Monday, 25 March 2013
But are we Truly Evil?
I do not believe that evil is inherent or is within all of us. I believe that we mimic the actions of others to fit social norms. These norms may appear to be "inherited" but our species is very social, and we want to fit in, so we bend our personality so we don't seem taboo. When we see something or someone evil, it is assumed that action is okay or normal to do. You could consider it evil to walk past a homeless person without giving change. However, nearly everyone does it, so it doesn't seem out of the ordinary to do it. Being "evil" is simply just peer pressure to a more extreme degree.
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I very much agree with your assertion that people mimic actions to fit social norms. This is evident when watching my 18 month old twins learn about the world around them. They are learning by mimicking.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with your point about finding certain actions okay because we see others do it. For example, I have witnessed another student assault another student in the hallway. I don't think the action was acceptable, but I wouldn't call the perpetrator evil. I think you need to define evil or at least discuss evil as a continuum.