Evil, Within and Without!!

What is evil? Or rather, I should ask, who is evil? Before we sit down to analyze snapshots from hell for evidence of evil and put them under the moral microscope to understand scientifically what constitutes hell, we need to understand the perspective that breeds and subsequently, defines evil through its relentless pursuit to put an end to its own phantasmagoric creation.

Well, if you ask people to define evil, they may come up with adjectives like greed, pride, power, money and even love. I am obviously not a believer in restricting the lot of evils to the seven cardinal sins, and am not willing to add onto the list either, even though I might accidentally have let some stray adjectives fall into the lot of the despicable evils. All I am saying is that there exists a difference of perspectives when it comes to the definition of evil. Evil for me might not be evil for someone else. And consequently, my hell will not be your hell. If this is so, then why this whole unfounded fuss about morality and what does it actually mean to say, “Go to hell!!”

What is the theory of the birth of evil, then? Well, honestly, there is not much theorizing involved here. Evil has existed since the birth of time and consciousness. What is more intriguing is to know when a man turns over to the other side and truly becomes evil. Let me tell you where I am coming from – I have just finished watching Lord of War and I was wondering when did Orlov actually become evil? My take, after he is disowned by his family. Or is it? Don’t we all remember the legendary Skywalker with an iota of goodness, if there is such a concept, still left in him that compels him to restore the balance of the force yet again?

Ok, let us complicate this further. Is it even to our advantage to deal with such absolutes? Can we not be just content with knowing that the person in question has, forever, blocked the nerve centers that lead to an unwanted repository of memories that reek of goodness? Well, here’s a thought. Maybe, just maybe, if we can decipher the process of turning evil, and track changes in neural pathways that lead to an eternally captured and impenetrably fortified alternate identity, we will be able to brand the condition as a disease and find a cure for it.

Scary, for the thought probably is the unearthing of a blueprint of the vicious life-cycle of evil.