this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2025
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Evil is a label used to avoid reason and understanding.
Frequently used when people believe knowing why a terrible person is terrible, it excuses and absolves their bad behavior somehow. It doesn't.
It can inform creating effective solutions to prevent or stop them. So it's always worth understanding.
"Somehow" meaning "not at all..." Because why would it? Come on. You changed "evil" to "terrible" and act like there is ontological difference, and one is morraly better... Somehow.
There's no real difference. You're right. It's just bad form to a word in its definition, so I used a different one. That doesn't effect my point at all.
“evil” is a socially acceptable construct applied to people who are actively choosing to do evil things. that’s all it takes.
if I decide to do a genocide or off a cohort of people - feel free to call me evil.
It's socially acceptable and common to do so, for certain.
I was only explaining why. And pointing out that using evil as an excuse to look no further at what's going on with someone, isn't a virtue. You shouldn't do that. Understanding why is critical to fighting evil.
It’s not an excuse, it’s an explanation. They choose to be evil. I mean actively. Like they state it. They. Choose. Evil.
It's neither.
If I asked why you ate a candy bar, and you said "I wanted to", that doesn't explain anything. Obviously you wanted to. Implied in my question is asking for the reason you wanted the candy bar.
This is no different.
"Why does someone do the evil thing?"
"Because they're evil."
That doesn't actually say anything.
But using it in place of an actual explanation, is an excuse to not look for the real reasons that would explain the evil.
they choose to abide by the philosophy and ideology of evil; it’s a choice.
every decision these monsters make is filtered through that lens.
it’s a commitment to an ideology. that’s what I mean. It’s not a tautology like you seem to think?
What is the ideology of evil? I've never heard of that.
capitalism.
That's not a thing. You're making up your own language now, and I'm done.
Do you think Hitler was evil?
Hitler was a megalomaniac, narcissist, racist, and drug addict. All of that and more, caused his "evil" actions. But in this, I'm using a different meaning of evil. As in, a descriptions of actions that are actively, obviously, grossly against peoples well being and societies best interest. That evil.
I'm not using it as a diagnosis for a person, as though it's an explanation of their behavior.
The question you're asking is still a 3rd use of "evil". As indicating condemnation of a person and their actions. Which of course I do.