Are some people evil? Is there such a thing as real evil?

1. 79

   Marcy Goodfleischposted 8 years ago

   Are some people evil? Is there such a thing as real evil?
   
   Do you think evil really exists?  Have you ever met anyone you would consider evil?

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2. 73

   Oztinatoposted 8 years ago

   Yes evil exists.
   In hindu beliefs demons do not in fact look like monsters but they are just evil people. Some look beautiful!
   One of the hallmarks of evil is the ability to lie without conscience. Such people have been described as sociopathic. Unfortunately today sociopaths are accepted  in the business world. They like to trump people with lies and deception. When caught out they blame a faulty memory or make up stories and blame others.
   I've met several truly evil people. One of them is a suspected murderer who is able to be a social butterfly.
   People can be evil. People can be "devils".

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3. 60

   Randy Godwinposted 8 years ago

   I suppose if good exists then so does evil. But then are both caused by some god or another or are they simply products of inherited traits going back to our earlier and--at that time--more savage ancestors?
   
   I believe the latter is true in many cases as we know sociopaths who have no conscience or regrets when causing extreme pain and death to their victims. Ted Bundy was an excellent example of such and there are many more according to police psychologists.
   
   Perhaps good is inherited as well?

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      The Old Guardposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Questions for you.
      1) Have you ever heard of anyone teaching their children to lie? Or do they learn how to do that without instruction?
      2) Have you ever heard of a child that was just good from the beginning? Or did they have to be taught "good"?

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   2. 60

      Randy Godwinposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      John, perhaps a parent is leading by example, whether it's a good or bad one. And yes, I've observed children who seem to be naturally good natured. There also can be both bad and good children in the same family.

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4. 56

   Frank Menchiseposted 8 years ago

   I believe that there are some evil people that don't care about the rest of the community. So, they go around trying to have their ways, a few of these may even be violent people and that is very bad. Personally speaking, I have met a few people that will try to rob you one way or another. I believe that they might have a problem of their own, so they cannot cope with the demand that society needs from everyone of us; So instead of trying to earn money and be self sufficient, they try to rob you one way or another, even if they have to tell you many lies. So there are evil people around, I say.

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5. 72

   Aime Fposted 8 years ago

   I don't believe in evil as a supernatural force, no.
   
   I believe in mental illness and being raised in an environment that allows people to detach from their own empathy.  In some cases (psychopathy) they are unable to feel that emotion at all. 
   
   I believe that some people are bad to their core and capable of doing horrible things whether by biological or environmental forces (or both).  But I believe it can be explained.
   
   I think most people are inherently good.  How anyone can look at a child and think they're evil is beyond me, that's a horrible way to view humanity in general.  Humans are not perfect but having faults and making mistakes does not make us evil.

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6. 0

   threekeysposted 8 years ago

   This a huge question....First up, I believe children are born trusting and loving. But they learn quickly and can imitiate others for good or bad.
   I think nurture or lack of nurture together with the existing environment can have a huge impact either way. I personally dont believe in a supernatural force of evil but I know houses or places can hold an atmosphere of collected dark feelings/emotions which you can feel. And its horrible and frightening.
   Are there evil people? To me at this point in time evil means a lack of conscience and a lack of empathy. Evil to me, means DELIBERATELY treating someone cruelly or taking another's life just because they can and they get sadistic pleasure out of it. Have I ever met a evil person? Yes. And they are smooth smiling and charismatic. And they have positions of high trust and authourity.

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7. 85

   tsmogposted 8 years ago

   Evil is an interesting and fun topic to discuss. IMHO loosely evil is anything, an act, or person(s) that is immoral while I nod my head it is the absence of God. So, now we introduce evil as a supernatural entity or force. So, yes I think evil is real and exists. Yes, 'I' have met people I would consider to be evil. Loosely I think some people commit evil acts, but not all evil acts are committed by evil people. A conundrum? Here is where justice enters or a justified act. Adding to I have heard people call a hurricane, cancer, and war evil.

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8. 82

   tamarawilhiteposted 8 years ago

   Yes, there is evil, and it is not an external force but a personal choice.
   To paraphrase Dr. Jordan Peterson, evil is the desire to do harm for the desire to do harm. For example, torturing them because you enjoy torturing them or raping someone for your own pleasure. It is a choice to engage in the act for the pleasure you get from the act (sex) or domination (beating, stealing).

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      threekeysposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Well expressrd Tamara. Evil is a personal choice; and it is their aim/goal to do harm to another because they can and derive pleasure from it.

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      tamarawilhiteposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Evil is a decision one makes to not care about the harm it causes others - but we blame external factors out of a desire to deny blame for that person and myth that eliminating those causes eliminates evil.

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