was punished for not caring about that ONE man.
His lack of caring was computed to him as EVIL. Not an overt act of torture of the begger, just NOT caring.
Evil, like “shades of gray,” has many tones in its presentations from murder, rape, torture, degredation, but it boils down to lack of EMPATHY for others. Whether that lack of empathy is expressed as enjoyment of torture of another creature, or whether it is just ignoring another’s suffering and not caring.
Even Bill GAtes is not rich enough to cure all the hunger in the world, so we are not expected to “right all the wrongs of the world” by ourselves, but to do what we can with what we have and to have EMPATHY for our fellow humans. To be aware of the consequences of our behavior on others. To be oblivious to pain we cause by behaviors we know are wrong, or to enjoy the pain we cause by behaviors we know are bad, that is EVIL.
Sometimes, like the Rich Man in the Bible story, we do EVIL acts because we lack enough compassion, and have no intent to do EVIL. The psychopath, who has INTENT to do EVIL (such as Jezebel in the Bible story) KNOWS that what they do is wrong, but DON’T CARE. They completely lack the capacity for empathy. They don’t just not feed the beggar, they kick him as they go by.
Ah, Trish….you were treated most dishonorably, horribly by a human devil. I cannot even fathom the extent of abuse you have suffered at the hands of pure evil. But I can read your accounts and I can try to place myself in your painful situation as to empathisize. Even then, that can’t do the justice you deserve because you lived it, not I.
The worst I had to contend with, was my ex-husband would hold me down after verbally abusing me in fear I would violently retaliate. And a sociopath who stalked me for 2 years slapped me in the face..once. I ran to the kitchen and grabbed a knife as I was in a state of total and complete fury at his action. I WAS going to kill him. No doubt in my mind. He ran down the stairs and out of my sight before I could reach him. Which was a good thing, because he wasn’t worth going to prison for. And I don’t think I could have lived with myself knowing I’d killed someone even if it was in self-defense.
Yeah, I had my own rage to deal with and I still deal with it continually. I think after having lived with suppressed emotions during my childhood, adolescence, then teenage years I would go on the attack whenever I would feel threatened. It’s like I get tunnel vision, see red, when someone deliberately provokes me, hurts me, and I react with fury, violence. I have a ways to go before I can learn to calmly, rationally control my anger to be a benefit and not a hindrance.
As for the subject of evil, after reading many books regarding psychopathic personalities, I spoke to my mother about my bio-father’s behavior. She confirmed my beliefs that he was what he was by supplying me with many instances of his abherrant behavior. She also told me that he disgusted her tremendously, and that he seemed to have this “aura of evil” surrounding him and it repulsed her. She did eventually divorce him (when I was 10), gathering her strength to her and leaving him. Best day of my life. I remember moving into our new townhouse with my mom and 2 sisters and feeling an absolute sense of relief that he was out of our lives for good. Now the healing and recovery can start and we could have fun times with our mom. He did TRY to stalk her for a while but she purchased herself a pistol for protection and warned him that she would use it. Being the true coward he was, he ran with his tail between his legs.
You know, you would think since I lived with an evil father in my childhood, that I should be able to automatically recognize evil when it steps in my path. But, no, I have been fooled many times. Thankfully, I haven’t been exposed to aggressively, violent abusers and I’m now able to write this comment. I am more than relieved that the lovely ladies (& James) of LoveFraud have survived their nightmares and are also able to share their pain, suffering, insight, wisdom, healing with me.
Thank you…:)
EVIL IMHO is trying to get another person, (through lies/deceit, rage outbursts, manipulation, force, etc) to DO or BELIEVE something, that may be harmful to themselves, that they otherwise would not do (had they not been lied to, raged at, manipualted or forced).
Whenever I deal with the subject “sociopath” I try not to view them as “evil”. Whenever I “view” evil, I make a personal judgment. Something I believe I should do very slowly and methodically.
Why?
Well we all have “evil” thoughts and feeling from time to time. But most of us will never carry them out. We weigh the “price” of our actions and the consequents of those deeds. But still we have these thoughts..
If we all have “evil” thoughts and feeling then we must conclude that we are all evil. If we take away the consequent (guilt, legal, moral) factors, my question is how many of us would in fact hurt those (sociopaths) that hurt us? In all honesty I know I would. But here is were I part company with my sociopath counterpart. I can’t harm or allow harm to be done to another without “paying” the price of my evil deed. Still I do have “evil” thoughts and still evil is in me. God has given me a choice, and all I can do is pray I make the right one.
Let’s take John Wayne Gacy for a subject:
Before he was caught and arrested the police believe him to be a crazed person. That someone would kill someone that lived in his own town? Someone that they felt should be able to find easy. But it wasn’t easy to find the killer. And when they did him, what did they find?
“Gacy spent part of his leisure time hosting elaborate street parties for friends and neighbors, dressing as a clown, and entertaining children at local hospitals. He also immersed himself in organizations such as the Jaycees and the local Democratic party. As a Democratic precinct captain he once had his picture taken with First Lady Rosalyn Carter.”
http://crimemagazine.com/boykillergacy.htm
John’s “evil” first started as a thought, then grew to actions and deeds…
Many people were surprise when they saw this little man. And then understood how easy (because of his demeanor) it was for Gacy to trick so many young men into his “killing field”.
Many people saw no “evil” in John, but we all know now that it was there! And we know now that it was “pure” evil.
So when we look at “evil” even in the face, we may not see it! It is very good at hiding it’s self from us. So I am slow to say there it is! “Evil” in it’s true form. And then still not understands it’s many “tricks”. Only with proof in hand will I say “there! That person is evil by actions and deeds”.
Sad but we must wait until “evil” completes it deeds before we see it and still many of us will never understand it. I guess this is the price we pay for knowing “evil and good”. The price that Adam and Eve paid for eating that forbidden fruit.
Aquinas on Evil.
Evil in the world comes from the revolt of the angels. The Devil made one choice against God, sociopaths make repeated choices against good. I am over simplifying this and will blog on it on my own blog soon.
I just read an excellent article Prof. Ramsay on Demons and psychopaths- he’s a philospher, theologian and had it right to a point. He failed when he stated psychos are broken, unable to make a good choices, choices that are good for others just not themselves, not exploitive etc. I am paraphrasing his writing badly, he’s an excellent scholar but missed, or couldn’t “get” some people make diabolical choices repeatedly, unrepetinently and on purpose for power, gratification.
Psychopaths are walking dead, they are weighted with sin. I think it is difficult to accept, because we cannot imagine a fiat against good forever.
They are damning themselves, that is what is profoundly disturbing. Shunning the beauty of a child, a summer day, a poem, love—for having one up on us fools, to play God.
James,
I agree with your thoughts on the “evil” in us all…none of us are perfect or “without sin.”
Evil in people does start with a thought and grow into an action. I do not believe that people are “born evil” without any chance of making a choice for “good or evil”—I think if we have a mind that comprehend the “knowledge of good and evil” then we HAVE A CHOICE. It may, because of their brain chemistry, be EASIER for the P to choose evil, the same way a person with the gene(s) for alcoholism, it is “easier” to choose to drink to excess, than for a person who doesn’t have that gene(s). It doesn’t mean we don’t have a choice. Just that one choice may be easier than another.
Once that series of choices are made and the DESIRE to continue to do evil is ingrained in the Psychopath, they have NO desire to CHANGE. They are fine, the world is out of step. They are “entitled.”
We are told not to “judge” another’s heart in the Bible, however, we are also told to examine a tree by seeing its “fruit.”
We can’t judge the content of someone’s heart without being able to INSPECT THEIR FRUIT. But, if the fruit is consistently bad, the tree is also bad for producing nothing but rotten fruit.
Anger at their behavior is justified and natural and normal. We should not, however, DWELL on that anger and feed that anger until it becomes “wrath”–the desire to hurt them back. That only hurts us. It is something I am working on, that bitter anger that wants to strike out at anyone that unjustly hurts another—human or animal. (we are not talking self defense here, but retribution). I have no problem with self defense as a reasonable thing–whatever it takes—but retribution or revenge is another thing entirely.
Seeking justice (letting the law punish them) is not in my mind revenge or retribution.