Where is the Line Between GOOD & EVIL?

The good we see in the world is defined by the evil we perceive. Without evil, there is no good; without darkness, there is no light. Without a clearly defined anti-hero, there is no hero. This fundamental truth explains why we are often quick to demonize those who think differently or oppose us. Tribalism is woven into the very fabric of our being, and our current culture desperately searches for the anti-hero because we need to label bad in order to recognize good. If we can find a villain, it allows us to feel morally superior. If there isn't a villain, we will create one. As a result, society is more divided than ever.

Regardless of which side you associate with, the opposing side must be demonized. The more we perceive them as evil, the more polarized we become. But here’s the question: How can you be sure you're on the side of good? Even the most wicked characters in history believed they were on the side of righteousness. Alan Watts reminds us that “diabolical things are done in the name of righteousness.”

We must acknowledge that everyone, regardless of nationality, political alignment, or religion, Iwarms themselves for complete rightness against perceived devils. Certainly, not everyone can be on the good side, or else evil would not exist.

The truth is, good and evil only exist in the eye of the beholder. There is no line between good and evil; there is no clearly marked boundary. As Jordan Peterson points out, “You can’t divide the world neatly into perpetrators and victims and then assume that you’re only in the victim class.” This kind of thinking can become dangerously misguided.

Consider Adolf Hitler, who is widely regarded as the most evil man in history. Yet, in the early 1930s, he was celebrated as a hero—not just in Germany, but across much of Europe. He turned the German economy around, built a prosperous society, and even hosted the 1936 Olympics as a demonstration of German innovation. During that time, he garnered a 98% approval rating from his people and a 99% approval rating from Austrians.

Hitler was named Time's Man of the Year in 1938. This regime was supported by intellectuals, economists, Nobel Prize winners, and the media. How did this prosperity lead to concentration camps and gas chambers? It didn’t happen overnight; it was a step-by-step process. The Nazis believed they were doing good, that they were on the side of nobility and virtue, with every action taken for the betterment of humanity. Hitler’s motto was “the common good before the individual good,” which eventually justified the horrors of the Holocaust.

This troubling trajectory can be observed in every genocide throughout history—from Pol Pot in Cambodia to Mao in China and Stalin in the Soviet Union. All believed they were fixing civilization and had visions of creating utopia. But to achieve that utopia, mass suffering and murder became necessary.

A world where you believe only those who think like you are good is also a world where you are surrounded by enemies committed to your destruction. As Jordan Peterson wisely writes, “It is much more psychologically appropriate to assume that you are the enemy.” It is simpler to point fingers at the external world than to look within ourselves and acknowledge our flaws.

Jesus taught, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” He challenged us to see our own failings before we criticize others. The speck in your enemy’s eye can often be a mere reflection of the plank in your own eye. Before seeking to fix the world, take a moment to examine your own contradictions. We often inadvertently become what we oppose.

Beware of dedicating yourself to eradicate evil, for you might become just like the very thing you are fighting against, as Eckhart Tolle discusses. “Whatever you fight, you strengthen; whatever you resist, persists.” This aligns with the ancient proverb: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Alan Watts also cautions us that do-gooders of the world can become troublemakers. Those who think they know what’s best for others are often the ones who inflict the most harm.

Recognizing your flaws dulls the desire to bend the world to your will. An awareness of your capacity for evil can mitigate the need to point at the evil in the world. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the author of "The Gulag Archipelago," lived through Stalin’s brutal rule, which claimed the lives of millions. In reflecting on evil, he emphasized that all people are capable of it and that those involved often believe themselves to be on the side of good.

Solzhenitsyn wrote: “The line separating good and evil passes not through states nor between classes nor between political parties either, but right through every human heart.” This line shifts within us and oscillates with the years. Even hearts overwhelmed by evil often retain a small bridgehead of good, while even the best hearts harbor an un-exorcised corner of evil.

It’s impossible to entirely expel evil from the world, but we can restrain it within ourselves. There’s no clear line in the external world between good and evil. We all possess the capacity for both. To eliminate evil, we must detach from our ego and confront our inner demons. To understand how good we can be, we must first comprehend our darker sides.

No tree, it’s said, can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell. According to Carl Jung, “Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darkness of other people.” Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to understand ourselves better.

The realization is that good and evil are ultimately mental constructs. Recognizing evil inherently relativizes good, converting both into halves of a paradoxical whole. When we demonize something in the external world, we reveal a void in our own psyche. Trying to dehumanize another or villainize something only exposes our own ignorance. Promoting shame, blame, and punishment reveals just how little we understand our inner demons and our nature.

The ones capable of introspection—separating their true essence from their ego—will stand as beacons of hope for others. Those who can emancipate themselves from ideology, tribalism, and the fixation on external enemies and look within their hearts with humility and honesty will emerge with heightened awareness. This, indeed, is the beginning of freedom.

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