The Seductive Ways To Evil

The other day a friend and mine got on the topic of the general state of the world and what is behind some of the real faults we encounter. We tend to make excuses for a lot of things, we will brush off that which is no longer working for a variety of reasons that when examined closely, hold no real merit. One of the key points that we discussed was the concept of tradition. Everyone has them, whether it is from a culture, religion, family or job, tradition can bring people together, form a sense of community and provide support. It is often what comforts us when we feel out of place or isolated.

Tradition, can also be uniquely detrimental to our progress because we get stuck. Tradition for tradition’s sake doesn’t normally fly with me. The example I always give is my complete and utter hatred of tossing a bouquet at a wedding. Now, it doesn’t hurt anyone, it’s tradition, some people seem to really enjoy it despite the fact that it does not guarantee anything from the results. What I despise about it is the pressure associated with it. When I’m at a wedding, whether I’m there alone, with family or a date, I do not enjoy being dragged up in front of everyone because I happen to not be married. I then do not enjoy the possible altercations that arise out of drunken girls fighting over a grouping of flowers…black eyes and fat lips don’t usually go with my dress choice. Then there is the ever awkward second part of this involving the garter being placed on by the guy who happens to catch it and then finally we are done and can pretend like it never occurred. Now most people at this point are thinking that I’m a stick in the mud who hates a good time, and it’s not the case and I will remove myself from this particular tradition in order to not place myself in this position. My problem is that we do this at weddings because it is tradition, and we peer pressure single girls into it. That’s where my problem arises.

When traditions are forced, or even assumed for no other reason than because they are tradition, I become uneasy. If you argue against a particular occurrence and are told you must, because it is tradition, I might argue that we do not reevaluate the necessity enough. Now, there are of course exceptions. The military is ripe with tradition, and has no business changing them because it is a traditional society. If you are not a fan of those traditions, you shouldn’t join. Like I said, it is not tradition I have issue with, it is being forced to participate for no reason. Anyway, that was my rant about tradition, but there were many more parts of this conversation that my friend listed in accordance to his own beliefs. Many of them we discussed, and I would like to share them with you for further opinion and though. Enjoy.

“The Seductive Ways to Evil”

1. Consistency

You’d Say: “That’s just how it works.”

Consistency (not to be confused with self-consistency) is really a guise for sloth. Inflexible rules exist to absolve people of thought, risk, or guilt about their decisions; if you go by the book, you don’t get in trouble if things don’t work out, the book-writer does. (Frequently, the book-writer is somehow beyond repercussion, so the responsibility for the decision evaporates.) Consistency is the reason accusations of horrific war crimes are sometimes met with “I was just following orders.”

How to fight it: Think about your decisions, even if they’re subject to some rule. Recognize the exceptions, and make allowance for them. Take responsibility.

2. Gratification

You’d say: “Whatever makes you happy.”

The desire to please is really a desire to be well-liked, or to feel good about oneself. It sacrifices responsibility for one’s actions to the illusion of being a good person. Focusing on whoever you’re trying to make happy is also a convenient way to ignore those you’re not helping without feeling guilty, and to justify poor decisions. Gratification was the reason for the Challenger shuttle disaster: the NASA managers decided to launch against their better judgment in order to appease the higher-ups.

How to fight it: Consider others, but make decisions for yourself. Don’t be afraid to say no. Accept that you can’t make everyone happy.

3. Entitlement

You’d say: “Look, I think I deserve a little X.”

“Entitlement” is becoming a slur in American politics, and for good reason. Americans have been born into a nation with more weapons and money than any other, and feel as though this gives them the right to certain things: more money, a comfortable life, authority to dictate world policy, etc. A brick wall doesn’t care how expensive your car is, and the world doesn’t care how hard you’ve worked or what you’ve achieved. Demanding that it do so leads to things like corruption in politics, where individuals elected to office feel as though their position earns them “special treatment.”

How to fight it: Remember the people to whom you owe your position and achievements, and that everything you do is infinitely more meaningful to you than anybody else.

4. Caution

You’d say: “I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

Nothing is altogether certain. You get out of bed every morning as though the floor won’t give way, despite the small chance that it will. Waiting for absolute certainty leads to paralysis, stagnation, and waste, often at the expense of others. It can also lead to proactive behavior with undesirable consequences, simply to prevent whatever imagined threat exists. Many conflicts (including World War I and the Cold War) were merely due to general unease between powers, which grew into terror of what might happen if the other were to strike first, and ultimately a positive feedback loop of activity that neither power desired.

How to fight it: Embrace the element of risk in everything you do. Force yourself to make decisions calmly and rationally, without fear.

5. Equity

You’d say: “You’ve got to earn it.”

No two human beings have ever been born onto a “level playing field.” Genetics, parenting, economics, education, geography – there are countless variables which control and contribute to each person’s success and abilities. We like to ignore this, because we like to think we’re in control of our own destinies, but the uncomfortable truth is that our positions are the result of a fortunate series of coincidences, and little else. Attempting to levy equity on the inherently unequal is the surest road to quashing the underprivileged and giving the privileged an even greater advantage.

How to fight it: Accept that your situation is due in a tiny capacity to your own agency, and exponentially to the circumstances surrounding you. Recognize the same is true for others, and karma is imagined.

6. Perfectionism

You’d Say: “I won’t settle for less than perfect.”

Utopianism was one of the reasons for the Holocaust. The Jews, homosexuals, and physically/mentally handicapped were thought to be polluting the genepool of the “glorious master race,” and their elimination would unfetter mankind to pursue its righteous future: no more suffering, infinite wealth and happiness for all. It isn’t always so grandiose; a simple assignment that is never completed due to an endless process of revision is another victim of the allure of perfection.

How to fight it: Embrace imperfection and diversity. Don’t sacrifice the good for an imagined great.

Most of these can be boiled down to “trying to make the world as we think it ought to be, rather than how it is.” The universe is messy, and we hate that. Our minds love absolutes, and when we try to enforce them, we end up destroying good things for the sake of neatness. We don’t despise ourselves when we do only because we manage to convince ourselves that our imaginary rules are more important than reality.