On the Nature of Good and Evil
Good and evil are at the very root of our existence. These are the motivations for our actions at their most fundamental level. They are the forces that influence the events of people. Good is the creative force and the stronger of the two. Therefore, humans and all of creation are inherently good, but the products of that creation, especially that of humans, are not necessarily good, no matter the intention with which they were created with. Evil is the destroying force which sweeps away the creations of mankind. It is absolutely important to note that good and evil are forces, not feelings or states of being. No person is truly good on their own, no person is truly evil on their own. I say on their own because I am a Catholic and do believe that the Virgin Mary is free of sin, as well as her son, my Lord Jesus Christ.
In any case, good and evil are rooted on Earth. One cannot exist on Earth without the other. Good and bad occurrences will replace each other in our lives. We have free will and our skills to try to make positive events outweigh the negative in our lives. With that being said, everyone is guaranteed to fail in life. The trick is to mitigate your loses by self-improvement and learning from that failure. That is why every says that failure is the greatest teacher. You learn the most when you fail. It is due to this fundamental rule.
Humans have an unhealthy proclivity for assigning blame when something does not go as planned. More often than not, it is our own fault for our own failures. Recognizing that we are to blame is the first step, the next is to be truly motivated to change for the better. If it is not your fault, then there are still a great deal of steps you can do or could have done to remedy the situation. If the problem is out of your control in every way, then accept the loss and learn from it. You are merely receiving your due of the negative. Because Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they did wrong. They could have reduced their consequences if they had been honest and did not blame one another.
Good and evil nag at our conscience. It is every person’s duty to choose what is good. But, being humans, we are fallible, and are susceptible to choosing incorrectly. It is in our nature to err, and the erred person should be admonished, forgiven, and given a penance. Life is one long journey, and so we must help those who have lost their way.
It is a different thing altogether if someone had given themselves over to evil. They have surrendered what is right and just about their creation in the service of something terrible. They gave themselves over to their basic animal. They practically lose their humanity. At this point, we can only pray that they recognize the folly of their ways. You must actively oppose or avoid them, otherwise they inflict active harm on you or others.
What really is good and evil? Different religions and philosophies split hairs over what is “moral” and “immoral.” At the roots, natural law and our consciences determine what is right and wrong. That is the definition of good and evil for the purposes of this article.
People are lead astray for many reasons. It could be jealousy, anger, hate, arrogance, desperation, etc… By far the most despicable action is that of betraying everyone as a result of petty jealousy. Envy is unreasonable. It is the excessive desire of what we do not have, turning us into beasts that will use any means necessary to take what we want. We give up all of our bonds that bind us to the people we care about, just for some material gain that will disappear at our death. And what of our memory left behind? Those who give in to the evil will be disgraced eventually. Those who fight heroically, but fall, will at the very worst, be an antihero deserving of sympathy.
Shakespeare’s Othello has a character that perfectly exemplifies a person who has become a servant of evil. The character Iago contributed, directly or indirectly, to the death of 4 people (Othello, Desdemona, Roderigo, and Emilia), and the maiming of one (Cassio), all because he was passed up for a promotion. He swindled a rich man (Roderigo) to fulfill his scheme, destroyed a happy marriage (Othello and Desdemona), and successfully forced drunkenness on a person (Cassio) to get him fired. Along with all that, he has a record of lies and adultery as well. He surrendered his humanity and paid the price.
Earth is a battleground for good and evil. We are the soldiers in their armies. Support what is right and just. Perhaps then, we may receive some semblance of harmony, however brief, before we go to receive what is due to us in the next life. Adam and Eve gained knowledge from the tree; they committed evil in ignorance. But they refused to support the good even when they had knowledge. That brings us to our present predicament of having to deal with good and evil. Adam and Eve gave in to what is wrong. It is my hope that through understanding these ideas presented, you may be resolute in times of crisis, and able to endure hard times with virtue in order to see pleasant futures.
