Every Day and in Every Way

I’ve mentioned a few times about my time in the Federal Penitentiary System. Out of all the guys I worked with, not one saw himself as a bad person, as an evil person. One guy in particular would begin his day with, “Every day and in every way, I’m getting better and better.” The dear boy. He believed that to be true and what’s worse, the psychologists of the time believed that if he said that every day the evil that was in him would actually begin to dissipate. Alas, he’s still doing armed robberies. On the other hand, an armed robber who feels better about himself must be a plus - yes?

Despite what I believe to be overwhelming evidence, there are some who actually believe that human nature is evolving - for the better no less. From Hegel onward, there have been merry souls blissfully and eagerly anticipating a time when evil will be banished from the human psyche. President Bush and Prime minister Blair thought we could do away with evil through the use of bombs. These other people will do it through breeding; for the impatient among them, eugenics will provide the extra boost.

There is yet another set of people who, regardless of the means, believe that everything is moving toward a better, fuller, more perfect world. To these people, evil is not real; neither as a malevolent entity nor as an inherent trait. To these people, bad behaviour is the result of a bad environment. All we need are a better sewer system, less religion, more science and the ability to visualise what we want.

I couldn’t disagree more with any of them. Human nature is as stable as the rocky mountains. Any perceived change for the better is like floating on tectonic plates. What takes place above may appear peaceful but underneath, the seething, roiling, volcanic evil is pressing, pushing, forcing, bulging, looking for any weakness in the crust, the veneer of surface “goodness.”

Of course some have a vested interest in believing that evil in general does not exist, and that they in particular are not susceptible to any evil inclinations. To believe in good and bad would imply a moral universe with objective right and wrong and to go in that direction is not allowed by these folks.