What is Evil?

[The Iconnorclast]

There is no good or evil, what one person may consider evil or bad, another may consider good or righteous. It all boils down to the persons morales/values/choices, and what you perceive them to be, usually meaning that if they conflict with your own, then they are evil or wrong.

 

[fudgebo]

Anything that does not have a concept of morals, ethics or law or empathy really.

 

[Xanadu84]

Evil is that which minimizes pleasure and maximizes pain, to an extent which the individual deems appropriate to start useing more extreme labels.

 

[Panda Mania]

You quite nailed it when you pegged evil as, essentially, selfishness. Have a cookie!

 

[rekabdarb]

Evil is just a word, nothing more. If you want to get technical I'd say that evil is unbridled chaos. Anarchy. people who don't really care. People without purpose striving for nothing. Good and Evil, right and wrong. These mean nothing because each side is fighting for good, each side is fighting for right.

Chaos and Anarchy are not synonymous.

Chaos = absence of order.
Anarchy = absence of authority.

Anarchy does not imply chaos. It implies equality.

did i say they were related? i was just giving ideas of what evil is, which i think either would work

 

[Danpascooch]

Basically, if you look like that guy ^

You're evil

 

[Danpascooch]

Evil is just a word, nothing more. If you want to get technical I'd say that evil is unbridled chaos. Anarchy. people who don't really care. People without purpose striving for nothing. Good and Evil, right and wrong. These mean nothing because each side is fighting for good, each side is fighting for right.

Chaos and Anarchy are not synonymous.

Chaos = absence of order.
Anarchy = absence of authority.

Anarchy does not imply chaos. It implies equality.

did i say they were related? i was just giving ideas of what evil is, which i think either would work

When you put one word after the first one in a one word sentence, it implies synonymism

 

[rekabdarb]

Evil is just a word, nothing more. If you want to get technical I'd say that evil is unbridled chaos. Anarchy. people who don't really care. People without purpose striving for nothing. Good and Evil, right and wrong. These mean nothing because each side is fighting for good, each side is fighting for right.

Chaos and Anarchy are not synonymous.

Chaos = absence of order.
Anarchy = absence of authority.

Anarchy does not imply chaos. It implies equality.

did i say they were related? i was just giving ideas of what evil is, which i think either would work

When you put one word after the first one in a one word sentence, it implies synonymism

maybe they are both synonymous with the term of evil...

 

[Pyotr Romanov]

Root_of_all_Evil is really evil.

Aside from him, I always try to think evil to be "someone else's good". Makes me feel like a philosopher.

EDIT: Damn, I can't find his profile. Did I spell his name wrong? I've searched both with and without "_"

 

[Danpascooch]

Evil is just a word, nothing more. If you want to get technical I'd say that evil is unbridled chaos. Anarchy. people who don't really care. People without purpose striving for nothing. Good and Evil, right and wrong. These mean nothing because each side is fighting for good, each side is fighting for right.

Chaos and Anarchy are not synonymous.

Chaos = absence of order.
Anarchy = absence of authority.

Anarchy does not imply chaos. It implies equality.

did i say they were related? i was just giving ideas of what evil is, which i think either would work

When you put one word after the first one in a one word sentence, it implies synonymism

maybe they are both synonymous with the term of evil...

Synonymism BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM

also, you just said that anarchy is synonymous with evil, so totalitarian states and the genocide aren't evil because they weren't anarchy? go figure

 

[ClockWork]

As Nietzsche would have said, evil is all that is self promoting. Evil is what society interprets as "anti social", because heaven forbid someone do something for their own good alone! Evil doesn't exist, it's all just a matter of perspective. (Unless your insane, that's a different matter.)

 

[Urgol]

Another useless commodity. One of the more well-used and sadly most ignorant labels.

 

[MinishArcticFox]

Anything that opposes the great country of "Merica" is undoubtably evil.

OT: Most cultures regard killing innocents as an evil crime but even this isn't true of everyone. Usually evil boils down to the person doing the opposite of what you're doing. Just like when Iraq occupied Kuwait the invaders were the bad guys but when we occupied Iraq the invaders were the good guys.

 

[michiehoward]

a complete lack of empathy. heartily enjoying another's suffering.

 

[Godavari]

Anything that contradicts my morality.

That's pretty much what everyone will say. In truth, I don't think there is really any "good" or "evil", just different opinions on how to achieve your goals. We can talk all we want about who is a better person, but it's all subjective in the end.

 

[Captain Blackout]

<------Right here. I'm a thoroughly evil bastard to those who are closest to me. Thank God I'm a Taoist, or I'd never be able to make it work.

(Seriously though, don't be my friend unless you want someone evil for your friend)

 

[rekabdarb]

Evil is just a word, nothing more. If you want to get technical I'd say that evil is unbridled chaos. Anarchy. people who don't really care. People without purpose striving for nothing. Good and Evil, right and wrong. These mean nothing because each side is fighting for good, each side is fighting for right.

Chaos and Anarchy are not synonymous.

Chaos = absence of order.
Anarchy = absence of authority.

Anarchy does not imply chaos. It implies equality.

did i say they were related? i was just giving ideas of what evil is, which i think either would work

When you put one word after the first one in a one word sentence, it implies synonymism

maybe they are both synonymous with the term of evil...

Synonymism BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM

also, you just said that anarchy is synonymous with evil, so totalitarian states and the genocide aren't evil because they weren't anarchy? go figure

Ok i'd like to point out that i spelled the word, Synonymism, correct in my post, please stop acting superior.
Second: They are synonymous... with the definition of evil =D
Third: Totalitarian states doesn't imply evil, it just implies government and military rule. Doesn't mean evil
Fourth: Genocide, through the eyes of the person, is always right. I'd love for you to revive Hitler and ask him if what he did to the jews was right or wrong, cause he'd say it's right/good. Shit the United States didn't mind it, considering we started turning away boats coming from europe filled with refugees. Britain didn't mind it either, in fact they didn't mind the ideals of Hitler and the Nazi party, it was only until they invaded Belgium did they start to give a crap. So, back to the original question, do i think it's evil? no. But morally unethical? yes

 

[Bagaloo]

Wishing or knowingly inflicting harm on others.

I think that pretty much sums up Evil.

Does that not come down the level of harm though? I'm thinking about pranks and such that one might play on a friend. They might end up slightly hurt and embarrassed from it, but does that make it evil?