Thanks for all the Dream Destinations from the last week's post! Lots of really interesting places to visit... I was happy that there were other people who shared my desire to see the skyshow of the Northern (or Southern) Lights! I also got a few new ideas for places that I would want to visit....
I've been reading a few of the articles by @loreshapergames (Villains) about game design and the idea of Villain vs the Serpent. Anyway, it gets me thinking about the concepts of Good and Evil. There used to be a time in the far far past of our history that these concepts were well defined and quite absolute. Usually, this had the practical effect of friends being Good and everyone else being Evil Incarnate... actually, that's still something that you can quite easily see on the internet these days!
Anyway, I am curious to think about what you think about the concepts of Good and Evil?
My Question
- What do you think about the ideas of Good vs Evil?
My sample answer
I really don't think anyone is willingly and actively evil (or good for that matter...). I'm not a keen believer in the idea of pure anything or absolutes...
Goodness is at it's core, a partially selfish thing. People are good to the things and people that matter most to them... that circle of goodness extends to a different radius depending on the individual. However, at it's core, I do think it is also partly influenced by the desire to build a strong community/network around you that you can depend upon to help you when you need it. Not that there is anything wrong with that... but I don't think it is completely altruistic...
Evilness in it's own way is the mirror image of this circle of goodness. Outside a certain radius, the ability to empathise and care about what happens just drops off. For instance, in my own personal sense... I know that there are things that I should and can do to reduce my carbon footprint... but I'm not going vegetarian! The effects of my actions are just too far off and unseen for me to weigh it objectively. (However, before you lambast me... I do do other things....).
So... that's my short answer to the question. Obviously, it is a much much much deeper topic than what I've answered here... but I'm not going to write a book!
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Great and fun way to share ideas and thoughts, I appreciate this very much, thank you. More power.
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I feel too many try and simply define what is good and what is evil but I think if we look closer and really ask why are certain things considered evil from outside the box or even turning the perspective around once in a while you may find there is more to what is behind this so called evil, I believe in many cases there is just more going on then it just being plainly down to being evil in-itself.
This is what I generally think. We only perceive "evil" when it directly affects us... but when we perpetuate the "evil"ourselves... it is for good reasons?!?
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I think everyone of course has the potential to do both good and evil. And there are people that are drawn to both extremes, for instance: Mother Theresa and Hitler. Who can saw what circumstances or factors brought out the best and the worst in these two examples? I think it's kind of sad though that I can immediately think of a large number of people who are famous for being "evil" and only a few that are known for being "good". It's not nearly as well publicized, so what does that say about us as a society, always sensationalizing and broadcasting bad behavior?
Well... I would wonder if Hitler and Mother Theresa were the epitome of extreme in all aspects? After all, there is more and more information coming out that Mother Theresa was not a great saint in all aspects of her life... and Hitler... well, he did what he did in the interests of furthering his particular tribal grouping to greatness....
However, you are right... more often bad intent is much more interesting as a story than good...
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First of all, I thought your answer was very thoughtful and well written.
In college, I took a world religions class and we discussed "yin and yang", or the balance of good and evil and how the world or universe, however you look at it, needs both to keep things level.
I can easily see how you could view being good as being selfish. Consider dogs and how they're taught to do certain things for treats to the point that eventually it's no longer to appease you, the owner, but to appease themselves.
Admittedly, I'm of the somewhat crazy mindset that if I be good, then "things" are good. It's not about God or leaving a world as unharmed as I can when my time is up, but it's almost like a self-fulfilled prophecy. I just want to stay in a pocket of time and be good and let good things happen if I can while occasionally making a difference.
I accept that bad things happen, but if I live small I can minimize and avoid the evil. And if I remove myself from religion, that's another vessel of evil I avoid to protect my soul, of which I am to keep "good"
In that same college class, we also learned of a group of people who believe(d) people were intentionally born evil or good by God and he purposefully decided their nature well before their lives began. (This has no bearing or association to any of my beliefs or what I've said, but I thought this was very interesting and I think about it semi-regularly)
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It would be depressing to think that people are born good/evil. That sort of predetermination would be quite a difficult thing for me to come to grips with if it were ultimately true... I hope not!
Yes, we need good and bad... balance is really the right way I think! We just all have different balances and priorities!
I agree it would be depressing if that were the case and you were one of the "evil" ones
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Also if you were one of the "good" ones... the idea that we are set in stone is a very uncomfortable thought for me!
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You said do do. How evil of you, sneaking in a scatological joke.
Of course, I don't think the most insidious evildoers believe what they're doing is evil. It gets justified to varying degrees, but almost always as inevitable. In order to survive, businesses must make decisions that cause suffering. But the business must survive, right? The shareholders must profit, right? Even if it means unsafe working conditions at starvation wages. Else they can't compete.
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Haha... yes, I'm at the potty mouth stage....
I guess that everything we do must be justified, at least to ourselves... otherwise, it would be a pretty miserable life! Companies, well... there is a weird sort of behaviour when the entity that is making the choices (collectively...) doesn't really have a collective morality... and thus doesn't really need to justify anything to anyone... even itself...
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Good better then best, the opposite sometimes is worst. Although evil may sound as opposite, for me it is something sinister or done with the intention to do harm.
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Yes, but if there is no intention (either via lack of knowledge or lack of care)... Is it evil?
In my own opinion, it is not necessary evil, if there is lack of intentions, like as mentioned they may be just following others due to ignorance and basic reaction.
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Good and Evil exist in all of us. It can be small degrees or strong ones. Very new good people have never broken a rule or done some with malice. Yet as a whole I find that people tend to be good. This might just because of where I live and not a lot of crime happens here. But it seems that as you grow older evil fades more to me.
I think that people on the whole are good... but I think that given an option, you have to make a choice of who to advantage and who to disadvantage in your dealings with other people... and that can lead to the perception of "evil and good" from the point of view of other people?
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Once, I took part in a seminar with a jury. He said something like after the years of practise in his profession, he had only met about two people, who were embodiment of evil.
I don't think people are evil by nature. It would be illogical. Survival has always been a group effort. And survival is all biology is about.
It is very often social injustice, which makes people commit bad things. At least, it applies to people in developed countries, where we are learnt some manners. True, people can become angry because they are not born rich or pretty. But it is rary the primary reason to do something leading to be considered evil by general public.
I believe in Norway's system of justice, where being sent to prison is like having a free long-lasting holiday. The people who commit crimes, because they were wronged before, could be sent there. Statistics speak in favor of this system as in Norway, the least number of criminals returns to prison after they are released.
On the other hand, I am against applying this benevolent attitude to everyone. Crimes like rapes, terrorism happen must be hapenning for other reasons than the ones stated in previous paragraph. There could be a discussion about politicians stealing stuff. These crimes are motivated rather by greed or by some irrational beliefs, which are strong and probably unfixable if they lead to terrorist attacks;
However, evil has to persevere. If we had no evil, we would not value good. We would even lose ability to identify evil. And utopian society, as we know, has never worked and is not likely to ever function properly. At least not in this century.
About every-day evil. I am convinced, people try to stick to their comfort zone. If an employer behaves badly to his employs, he likely thinks its the easiest way to motivate them. Some people may use wrong words in a sentence, even though they didn't mean to hurst somebody by their words. General knowledge of basic psychology rules would help. But school system... it would make for another article or two.
Yes... I think I agree... people do tend to be good (at least to those in close proximity... although, at some point you need to choose who to be "good" to and who to be "evil" to... or who to advantage/disadvantage... ).
Social injustice can definitely lead people to commit "evil" from the point of view of the affected... but from the point of view of the criminal... it is a matter of choosing survival or the good of a different grouping of people (maybe... family?).
Interesting about the Norwegian model... it does seem like a better system that prizes the original ideals of redemption rather than pure punishment.
I think a system combining elements of Norwegian and common prison would work best. There is no reason why tax payers should fund a holiday for a terrorist who killed over 20 people such as the one they have there.
No, but on the other hand a system should be built around outliers either!
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Good or bad?
That sounds a little antiquated to me.
I think that many people believe in their way, no matter whether it is good or evil for others.
Some people, on the other hand, are only interested in their own advantage, which is rarely good.
But if someone sacrifices himself for others and gives everything, then we see him as a good person.
Good and evil is too simply said.
When I get a job to feed my family, it's good.
But if I get the job and 20 others don't, they also have family, then it's evil?
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator
Definitely old notions! ... but many people still hold to these ideals! Anyway, yes, I do think that the perception of good and evil really depends on the effect that it has upon the beholder... like in your example!
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Whats good and whats evil? I think most people have a compass built right in, a conscience, that kinda tells you whats good and whats evil.
Generally, we do not like bad things happening to ourselves.. and if we see things being done that we do not like happening to us, its evil.
Are everyone good? of course not.. thats why we have sociopath in society.
definition :
A sociopath is a term used to describe someone who has antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). People with ASPD can't understand others' feelings. They'll often break rules or make impulsive decisions without feeling guilty for the harm they cause.
Well.. yes, sociopaths are the exception... hopefully... but yes, I think our perception of good and evil really depends on the effect that a particular action has upon us... if it benefits us, it is good... if it disadvantages, it is "evil".
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This is one I will need to give some more thought. Not that I don't know what to answer, but because I'm not sure how to explain in English. I've added it to my calendar... :0)
Dutch is also fine!
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I am late :(
Not at all! There is still time to leave comment!
Really? I saw winners already raffled. What is the deadline?
It is an ongoing weekly contest, deadline is the payout of the main post (I think 4 days left!).
Thanks. I was confused as there was no deadline and it is first competition I take part in in a long time. I have finished my words.
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