zerostao Posted July 9, 2019 (edited) a few thoughts on the subject by some of the most notable minds http://www.wiseoldsayings.com/evil-quotes/ https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/evil?page=2 I like mae west's the best "given the choice between 2 evils, I choose the one I never tried before"(( perhaps loosely paraphrased who are you then? I am part of that power which eternally wills evil and eternally works good. to light a candle is to cast a shadow..... Edited July 9, 2019 by zerostao 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thelerner Posted July 9, 2019 1 hour ago, zerostao said: I like mae west's the best "given the choice between 2 evils, I choose the one I never tried before"(( perhaps loosely paraphrased who are you then? I am part of that power which eternally wills evil and eternally works good. to light a candle is to cast a shadow..... Mae West lived in a pretty restrictive time. Her 'evil' was speaking her mind, doing her thing, being sexual and willing to party. Paraphrasing sci fy author Robert Heinlein 'the only evil is hurting others unnecessarily'. Not bad in a libertarian manner, though I'm sure one can poke holes in it. I mostly agree with it. Don't hurt others, yet be open to new things. Judge societies taboos for yourself, neither mindlessly follow or rebel against them for the sake of rebellion. Its a shame if you life with only one hat on. Know yourself and that takes time and experience.. and mistakes.. with sprinkling of regrets. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zerostao Posted July 9, 2019 (edited) Yes, mae west refused to accept the boundaries that were in place. So, in a way she was a rebel with a good cause; greater personal freedom. That struggle continues for many. That ol evil weed would put a permanent black mark on a person for life until very recently. Now, that it is looked at under a different light, countless benefits have beem identified. A truly evil person imo is one that unneccesarily hurts others. Often those can be found in the upper tiers of authority. Soeaking only for myself, i find value on doing the edgework. It isnt easy or for the feint of heart. It is at the edges of boundaries where new benefits or fteedoms are usually found. In dealing with the self or with this thing called civilization, science/tech frontiers etc the only way to expand is to test the limits of the boundaries. In that context, rebels are the trailblazers of the frontiers. Often it seems it takes a mae west to test the evil so the mainstream will later benefit. You are right, there is a lot of trial and error, mistakes, regrets--and also great discoveries and joys. Every candle lit casts a shadow. Every shadow exists bc there is light somewhere. Edited July 9, 2019 by zerostao 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lost in Translation Posted July 9, 2019 7 minutes ago, zerostao said: A truly evil person imo is one that unneccesarily hurts others. A very good definition of evil, in my opinion. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zerostao Posted July 9, 2019 22 minutes ago, Lost in Translation said: A very good definition of evil, in my opinion. Robert heinlein and thelerner like it too! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thelerner Posted July 9, 2019 3 hours ago, thelerner said: Paraphrasing sci fy author Robert Heinlein 'the only evil is hurting others unnecessarily'. Not bad in a libertarian manner, though I'm sure one can poke holes in it. I mostly agree with it. Don't hurt others, yet be open to new things. Judge societies taboos for yourself, neither mindlessly follow or rebel against them for the sake of rebellion. Its a shame if you life with only one hat on. Know yourself and that takes time and experience.. and mistakes.. with sprinkling of regrets. 1 hour ago, Lost in Translation said: A very good definition of evil, in my opinion. The word unnecessary is slippery though. What is necessary? We just justify many a self serving action with the word. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
