there is no spoon :: View topic

nightbeest77 · Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2005 2:55 pm

Once again I pose the debate, do you believe people are inherently good or evil?

You all may remember, I'm quite blindly devoted to believing that people, on the whole, will generally take the higher path when presented with both choices. This still holds true, even with all of the horrible things in the world going on today that seem to contradict it. Perhaps its just that I havn't or can't give up faith in our species as a people, i'm not sure. who knows in the end i guess. thoughts?

*opinions subject to change without notice*

thoth87 · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2005 8:06 pm

Quite simple on my end. It all depends on how you're raised and the choices that each person is. Evil is not a disposition, it is a series of actions. And yes, we are considering Evil as a constant, not a variable in this sense. If you were taught to kick the dog if it sits in your path, you will probably kick the dog. If you then learn that kicking the dog is wrong, you may not kick the dog, due to your own choices.

It depends.

Most people I know, though, would kick the dog.

nightbeest77 · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 12:53 pm

I believe that experiences and how one reacts to them are a real driving factor in deciding whether or not one would, to use your example, kick the dog. There are three basic responses one can have to the situation, i'll use bullying as an example.

One: They could believe that they would gain the same power over others that was exerted over them and follow the same destructive path

Two: They could simply have no reaction, just acknowledge that a person is trying to exert force over them and have no real response

Three: They could realize that the pain that they felt at the hands of those people was so great that they would never do or allow it to happen to anyone else.

Basically, negative, neutral, and positive responses. And i do believe evil has a disposition, usually coupled with malicious intent towards someone/something.

*opinions subject to change without notice*

thoth87 · Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 7:53 pm

Evil may have a disposition, but I don't think it's a disposition on it's own.

I don't think you can really be evil, unless like, 80 percent of your actions are evil.

Yea.

Sky · Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2005 3:24 pm

i dont think there is such a thing as evil....

i mean take someone like hitler.... yeah he was evil, im not denying it, but do you think he ever thought he was evil????
he thought he was doing the right thing.... to benefit mankind...

its about you and your own ideas on whats evil or not.
i was bullied and i am the third option in beests ideas, i hated it that much that i made sure, and still do make sure that it never happens to anyone ever....
but i dont think my bullys truely understood how evil they were, and how much upset and hurt they caused.... you know...

i hope so

thoth87 · Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2005 9:45 pm

Well, there are those that do what they are doing for the best intentions, like Hitler, not realizing what it was doing.

But his men carried their missions out with all of the evil a man could have, for the most part.

And most bullies are bullies because they enjoy making others feel small and helpless.

They are evil.

nightbeest77 · Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 7:18 pm

Most bullies, yes, however not all. Once again, my pesky optimism unleashes itself *sigh*

I still believe that there are a good many who, if just given the chance, could and would be able to turn their habits around. After all, its like has been said before, sometimes good can come from evil.

Granted, theres still the massively subjective part of it, but alas!

And Hitler probably did not believe what he was doing was evil. He was chasing after his goals and aspirations for the world, and therein lies another debate entirely, i'll post it up later to begin the discussion!

thoth87 · Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 4:38 pm

Bullies have the choice every day, from detention to suspension to jailing, they constantly have the choice to change, and they do not. They know what they're doing is at the very least not a good idea because of the possible consequences. They know that beating up a smaller kid for doing nothing is wrong.

Sky · Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2006 9:16 am

yeah i agree with thoth, bullies (ok ...some) know exactly what theyre doing....
I was bullied for years at school, and they knew what they were doing...
they made me in to a beautiful woman though....

nightbeest77 · Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2006 7:34 pm

However, what if they are doing that simply because that is all they have ever known? If they have no basis for comparison for alternative behavior, then is is truly their fault? I was bullied for the entirey of my elementary school education, and have not really talked to any of those people again, save for the occasional nostalgic reunion, and I can honestly say that most of those people I hated so have grown, matured, and some even apologized. In the end I've seen that very change happen, and I think that with a bit more effort in the rehabilitation aspect of things and a bit less in the punishment aspect, better things would result.

*Opinions subject to change without notice*

thoth87 · Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 10:28 pm

And I ask this, Beest, when they made the choice to stop bullying, were they still a bully?