Have you ever faced your inner demons? Do you know exactly what you are capable of doing?

Question

Most of you will probably say yes, but I'd bet my paycheck most of you have never been in a situation to test it!

Answer 1

Yes, I know what I am capable of doing (and I have already done some of those things....I'm not going to share, of course.)

But I will take your paycheck regardless....that's one of my inner demons talking. :)

Answer 2

I had a pretty good education when my father-in-law was living with us. The man made our lives hell on earth, and I realized that if I ever walked in and found him choking (a real possibility, considering the way that he crammed food in his mouth), I was perfectly capable of leaving the house for a couple of hours and coming back after it was all over with.

He also had congestive heart failure, and it occurred to me at one point that all I would have to do is load his food down with salt for a few days -- bam, instant trip to the VA hospital. Done often enough, it would have eventually put an end to him. And since he'd stolen salt shakers several times from the adult day care center, no one would have thought to blame me.

He lived for 11 long, rough years, and I never did anything that I could have done to harm him. But thinking about it may have saved my sanity and sure gave me some evil giggles when I needed them.

So, I'm capable of some pretty rotten things. Those are by no means all my inner demons, but they're a couple of the ones that I've met and managed to overcome. I doubt that the rest of them are any better than the ones I know about.

Answer 3

Interesting question. Many of us will think we have been tested with respect to these demons but the question is: Have We? Because we really do not not how we would act in any or every possible given situation, only have a notion of how we think we might react but are the two the same!!. Of course it is easy to be on one side of the fence looking in and observing how some have reacted in a situation and perhaps criticising and saying we would act differently. Only God knows the truth (Allahu alim).

With regard to our precarious nature, I really like the quote by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: “If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?” [ Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in 'The Gulag Archipelago']

In Islam we have this NaFS (self in terms of human nature, character, personality, ego) that can rise or fall from one level to another. Such is the struggle between good and evil. This battle is in the heart, the seat of the soul :)

Thanks :)
Salam (peace).

Answer 4

Yes, I have, and they are disgusting creatures. If it wasn't for the Grace of God intervening in my life, I shudder at what I could have become.

Yes, I have also been in situations to test my ability to do evil, or choose good. I have to face these questions every day. It is kind of scary, knowing just how close to "the edge" I can be; I can't help but wonder if it is like this for everybody. I'm in an odd spot in my life right now, so I face these temptations almost daily!

Scary, too.

Answer 5

Absolutely. I love life, all life but as a soldier I was faced with the fear of taking life. To make a long story short I was a dutiful soldier, did what I was suppose to and the demons came. It bothered me for years, changed my behavior to the point I was a miserable human being. I realized the demons couldn't kill me so instead of giving in I did what I wanted with the thought; "What is the worst that can happen, I die? And what is so bad about that"? I finally rid myself of these "demons".

Answer 6

There was a Jewish man at the Nuremberg trials. He was there to testify against a certain man who was on trial. When he rose and past the defendant on his way to the witness stand, the Jew looked at the defendant and fainted. When he came to, he was asked what happened. He said that when he saw the defendant, he realized that the defendant was just a man..."A man just like me", he said. Explaining further, he said that if the defendant could do the things that he did, being just a man, the Jew said then, that he himself was just as capable of doing the same thing. I believed that Jew faced his inner demon. What do you think?

Answer 7

Yes, I have. I have faced unexpected traumatic death of a parent, numerous trials and tribulations, heart-break, sorrow over children... many heartaches. I've often wanted to just wash my hands and turn my back on people. Some I have. Some I struggle with daily.

It will all get better. I know it will. Life is a roller coaster and mine has a lot of dips and loops.

Answer 8

One has to combat - anybody has some quantity of inner demons - it is having the strentgh to supress them that defines a guy or woman. No walking away, as they are going to be waiting for later.

Answer 9

I have, and I've survived. The Japanese call this process Shugyo. It's something that generally only warriors experience, but anyone who faces the moment of truth and emerges changed understands.

The documentary Touching the Void is a good example of this process.

Answer 10

Yeah, I been through long, dark period and discovered much about myself and what I can do. I still think I have much to learn. But I know attitude is one of the most important tools we have to shaping how we relate to, and how the universe relates to us.