General Discussion

mr715

(3,979 posts)

21. Do they recognize their own evil?

Thu Feb 26, 2026, 09:11 PM

Feb 26

Say a psychopath feels nothing but the thrill of causing pain. Do they attempt to justify this by saying that, for them, it is worth it?

Does evil attempt to justify evil? How do they recognize it? Are their hierarchies in an evil mind?

As a side point -- I had a student that gave me chills. He was smart, cruel, and manipulative. We did a dissection and he made me very uncomfortable. I was convinced he was a psychopath. After he graduated from 8th grade, he returned and had a different manner entirely, apologized for being so much trouble and for being a "weird kid". Blew my mind how the vibes changed. Made me much more hesitant to trust my intuition as a teacher. But then again, psychopaths are masters of making masks.

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Does "evil" exist" [View all] kentuck Feb 26 OP

It wears orange makeup, hairspray, and sells bibles Blue Owl Feb 26 #1

Don't forget the girdle an high heels MustLoveBeagles Feb 26 #13

absence of empathy is definitive, and not as uncommon as I'd prefer (nt) normalynn Feb 26 #2

Quote from GM Gilbert, chief psychologist Blue Full Moon Feb 27 #39

Yes, evil is selfishness. Selfishness is at the root of all bad behavior. Coventina Feb 26 #3

Well said. jls4561 Feb 26 #4

Why cannot there be an opposite to "good"? kentuck Feb 26 #6

Sure: Imagine Satan, the Devil, Lucifer, whatever. Coventina Feb 26 #12

Um, "intelligence, strength, cleverness, wit, charm," are in no way automatically "good" qualities. Wiz Imp Feb 26 #30

Point taken, they can all be used to evil ends, but they are definitely not EVIL either. Coventina Feb 27 #37

each person will have their own interpretation of your question. NewHendoLib Feb 26 #5

I think its unevolved to be evil FullySupportDems Feb 26 #7

I'm an atheist, but I know evil exists in this world. There exists people who do horrible things to others, with sinkingfeeling Feb 26 #8

Evil is malevolence that is unprompted, unsought, or gratuitous bucolic_frolic Feb 26 #9

Evils only exists in humans OC375 Feb 26 #10

As a clinician, I didn't use to believe in evil. Irish_Dem Feb 26 #11

Do they recognize their own evil? mr715 Feb 26 #21

Usually not. Irish_Dem Feb 26 #22

Yes, in re: boundaries mr715 Feb 26 #25

I believe that good vs evil is the iconic human condition. Irish_Dem Feb 26 #26

"Money trumps peace." -- George W Bush Kid Berwyn Feb 26 #14

Greed...? kentuck Feb 26 #15

Precisely. Who today remembers Curveball? Kid Berwyn Feb 26 #17

Didn't Epstein say Trump is evil, that says a lot. nt doc03 Feb 26 #16

evil spelled backwards is "live" rampartd Feb 26 #18

The same 4 letters also spell vile. 3catwoman3 Feb 26 #35

And "veil" Orrex Feb 27 #41

Does Evil exist AzTired64 Feb 26 #19

That's what I wonder. Haggard Celine Feb 26 #32

Very interesting question - ancient one. mr715 Feb 26 #20

There are no gods Mysterian Feb 26 #23

Apart from the religious connotations canetoad Feb 26 #24

M. Scott Peck TuxedoKat Feb 26 #27

M. Scott Peck TuxedoKat Feb 26 #28

You know it when you see it - and it must be destroyed - because it is innate, irredeemable, incessant dalton99a Feb 26 #29

Evil lives in that pit in the back of our brains. haele Feb 26 #31

There are so many different definitions of evil. Oneironaut Feb 26 #33

You made my brain work overtime. Do evil people think they are evil or do they just not recognize it. Ferrets are Cool Feb 26 #34

It does, and it absolutely affects my life. iemanja Feb 26 #36

The two wolves parody. hamsterjill Feb 27 #38

Yes Beringia Feb 27 #40

Hmm... OldBaldy1701E Feb 27 #42