Long Way Gone Ning Discussion #1: Evil

[Mrs. W]

What is evil? Where does it come from? How do we recognize it?

Please give thoughtful consideration to the questions before you respond. I'm not interested in dictionary definitions. Personal views and experiences are appropriate, in addition to logic. Deadline is Thursday at 1 p.m.

[Trenton P.]

When an individual sees something as a polar opposite to their morals and desires, or someone/something that stands in their way, it is sometimes considered "evil". The word "evil" is used to create an extreme negative connotation in order to warn others to stay away from the subject it's referring to. This creates fear of the subject at first, but leads to a varying degree of hatred as well. Unfortunately, what seems evil to one person might be considered good to another, which leads hatred against both groups. Both think that they're doing good, and shove blame on the other side. In this sense, they are also evil.

The ways that the words "good" and "evil" has been used in history as well as the present has one of the most definite imprints on the way society runs now, and that will never change. Red vs. Blue, Us vs. Them, White vs. Black, Allah vs. Yahweh; a spiral of unyielding bias only proves to hinder society as a whole. From my point of view, as long as there is something to hate in this world, evil will never disappear.

[David Q.]

Evil is an opinion. For some, it is the lack of God, or goodness. For others, it is something that goes against their personal morals. For me, evil is what should not be. There are somethings that I believe should not be, but they have justifications. Evil is something that has no reason, no purpose, and is causing something harmful or unwanted. A mass murder has no justified reason, and causes many people unwanted pain, and death.

Evil comes from those who do unnecessary harm, grievance, or annoyance to others. People who annoy other people for fun, are in terms, evil. Though, their acts of evil are generally small compared to other acts of evil, it is still evil, but on a small scale.

A human can recognize evil from the actions of others. If two people who have never meet each other before were walking down an alley, and when those two people cross, one of them pushes the other into the wall, then that is evil. Their reasons were unjustified, and causes harm to another. Still, evil is entirely opinion. Say that the person who shoved the other was walking down the alley and thought to himself, "I don't like his pants. I'll shove him into a wall for that," then in his eyes, he would not be viewed as evil. He may have inflicted pain onto one another, but it was justified, even if it was only in his eyes.

David Quiray
Period 3

[Trenton P.]

Trenton P. said:

When an individual sees something as a polar opposite to their morals and desires, or someone/something that stands in their way, it is sometimes considered "evil". The word "evil" is used to create an extreme negative connotation in order to warn others to stay away from the subject it's referring to. This creates fear of the subject at first, but leads to a varying degree of hatred as well. Unfortunately, what seems evil to one person might be considered good to another, which leads hatred against both groups. Both think that they're doing good, and shove blame on the other side. In this sense, they are also evil.

The ways that the words "good" and "evil" has been used in history as well as the present has one of the most definite imprints on the way society runs now, and that will never change. Red vs. Blue, Us vs. Them, White vs. Black, Allah vs. Yahweh; a spiral of unyielding bias only proves to hinder society as a whole. From my point of view, as long as there is something to hate in this world, evil will never disappear.

Trenton P.
Period 2

[Kristen S]

The definition of evil is different to every person. Some people see it as doing the wrong, the negative side to someone, or something that causes injury or harm. When I think of evil people the first name that pops into my head is my sister Lauren (totally kidding!). As a child we are brought up to believe that an evil person is the bad guy/girl in a Disney movie. Take for example in Cinderella, the step mother and two step sisters are the evil villains that make Cinderella do their chores and are very rude to her. I am not very sure when or where the word evil was first used to describe someone or something, but the first time I remember hearing it was when referring to the villains in Disney movies as a child. I look at it as the nice way to say brat, or other mean words when referring to someone you do not like for a specific reason. Today the word evil is not used too much, except for when talking about an evil teacher that assigns too much homework. I think a person is evil if they are seriously like out to get someone or are doing the wrong just because they can. Evil is a strong word, and I don’t really think there are evil people at our school or even in our community, but I would use the word to describe the devil or a villain.

Kristen S
Period 5

[Brittany B.]

This really is a topic that interests me because it's so difficult to answer. Alot of things really influence my response but I think that evil is a trait we are all capable of, but also a lifestyle that comes out of trauma.
My favorite book of all time is Crime and Punishment. In it Rodya isn't evil, his character is very caring and loving, he simply has this weird psyche that makes murder justifiable. He felt he was doing the right thing, and had no personal gain from being evil.
The feeling that it's necessary and therefor not evil also shows up in the book I'm currently reading, The Lucifer Effect. If people feel like it's their responsibility they are capable of losing all self control and becoming cruel for the good of the whole. Which leads into power corrupts, corruption being a form of evil.
However, the horror junkie and cartoon dork sides of me have the high standard of evil where everything is for personal gain and enjoyment, and everything is deliberate. This side comes usually comes from a personal problem as opposed to just being human nature like in the other examples where evil is just a temporary state.
As for recognizing it, it can either be very difficult or very easy. Rodya being difficult, which can be justified by the months I spent last year analyzing every page of C+P trying to conclude if he's good or evil. Saturday morning's over exaggerated cartoon villains being easy, with a quick glance at their behaviors.

[Michael L.]

What is evil? That is a question that many people have been trying to answer this question for very many years. The one problem is though that everybody is going to have different answers due to their personal experiences and morals that he or she may contain... Some people may even specify evil as a specific thing such as murder or commiting a particular sin, but many people would tell you something very general. Personally, I think that evil is one person goes against his or her morals, or even the morals of a society. Just about everyone knows what right and wrong is, and everyone knows when they are doing one thing or the other... I really think that evil comes from experiences that a particular human being has been through. It depends on past experiences that have happened to him or her, and how it has changed them throughout the course of their life. Then also the situation that a person may be in and how they respond to this, by doing something bad or something not as bad. I think that the most important question that is being asked right now would be how do we recognize evil. And i think everyone has their own personal line, and once that line is cross then it can be considered true evil, and others may have seen things that may make this line a little bit more harder to cross, or even a little bit easier. In the end, their will never be a clear cut answer because everyone is going to have their very own and unique type of answer due to the experiences that they may have had...

Michael L.
Period 3

[ChrisM]

The word "evil" can technically be defined as either: the opposite, or near opposite, of personal knowledge according to religion or beliefs and views that one was taught when growing up, or, a view of the opposite object or person as incorrect and/or imoral. Many conflicts start because of people using the word evil, and not much may be actually told for the offenders side of the story side of the story. Evil is a word that may be used out of context many times and for that reason is such an easy adjective to put on a person or a group of persons. I think more should be put into thought of what evil sould truly mean and that we, as human beings, should not act so hastily on something viewed as "evil" by us and our government. If the whole of the story is not completed by both views and beliefs then you're basically trying to drink water without a cup, bowl, or other utensil. Evil cannot be truly evaluated unless we can understand what they are doing and why for the 100% factual value. We need to realize that we are not the only right people or the only people that matter, and for that reason, the word "evil", has no real meaning other than what we have adopted it to mean.

Chris M.
Period 3

[lauren m]

evil is one person's opinion against another person's opinion. one person's views of right and wrong, good and bad can be so incredibly different from another person's views on the matter. if either one of those people feel strongly enough about the topic, and disagree with what the other person is saying, i belive that is an example of evil. evil means something different to everybody. it just depends on who you ask and what they believe. the definition of evil also probably has a lot to do with people's morals, etc. --> when people are opposed to certain things (types of behavior, different belifes, choice in how people express themselves, groups of people, etc.) if they are exposed to that they would probably consider it evil.
the word evil is far too often used, and what i consider to be a strong word. evil is something truly bad, and i do not think that most people have the capacity to be or become evil....because at heart i think that people are good.

[Alexandra :)]

I believe evil doesnt come from anywhere but yourself. People are not born with evil, instead they aquire it as they go through life, age, and expieriences. I see evil as one of the worst traits a person can have. Evil is beyond being a "bad" person. I believe that people have the choice to be evil or not, anybody has the power to become evil and you can choose whether you want to be or not. When you are evil you have a lack of self control and many other negative traits. I am pretty sure that almost anyone can recognize evil when they see it. A lot of the times evil depends on a persons relegious beliefs. Some people see satan as evil, while other people see sins as evil, even some people think nature is sometimes evil. It is our choice to be a good person or a bad person. Evil is a trait beyond bad. Evil is what everybody fears, it is what we sometimes fear will happen to our sociotey. Evil is simply not just being mean, but it is being cruel and unhumane. Evil is shown throughout history in many ways, the devil is "evil" and so is Hitler and many other famous dictatiors. I think it is a choice in ones life to be good or evil. Everybody has an "evil" side to them, but it is their coice wether they want to show it or not.

[Nicolee]

Evil is just a state of mind. As thomas Hobbes once said, people are born naturally wicked. But in fact i do not agree with him. Babys are pretty much dumb when they are born. The surrounding of them makes a big difference in beliefs and what not. Evil comes from people. Different people react differently in different enviorments. Nobody can change that. The beliefs people have are very strong, and most will become very stubborn towards that. Evil does not come from the devil, Satin, and it does not come from Thomas Hobbes, MY OPINION. Every person recognizes it differently. It is used in everyday life, especially at Foothill. One may state that he/she does not play Pokemon and the other may say "Your evil!" It can be used within gay marriage, if one says to another that they support gay rights, some may react like, "No your not! If you believe in such a thing you are evil and straight from the devil!" People can recognize it as a bead attitude from something or someone with different facial expression and what not. Either way, people believe what they believe and evil may be one of their beliefs.
Nicole N.
Period 3

[ColemanM]

To everyone evil means something different. Though it general meaning is something that is impure or sully seeking human pleasures. Evil comes from the hearts of men as many people have said. The truth is no one can be a saint not even the pope because every one does evil acts once and a while. We recognize evil by the looks in there eyes, the way they dress, the way they act, but no one starts out vile. It proves that things like a community, parents, and friends are what bring darkness to there hearts. But this world could not exist without evil because though cruel and unforgiving it can cause those who wish to fight it do amazing things. But light and darkness coexist they can not be separate otherwise this planet we call home would fall apart. Though we try to change this it seems to always balance it self back again. If there were too much evil it would be like nothing would work. Too much good and no one would like it. It must be in balance so reality will still exist.

Coleman M.
Period 1

[NormanV]

I believe that evil is more of a word to describe something like an action or word that someone might not find acceptable. What I am trying to get across is that evil is an action, word, or anything in particular that any one person can judge to be evil or good. “Beauty is seen in the eyes of the beholder,” John Lyly. This quote might help clear any confusion about what evil truly is. Evil is the phrase used to describe something that one might think of as inappropriate or maybe horrible. In some parts of the world, in America for example it was ‘evil’ when terrorists crashed two planes into the twin towers while in another country (Iraq) it was considered an act of true heroism. Actions and words can only be described as evil in the eyes of the beholder. This is what evil truly is to me.