Good and Evil

Discussing this topic has proved to be a vain exercise throughout the history of humanity. Yet, as much as we like vanity, here it goes.

Random points

• Life depends on both of them
• Surprisingly, they are more similar to each other then different
  • Both are highly contagious
• It's often very hard to tell them apart
• It often seems that there are situations when good is evil and evil is good
• Every human being has a precise instrument for telling good from evil
  • It's something we call "heart" or "soul" or "consciousness"
    • as opposed to common-sense and moral principles
  • But it's often quite hard to use it
    • especially if you practised repressing it for some time
  • Children are often better at using it
    • it doesn't mean they put it to good use though
    • through "hardships" of growing up, children often learn to ignore it
      • only to find it silent when they really need it years later
      • or, more realistically, not to remember it ever again
• People are ultimate meeting points of good and evil
• Without knowing it, people often yearn for some balance between good and evil inside of them
• In major religions, yearning for God is considered good in general
  • Yet in practise it can prove to be a bit more complicated than that
• In general, good and evil is in everything we do
  • classifying an action with logical observation is often a matter of point of view, or, more truthfully, hypocrisy
  • yet our hearts can be perfect guides in our ways, whichever side we choose
• For those who choose evil, it means pain and suffering for everyone around them - and for themselves
  • yet, the "perks of the job" come to be desirable for them
  • in fact, by the end of their lives, Hell, in our simplistically traditional understanding of it, might be a lot more satisfying for them than Heavens

Meeting evil with good

My heart tells me that if you choose good, the only way to meet evil is to respect it, understand it, and finally love it, wholeheartedly, without second thoughts or reservations.

This is a lot easier said then done. Loving evil means opening your doors to it whenever it knocks, accepting it as a cherished guest in your heart and letting it stay for as long as it likes. Now what will you tell your most valued guest when he asks if he can paint his room black? How about the whole house?

In essence, being good with evil pushes you to the very boundary between the two sides, where you have to choose - either cross it, or stay; either turn evil or mistreat evil.

Being human

You're not human when you're purely good or purely evil, if there's such a thing. You're only human when both love and hatred are in your heart. Only when both anger and tenderness are in your actions. The human essence is at a meeting point of good and evil.