Before we sally forth down this dark path. Which will assuredly have many a moral detour and distraction along the way. Let us properly set the mood. You grab those puppies over there and I’ll get a hammer.
What? Now is the perfect time to build customized dog houses for those little guys. It seems like a “good” counter for our conversing evil intentions. Wait… what did you think we were gonna do? Audible- “Gasp”! Oh… my… gawd! Holy mother Mary with Jesus in a side car at a Bojangles drive-thru! Why would you even think that? What is wrong with you?
Okay. S‘okay! Never mind. We’ll overlook your twisted thought processes.
Let’s just calm down, sit down, cleanse our minds (yours obviously needs a “good” scrubbing) and have a drink. You grab the blender… I’ll find some kittens and we’ll… Again, with the- What??? I just thought it would be fun to have some feline frolics whilst we enjoyed our Margaritas. What were you thinking… once again religious icons patronizing a fast-food establishment… kitten smoothies?
No, I actually prefer mine without fur. There’s more than one way to skin a cat you know. But seriously? That is sick! That is twisted! Is that evil?
So now dear reader the delving and defining begins. What aspect of all this (if any) could be considered evil? That something (cultural background pending) considered evil was made into jest? That something with an optional potential evil outcome was implied? Or the possibility that your mind went straight down that darked path… of evil? Is an evil mind required to have evil thoughts? Or do evil thoughts automatically imply an evil mind?
What is evil? Well, the simple definition – e·vil / adjective: profoundly immoral and wicked. Thank you, Mr. Webster. Seems pretty straight forward but leaves some grey on the sidelines. Let us Google right quick.
“Evil” in itself is a multifaceted concept, encompassing anything morally wrong, harmful, or causing suffering. Often viewed as the antithesis of good and goodness. It can be understood through various lenses, including religious, philosophical, and societal perspectives.
So, breaking that down, evil is a concept, based on perspective, defined by individuals, according to their ingrained beliefs and code of morality. Ergo evil is a matter of opinion. And opinions can be changed if an alternate perspective on said evil is offered or implied.
Case in point- a trend that (though always present) has been steadily growing in recent years in the multimedia industry. That being taking a character that has always been established as infamously and reputedly “evil”. Then justifying their current wickedness with a tragically “good” backstory.
Thus, we have an understanding and somewhat twisted justification of why they became evil in the first place. By the end of these alternative P.O.V. tales, the “evil” protagonist becomes the anti-hero. In turn the formerly established “good” becomes the antagonistic evil.
“You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” – Quote from Harvey Dent (played by Aaron Eckhart) in the 2008 film The Dark Knight.
But does the past justify the present? Just because an initially good person suffered in youth, does that justify an evil adulthood? If they had a better, more tragic backstory would Adolph Hitler or Charles Manson be considered such bad guys? Uh… yeah that’s an affirmative.
Ah but we’re now intermingling fact with fiction. And though often truth (or fact) is stranger than fiction it doesn’t hold the same merit in reality. But despite finely drawn black and white lines there is a very narrow, constantly shifting grey area in between in the real world.
It’s true a potential good person can become wicked with the weight of the world. Likewise, an evil person can see the error of their ways once witnessing the outcome of that way and convert. Good to evil to good and back again, we have the option to decide our own moral fate. It has nothing to do with our past history or any potential future, but is a matter of choice in our present.
Good or evil is a matter of the opinion set upon us by the world. So, what we do in the moment, specifically in the last moment is all that matters… and who’s there taking notes.
I welcome almost all questions, comments via Focus, or email me at wanderingchainsaw@gmail.com. Hope to hear from ya, until then try and stay focused! See ya.
