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Question: What is a good definition of 'evil'!?
In terms of human capacity for evil, how 'abnormal' does one have to be to have the capacity to torture, hurt, torment, aggravate, stunt, destroy or take something dear away from another person!?
Do some of these qualities I have mentioned seem too light to be associated with 'evil'!? Think again!. If you look closer, you will find that all or some of these lesser qualities help create the bigger picture of something quite tangibly 'evil'!.
Other values we associate with evil are coldness, heartlessness, abuse, selfishness, hatred, devious, calculating, spitefulness, inconsiderate, lack of compassion, malice, despicable, darkness, ill-will, cowardice, narcissim, megalomania, etc!. given the extent to which people who possess these qualities are able to reason with a sane mind!.
We know from what we learn about these individuals who have been tied with criminal behaviour (those who have been prosecuted by the law) that they are always hurt people, those who have themselves been tormented, hurt very badly, abused excessively or damaged psychologically!.
How many of you, if you were in one of their shoes, think that there is no chance whatsoever under any circumstances that you might parrallel their actions!.!.!.actions that reflect a person devoid of emotions or conscience!.!.!.actions that suggest a mind with perverted or destorted views of right and wrong!?
Bear in mind the extent to which one can have a deep sense of hopelessness or despair and how one has the capacity to build up psychological defenses to cope!. Think of how the mind works to find an escape and deludes itself where desires temporarily conflict with current value systems!.
Most importantly, think of 'all' the victims that fit into the picture!. Who is to blame and why!?
Can you tell me what is 'evil' without being too prejudiced or biased!? Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Although he never gave a direct definition, the Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu defined "evil" as doing anything for selfish reasons, and a person who is self important, who is arrogant, is more prone to do it, than a person who is not!. In a word, a conceited individual who loves only themselves; its whole in part why I hated the movie "Titanic" it only got oscars because it reeked of bullcrap left wing propaganda and worst of all, it promoted a f*cked up idea about love!. See the whole thing between Jack and Rose was all about what Jack could do for Rose, namely, letting her escape from her "high class prison!." It was all about what he could do for her, and when he served his purpose the writers killed him off!.
In another romantic movie, one I saw as a little kid way back in that bygone ancient era known as the 1980's, when legend and forgotten lore have it the Mullet originated, both characters are willing to sacrifice everything to save each other!. Both of them!. The movie is called "Legend," and it was Tom Cruise's "getting started in the business" role, as the movie did not do well in the box office, it is not well known!. Incidentally, "Legend" also has a character named "Jack" as the romantic hero, and while her name is not Rose, the heroine is also named after a flower, I think her name was Lily!.
The symbolism should not be lost; even though it was not Cameron's intention regarding her being named Rose and what the actual flowe symbolizes, the Rose has long been associated with "beauty that slays!." Beauty that is not beauty at all, but an illusion, because the stem of a rose, has thorns, and it is therefore not a TRULY beautiful flower, but one that can harm!. The rose says "look at me but don't touch me," thus it represents everything that is bad in womanhood, everything that is evil!. Selfishness, vanity, and yes, what the bible calls "sexual immorality" I believe the old word for that is "fornication!."
The lily, on the other hand, represents frailty, and yet, even though the flower itself is frail, the plant (or is it tree!?) from which the lily blooms is anything but frail!. Even if the thorn pierces your skin, once a rose is plucked, the plant is permantly harmed, and no rose will ever bloom there again, showing that for all its beauty, in the end a rose is a weak, worthless flower, and its beauty soon whithers, even if you never pluck it!. A lily on the other hand is incredibly resilient, and the flower will bloom again even after it has been plucked, furthermore, the flower endures long so long as you leave it alone, showing that the lily represents true beauty, and even though it appears frail, and while not as extravagant as the rose, the lily hides great strength!.
In "Legend," Lily risked not just her life, but her very soul in angering and actively defying the lord of darkness the way she did!. Even though in the begining of the movie she did wrong, she made it right in the end by giving Jack enough time to "kill" the lord of darkness by reflecting sunlight on him!. For their love, both characters risked not just their lives, but their very souls, but because "Legend" did not express the left wing "live for yourself" selfish bullcrap pseudo feminist views of the very 1990's culture "Titanic," it was Titanic, not Legend, which got the most oscars, even though arguably Legend is a far superior film in every respect!.
The above movie examples were to show, the clear distinction between good and evil; marriages in the modern western world, never last, because of the selfish ideals in Titanic, are often practiced for real, it is not about what you can do for the other person, but what the other person can do for you!. Jack the lesser's attraction toward's Rose, was clearly rooted in financial ambition; there were plenty of pretty girls in his social class!. Rose's attraction was not because she cared about him, but more because she wanted to make her parents angry!. How can ANYONE call THAT "love!?" To be with someone, just to make your parents angry!. So while Rose threw away her virginity (assuming she was one!.!.!.!.!.) to piss off her parents, Lily risked her very soul for her Jack, Jack the greater!. Yes, the "Legend" Jack is Jack the greater, the Titanic Jack is Jack the lesser!.
Watch both movies; you will clearly see, the character Rose is in fact, evil, especially when you weigh her against Lily!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Evil is bad!. Evil is negative!. Evil is dark!. Evil spoils!. What is not pious is evil!. What is not noble is also evil!. Whatever is not going to benefit the creations in nature in a positive way can be considered as evil!. Evil is sin!.
Evil means impure and imperfect!. Evil takes you backwards!. Evil is for downfall!. Evil is mischief!. Evil is arrogance!. Evil is not virtuous!. Evil is not righteous!.
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Greed, is the root of all evil!. Bolstering the Power one gets from disregarding the feelings of others, taking away something personal from them or masses of people all at once!.
But that is just a matter of scale and doesn't make the Ted Bundy's or Jeffry Dalmier's any more or less Evil then the Adolf Hitler's or the Dick Cheney's of the world!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Plotinus' defintion remains sound: "evil" is e-veil, energy-veil, that which distorts One Mind Soul-individuation!.
"Paths of Light and Darkness," Mark Prophet!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
'Evil' has many interpretations, but that's only because it's been used too often in society as part of modern day language!.
To be more literal:
Evil: Pure, cold-hearted wickedness with no regard for morality whatsoever!.
I don't believe such an existence exists!. Www@QuestionHome@Com
I think evil can be safely defined as "something or some act which violates the rights of any intelligent life form which has done no wrong to you or if he has done but the authority has failed to give you justice!."Www@QuestionHome@Com
Evil = doing something bad only to do so!. Without other motivations [like stealing to buy food is not evil etc]!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Maggie thatcher is the epitome of evil!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
C!. Montgomery BurnsWww@QuestionHome@Com
We are simple animals driven by fear!.
there is no such thing as evil; its an idea, nothing more!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I have the right to be as biased as I like regarding this answer! First of all, I am not convinced that you would be so knowledgable about this subject if you did not think like someone who is evil!. Second, when it comes to evil, there is no bias!. There is no victim!. There is only right and wrong!. I will not be intimidated by anyone!. I have no fear of evil!.
The worst example of evil I know of is of a man of about 58 or 59 yrs old or so, who slithers his way into the home of people he knows and deceives the mother of a 13 yr old girl into signing a piece of paper for some kind of phony photography contract!. The mother signs it and allows the man to take her daughter on a so-called photo shoot!. To make a long story short, when the girl returns home, she is crying hysterically (the snake has already disappeared) and is terrified to tell her mother and step-dad that the man who took her pictures touched her and (cannot write this part)!. The mother freaks out, the step-dad jumps up from his chair, and goes into a back room, grabs a shotgun and loads it! The girl hides under the kitchen table because she thinks the gun is intended for her (for telling them what happened)!. The parents go outside - there is much screaming and yelling and blaming!.!.!.
There is no way in my life I would ever harm a child!. In any way!. I don't care how much pedophiles are abused or mistreated or even tortured! They could have been tortured to near death but that still does NOT GIVE THEM THE RIGHT to destroy an innocent life! To me, that man will always be pure evil!. No remorse!. Nothing!. I had since forgiven this person, sometimes I have to redo the forgiving, but I no longer think about him (until this question came up)!. He has been dead for years!.
The little girl was me!. The 'snake' who hurt me was my step-dad's best friend!.
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