Evil or Just Malicious? Maybe its the same thing.

Evil, malicious, depraved, malignant, spiteful people are all around us. Just pick up a newspaper or log onto the internet and there is an abundance of stories on how one human being treats another. Sometimes they are disguised as just mean. They smile at you. They chat with you. Its a little scary, but I think its best to steel yourself and be ready when you run into it face to face.


I’ve read my share of Stephen King and Dean Koontz books.  Most of these are basically good vs evil and good conquering evil in the end.  Sometimes evil is presented as a malevolent entity that invades an unsuspecting character in the story.  I’m not sure where it actually comes from, but I do know it exists.  I’ve seen it and its not pretty.  Why people are this way, I’m not sure.  But I believe they feed it themselves.


Sometimes you read a news story or something happens to someone you know and you recognize it as evil.  The Jeffrey Dahmer’s and the John Wayne Gacy’s of the world are prime examples.  The stories of children locked away by their parents or snatched up by strangers. I think we can all agree that those stories and those people reflect evil in its purest form.


But I’m writing about the secret evil. Someone who knows that their thoughts, their actions, their postings, and the little things they do, that they think no one sees, is wrong. I think the evil that makes the headlines usually start out this way. It lurks around the person in little ways. They know its wrong and they hide it. They put a smile on their face and pretend that all is right with their world. When they do have issues arise in their lives, its never their fault. Its always someone else’s fault.


I think you can look into the eyes of someone that you suspect is truly evil and see it lurking there. Sometimes you can recognize it by the things they find humor in. They lack empathy, happiness, and animation. They never truly engage you in conversation, you don’t feel any connection with them at all. They take advantage of those they have power over or who are less fortunate than they are. They laugh over other’s misfortunes.


I think we need to stand up to evil.  Even the little evil.  Evil grows and gains strength if you don’t confront it head on.  If you are not inclined to confront, at least be aware of it and don’t encourage it.