Is evil something you ARE, or something you DO?

Question

This is a line from a Morrissey song and I thought it was an interesting question.

Answer 1

I think evil is something you are, I may do something in all innocence that actually hurts others, I may have been thoughtless or ignorant of its effect but I did not intend to harm or to do wrong. If I chose to steal because I was broke I would steal food from a store not money from a person, it is still wrong but I would not want to risk hurting anyone. on the other hand if I plan to do something that I know will cause harm or hurt then I am being evil, and I dont mean the odd peevishness or bad mouth I mean like befriending an old person and then robbing them with violence or going out to kill for a sick fulfillment. only problem is these fools who think they are going to heaven for blowing up innocent people along with themselves dont think they are doiong wrong???? damn its a great question.

Answer 2

I think it can be both. Anyone can do something that is considered evil by someone else and not do it again. Then there is the people that seem to juse do evil all the time...people that are controlled by an evil spirit and hurt other people or animals or whatever. To me they are evil and can't change because they are that. So, to me Evil is a verb and a noun. Wonder what Webster thinks?

Answer 3

That's a very good question, and everything hinges on the notion of evil being either an external force, or an internal force.

I think that good people are fully capable of committing evil acts, and I think that most would be sorry for doing so. As for an external force of pure evil....that's being debated by various religions the world over & has been a hot topic for thousands of years. I think I'd be wise to refrain from commenting about my personal beliefs, or lack thereof.

Answer 4

People who use morrissey references rule! Evil is something that is, and sometimes it comes through people. No person can be entirely evil but a person who does lots of evil things can be entirely unconcious.

Answer 5

I think your own heart judges you. What's in your heart? Do you think of evil all the time or good? A good person can be deceived into doing something evil and an evil person can at times do something good. I think the continual condition of your heart determines whether you are actually evil or not. I realize this probably doesn't exactly answer your question. I guess I think it can be both.

Answer 6

Evil is both something someone does and something some people are. When a person is capable of doing evil it makes him/her an evil person; because a person who is not evil cannot do evil (which is a different than than making an unintentional mistake or hurting someone's feeling without intending to).

Answer 7

Evil is not something you are. When God made man he said it is good. So there is good in everyone, we choose do do evil things. We all know right from wrong. So choose to do the right things and you will not have to deal with consequences of the evil things you may do.

Answer 8

I would say evil is a character trait. Some people behave badly, but to truly be evil is an entirely different thing.

Answer 9

well.. if one WAS evil, then they would be evil just for the sake of being evil. But in this world we really have no expirience of something or someone being bad just for sake of badness. The closestt we can get is sadists(Which would be someone who gets pleasure out of seeing others in physical or emotional pain) or from the way someone goes about getting somthing they want such as money, power or whatnot.
so to begin with, pleasure, money, and power are not bad things in themselves... the evil comes from the way a person goes about getting those things, or by having to much of it (ex. power)
so therefore, evil is really the pursuit of somthing good in the wrong way.
you CAN do somthing good for the sake of being good, and not becuase you get somthing out of it
but you CANT do somthing bad just becuase its bad, you can only do somthing bad becuase it is useful or pleasing to you.
therefore I would say that evil is somthing you DO
not that you ARE
make sense?
<3 hillary

Answer 10

hmm, I would have to say both. although i do not believe that people are or can be born evil they can become evil. For instance someone who is a drug addict, completely soaks his life up in drugs and will do anything for them. These people, in my opinion, are evil... but everyone does evil things, lying, taking the last cookie even though you know someone else will want it, we all do these little "evil" things. as long as you don't soak your life in them, I believe you are still a good person.