Good vs. Evil

I think that good and evil are relative terms, and that neither could exist without the other. I believe that there are good and evil actions, but that no one is inherrently evil- just ignorant, misinformed, or misguided, and I believe that everyone has the propensity for improvement given the right conditions (sometimes the right conditions are very difficult). I don't view God as good and the devil as evil, and I wonder if the same creative energy or "spirit" encompasses the entire spectrum.
 
Personally I have boiled it down to my own definition of "good" which is that which does not harm ourselves and/or others. "Virtue" is to choose 'good' for the benefit of all.

And "bad" or "sin" is that which harms ourselves and/or others. "Evil" is choosing to be 'bad' to the detriment of others.

I honestly don't know whether sociopaths who have no sense of right and wrong are born that way and it is a mental disorder or they choose to be that way. I don't know how a family can raise two to five or more kids that are salt of the earth but one is constantly in trouble, in and out of jail, in and out of prison. How does that happen? Is it inate? Or is it choice? I don't know.

But I have known a lot of people who have overcome evil by choosing good, so I know that is possible.
 
I honestly don't know whether sociopaths who have no sense of right and wrong are born that way and it is a mental disorder or they choose to be that way. I don't know how a family can raise two to five or more kids that are salt of the earth but one is constantly in trouble, in and out of jail, in and out of prison. How does that happen? Is it inate? Or is it choice? I don't know.

I tend to think it's innate to act totally on inner impulses, but choice to overcome or suppress the impulsivity. Some people just seem to be naturally compliant and "good", while others are naturally rebellious. My personal belief system is that we are all born into circumstances which we need, for one reason or another, and that we come here to learn the things we need to learn in our evolutionary journey. I view difficulties as blessings in disguise, for trying times help us grow. Easy lives tend to make us stagnate and take things/people for granted. You can probably tell I am of the rebellious spirit type.;) I've learned much and I've suffered much. Such is the life of a rebel who has survived to pass on stories and show battle scars. I wouldn't trade my difficult life for anything in the world.:)
 
To an extent, you have no control whatsoever over your life. Life is something that happens to you. Whether the influences to your decisions are external (parents, peers, media sources, etc) or internal (genetics, brain chemistry, etc), you have no control over those influences.

One can go crazy thinking about this shit.

There are excellent arguments (and increasingly there is scientifc evidence) to support the theory that FREE WILL is a delusion.

Practically speaking, even if that is proven to be true, we have to pretend that it is not.

WE cannot create in a functional society where people are NEVER HELD responsible for their actions.

Oh absolutely agreed... If I came off sounding like I felt otherwise, it was not my intention.
 

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