Mark Twain once said,"Is the bathroom being occupied?" No, wait that's not it. He once said, "There's a good

Question

spot tucked away somewhere in everbody. You'll be a long time finding it, sometimes." Do you agree, even with a Hitler, Stalin or Saddam Hussein, or the worst pathological serial killer? That there is good in all of us if we just search hard enough for it?

Answer 1

There is no bad or good. There are social constructions, arguments, emotions, physical states and the webs of belief that turn into systems of outward behavior. Can a Hitler come to be re-educated? doubtful. He obviously suffered some great traumas-- and we as a society should make the conditions that led to OUR apocryphal value-judgments on him impossible. He wasn't without a nation of people backing him.

Humans can be deluded. I have no misconceptions about it. We need to take care of our environments so that we can take care of ourselves, preventing such atrocities. They were racists, nationalists, fascists, blind to all judgment-- and defering all control to the leader. We cannot accept this zombification-- and yet we continue to force ourselves to obey superfluous traditions and wasteful systems such as capitalism.The columbine massacre can't be restricted to the individuals who murdered; there was a world of alienation prior to it.

And if you would just stop thinking blame can fall on individuals you will see the breadth of conditions involved when a war is justified, when extermination, when murder and rape-- you will see that inequities abound, and those with bread enough and guns to fight against their circumstances, will.

Answer 2

Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely. Lord Acton (1834-1902)

I think that at one point in time all of these man had some good in them. I believe that once they taste of power, they can't go back. They know how to manipulate people's thinking. They are well versed in the ability to brainwash. So much so that they believe what they are doing is right and justified.
How do you convince someone that their line of thinking is not right without becoming a megalomaniac, yourself. It is a contradiction of your own principles at that point.
What if the search yields a poor result and the only act of compassion that person ever enacted was that he didn't kill his sickly aunt's hideous old cat. Does that redeem him to society? Or is there a poor return on that investment?
I don't think it is possible to rehabilitate those who killed thousands for a xenophobic notion or display of power and control. They are dangerous and know how the system works. They tell their captors what they want to hear and then slip in little comments here and there that begin to sow seeds of doubt. Once they are out, re-integrated in society they can begin to rebuild what they once had. They did it once, they know they can do it again.
Once again, my apologies to a great man. Twain is one of my favorites. He did have a quote that does pertain more to this theory , though.
"When I, a thoughtful and unblessed Presbyterian, examine the Koran, I know that beyond any question every Mohammedan is insane, not in all things, but in religious matters. When a thoughtful and unblessed Mohammedan examines the Westminster Catechism, he knows that beyond any question I am spiritually insane. I cannot prove to him that he is insane, because you never can prove anything to a lunatic—for that is a part of his insanity and the evidence of it. He cannot prove to me that I am insane, for my mind has the same defect that afflicts his... When I look around me, I am often troubled to see how many people are mad."

Answer 3

Yes. We're all human, and the categories of good and evil are not so clear cut as we'd all like to believe. In times of desperation, whether it be due to drug addiction or labour camp internment, the average joe will steal, lie and cheat to get his fix, whether bread or crack.
I believe that the Hitlers of this world only could do what they did because they never faced up to the fact that their victims were human, with worthwhile lives and loves, just like themselves. But we are all guilty of that at some time or another. And just as we are capable of common evils, we are also all capable of common goods. I see no reason why Hitler or Stalin must have been cruel to those they cared about, they will have done kindnesses as well, just like any of us.

Answer 4

yes i believe that, all those people were babies once, little tiny, weak and needy. How can a baby be evil, so you just gotta see that inner infant.... I'm assuming that hitler had a mother whom he loved or a sibling..... hate the sin not the sinner... but i guess that is easy to say when nothing terribly bad has ever happened to you

Answer 5

love thy neighbour , can be the hardest commandment, to honestly carry out .
in the case of some of people those you mention , their merits (if any ,are very well hidden indeed )

Mark Twain , though a great writer and philosopher
may well have been talking with his 'tongue in his cheek' here .

He certainly knew how, to portray villains as well as saints in his tales .
I still love reading his books .
:)

Answer 6

In short, try to find the best in everyone even though difficult at times, and some time impossible.

Answer 7

I believe that there's good in everyone; although that good can become buried beneath one's intentions, thoughts, or psychosis.
Sometimes people forget their good side.