Radical Evil in human nature?

[SolitaryWalker]

The nurse's station was a good ways away and she would probably not have heard the screaming much at all if she had gone back there.

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If she really did this... dont you think that would just look horrible on her part in front of her supervisors and colleagues? and if they werent there... she would be ashamed to look you in the eyes again if she ran away..

[SolitaryWalker]

You were abused as a child, weren't you.

And what can you do about that post... other than say that it just sounds so terribly depressing, which it does. But again, how does this make in untrue?

[Powehi]

Its very easy to explain. Our natural tendency is to serve self by all means necessary. This is what people do, who dont put in a lot of effort into fighting it. My questions is, why is our tendency to serve self so strong as we know that it is the root of all evil. Why is it that this is all that we are about?

But you see, the most evil behaviors destroy others at potentially great cost to self. That is the mystery. Individuals who can function rationally in society who can also commit private atrocities for no reason beyond self gratification. That is 'radical evil', or whatever term you use, distilled to its core. That desire to destroy others that is so insistent, that it is even worth placing self at risk to accomplish.

[cafe]

Its very easy to explain. Our natural tendency is to serve self by all means necessary. This is what people do, who dont put in a lot of effort into fighting it. My questions is, why is our tendency to serve self so strong as we know that it is the root of all evil. Why is it that this is all that we are about?

Some people do evil when it does not serve them, but only brings them hardship, grief, and harm. And some people do good when there is very little to be gained. People are strange creatures, both evil and good.

[Brendan]

And what can you do about that post... other than say that it just sounds so terribly depressing, which it does. But again, how does this make in untrue?

Quite frankly, I don't really care if it's true or not, I care about how the Hell you became so God damn cynical. Reading you is like reading a less grammatically fluent version of zeitgeist, and in case you were wondering, that wasn't a compliment. Zeitgeist has not exactly turned into the most psychologically stable individual in the world, and you hold the same views and attitudes that he does.

[SolitaryWalker]

Some people do evil when it does not serve them, but only brings them hardship, grief, and harm. And some people do good when there is very little to be gained. People are strange creatures, both evil and good.

They are not thinking about consciously doing themselves good. They are driven by unconscious urges. We all are unconsciously driven by the desire to make ourselves happy. Some do this by cutting their wrists, massochism to them is just a way of making themselves happy. I doubt anyone sane would ever say that they dont want to be happy and this is the problem in itself...

Those who go at great lengths to do evil even if it in the end harms them... somehow end up acting on an impulse that this will make them happy... they consciously may not believe in this... but there is something in their unconscious that convinces them of this and forces them to act through on it..

[cafe]

If she really did this... dont you think that would just look horrible on her part in front of her supervisors and colleagues? and if they werent there... she would be ashamed to look you in the eyes again if she ran away..

No I don't. It was a children's hospital full of sick children, some of whom were dying and I'm sure many of whom were in much greater pain than my son. I'm sure the screams of children are pretty commonplace and my son had something as minor as a benign bone tumor removed. The other nurses left, but she stayed.

[SolitaryWalker]

Quite frankly, I don't really care if it's true or not, I care about how the Hell you became so God damn cynical. Reading you is like reading a less grammatically fluent version of zeitgeist, and in case you were wondering, that wasn't a compliment. Zeitgeist has not exactly turned into the most psychologically stable individual in the world, and you hold the same views and attitudes that he does.

Unlike zeitgeist, I am a logician. So I can support what I say with argument. He can not.

Read some of my essays if you want to see a higher gramatic quality of my writings. I am puzzled as to why now you're saying you care about someone not so long you ago you've sworn to loathe.

[SolitaryWalker]

No I don't. It was a children's hospital full of sick children, some of whom were dying and I'm sure many of whom were in much greater pain than my son. I'm sure the screams of children are pretty commonplace and my son had something as minor as a benign bone tumor removed. The other nurses left, but she stayed.

So she could have ignored your son with impunity and still came through for help...

I really dont know... maybe she was doing penance for something she did earlier on that made her not think of herself all that highly... or perhaps she was acting with genuine compassion...

I dont know... but the bottom line is that we are unconsciously driven by an indomitable desire to make ourselves happy...

even those who act on compassion.. are still driven by this desire... as paradoxical as it may sound... many NFs believe that taking care of others will make them happy ... Many Buddhist teachers preach that this is how you find happiness on earth, by helping people...

[cafe]

So she could have ignored your son with impunity and still came through for help...

I really dont know... maybe she was doing penance for something she did earlier on that made her not think of herself all that highly... or perhaps she was acting with genuine compassion...

I dont know... but the bottom line is that we are unconsciously driven by an indomitable desire to make ourselves happy...

even those who act on compassion.. are still driven by this desire... as paradoxical as it may sound... many NFs believe that taking care of others will make them happy ... Many Buddhist teachers preach that this is how you find happiness on earth, by helping people...

How does a person deriving pleasure from being good cause the good that they do to not be good?

Edit: and mightn't the fact that they derive pleasure from showing kindness indicate some goodness in humanity?