Are Some People Just Evil?

Question

Do people like Cho, Jeffery Dommer, Bin Laden ever scare anyone about having children? Are some people just born evil and will amount to no good to society no matter how much love and attention they get?

Answer 1

some people really are just evil

Answer 2

Some people are horribly mentally ill. And in some cases that illness takes the form of what most cultures associate with the concept of "evil." So yes, I suppose some people are "just" evil. Yet a cold, intelligent and plotting operative such as a bin Laden deserves, at least to my mind, the title far more than the other sick fcuks you site.

Answer 3

I would, unfortunately say, yes. My friend decided not to have kids after the Columbine incident. She didn't want her kids to be a part of or go through anything like that. I have three children, whom I have tried to bring up with love, empathy, and knowledge. I could NEVER imagine them bringing harm to another, but that is what you hear from all parents involved in these type of disasters. My oldest is now a 15 year old girl and I have no worries. Notice how all of these types of mass destruction have come from boys??????? I have a 10 year old boy now, whom I think will be fine. I have put him into many social groups (soccer, football, boy scouts, band) in an attempt to give him a rounded life. I talk to him on a daily basis and make him a part of the world around him, other than just school. My youngest is a 5 year old girl, whom my 10 year old son and 15 year old daughter are very sweet to. My youngest is also very sweet and giving. I don't know? You just have to raise your kids with the best you have and hope for the best. Does anyone have any type of data regarding how many of them were "only children"? I know Bin Laden is not, but just for problems and mass murders in the U.S. I don't see my kids having problems, but we talk to them about EVERYTHING. I have so far raised a 15 year old girl who already plans to go to college. She is more into school than boys. My 10 year old son is also thinking of a career already and has never had harmful characteristics. My 5 year old daughter is of course, perfect. I wish we could ALL stay that age. She loves everyone to a fault and has to be reminded (unfortunately) of bad people that may try to harm her. She doesn't get it, and I wish the world was as easy as she sees!!! My kids remind me of the good we are capable of.

Answer 4

This is one of those questions that people have been debating since the dawn of civilization. And it's incredibly complex. For instance, what do you mean by Cho being "evil"? Was he evil last week at this time before he committed the murders, or is it necessary for one to do something evil in order to be considered evil? I know he did some other things, so take him back to, say, high school. Was he evil then? Was Bin Laden evil when he was an ally of ours in the war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan? Important question: should we distinguish between evil people and people who perform evil deeds? Look at all the horrible things done in war, sometimes to innocent civilians, by well meaning soldiers. Are all soldiers evil?

Another question is whether people who are mentally deranged are evil. There appear to be some people who are genuinely mentally ill. As of tonight, they are releasing the tapes and transcripts from the Virginia killer. Much of it is rambling nonsense which makes no connection with reality than anyone here on planet earth knows anything about. How evil are you when, as one doctor with a lot of experience treating this sort of person said on TV last night, that he has seen such people treated with appropriate medications and three days later have no memory of what happened? When shown videotapes of themselves, they don't recognize the person on the screen.

What about genuine sociopaths, people without a conscience? If you have no concept of good and evil, how evil are you? For instance, Ted Bundy worked on a suicide hot line, and the lady who wrote "The Stranger Beside Me" about him says that she knows that he saved lives. After work, he would often walk her to her car to make sure she was safe. With a sociopath, you might be treated wonderfully, or you might be horribly murdered, depending on which thought crosses his mind first. And a lot of times it appears that this trait is one that some people are simply born with.

On the other hand, many are incredibly influenced by their environment. I've forgotten what the exact statistics are, but the last I read is that something like 80% of all men in state prisons were sexually molested early in life.

But to get to the bottom line: you allude to being afraid of having children for fear one of them may turn out to be like this. Keep in mind that these people constitute an incredibly tiny portion of the population. Have kids, love and care for them as best you can, and they will probably turn out to be average like the vast majority of us. There are, thankfully, very few truly evil people, no matter how you define them.

Answer 5

I don't know either, this is something I've pondered many times.

I'm not sure I believe in the concept of "evil" - it feels too simplistic. I do believe that there are people born without the ability to exist in society. We're all flawed, but for some, the flaws are so extreme that it renders them outsiders, so remote from societal norms that their behavior is beyond our comprehension while feeling completely logical to them. I believe in the concept of there being sociopathic personalities, and in there being people born who never really feel any emotion, and who are most likely beyond "help". So if your question is, do I think that there are behaviors and personalities that are in place from birth, I suppose that yes, I definitely do. I believe that you can have 2 people raised together in absolutely identical environments and end up with 2 entirely different people.

Answer 6

I am making the conscious decision not to have children solely based on what this world is coming to. I hate to sound perpetually pessimistic, but it ain't looking too pretty. As for what makes people do the things they do...
It is definitely different for everyone. For some it is nature and for some it is nurture. I think Cho is a product of nature- he was born with a predisposition to have significant mental health problems.

Answer 7

We are taught to accept and forgive, but yes, I believe so, that some people are innately evil. I don't know if they were born that way, but as they grow and mature, seem to be drawn and have a predisposition to evil. So many people are in need of mental health care, and have deep seated mental problems, but still operate in society. So many, due to our government cutbacks to fund the mentally ill, are thrown away in our society today, homeless, and families try to cope without help.

Answer 8

I believe everyone starts out good, but its when u let ur dark side emotions take over all thougths. If you meditate and think before making decisions and keep a peace about u then u will continue to do good to urself and those around u.

Answer 9

I'm not sure I've often wondered if people would be completly different if they just got the attention they needed.
It's a good question.

Answer 10

No. That's a "cop-out". Some people are just plain irresponsible. And THAT kind of stupidity will ALWAYS be with us... :(