What is Evil?

[Deleted]

 Born from an ongoing discussion in the C-Box, I wanted to start this to discuss something I personally find rather interesting. What defines Evil. Not doing horrible things, or just being a jackass sometimes. A truly evil person. Open the floor to discussion, I will.

[Harusame]

Id first like to apologize on my behaviour. I got worked up and might've been a bit rude and sarcastic to someone. Although I still stand on my opinion.

That's why were here.

Evil is a strong word. It's not the person who has the most kills or stabs people for fun. That's a crazy arse. Does it mean you can't kill people? No evil people do sometimes. But evil is when your working against the forces of good or law in a way that arouses the attention and love/hate of a reader. When you hold fifty people hostage and set a building of school children on fire, making the hero choose one. That's exciting! But levelling a town in like a few days ... So? It's been done before. It's evil ish but not up there with the big guys.

[Suriko]

Evil isn't easily defined thing. it has several facets.

Though to give a proper example. I think the dictators of history would be a rather good example. Mainly because they committed vile and violent acts, or ordered others to do so, in the belief that what there are doing is justified by some agenda of their own.

which is kinda why I always considered the WG of One piece to be one of the most evil groups in a series. They subjugated those they supposedly are there to watch over, they act only on their own whim. Possibly millions have been killed by their actions, and not even directly. They even had a whole island destroyed simple because they were afraid of what knowledge could do to their power.

[|The SHAKINATOR|]

I think evil is doing something for your own benefit without thinking about the consequences that others will have to face. Without a single thought about it. Without regret, without remorse. It's when you switch your humanity off. For me, that is evil.

Some people don't think straight and believe they are doing something for the better, for the good or they feel they have no choice. Some people are mentally unstable. These people I wouldn't class as evil. But those that have a working head and are doing something bad without regret or remorse, for me they are the one's I would classify as evil.

This is what I think...

[Deleted]

Shaki's description is probably closest to mine. However, I would be hard pressed to name someone I consider to be truly evil. Humans are complicated creatures, which is why I find characters that are just "Evil,kill, I want to destroy and steal" Rather cartoonish. Even certain dictators had their reasons. As far as we can tell, they didn't just go "Screw all you, I'mma kill you for fun." It was suppression, or discrimination. But it clearly wasn't a constant thing, all they did and thought about. Which begs the question, I think

 Can a person be pure evil. No redeeming qualities.

 They can do evil, easily. They can be evil, often. But 24/7 Evil? Is that possible?

[Mirra|Robin]

I think that evil can but summed up as looking at opportunities to do good by others and then doing the opposite of that.

For example, someone sees an old woman needing help across a busy street. A good person would help them across. And evil person would trip them and swipe their purse and then laugh in their face.

Evil can be as simple as taking candy from children or as complex as torturing someone mentally, physically, and/or emotionally in an effort to deny them happiness.

[❰ Misha ❱]

I actually don't think there is such a thing as good or evil.

People in societies I feel are the ones who say what evil is defined as and different cultures all have their versions. The definition has changed with each new culture in history ... so basically I view morality as simply a loose standard of laws that permeate a set of values, beliefs, and norms.

We label things evil because I think that we dislike them, find they don't fit with our cultural set of beliefs, or just because our society wants us to do so and conditions our reasoning to do just that.