Rule #25: There Is Evil in the World
This blog exists to share “life’s rules” with my children—lessons I’ve learned the hard way—so that they can chart their paths with fewer wrong turns and avoid some of life’s biggest potholes.
But every now and then, the world delivers a shock so jarring that it’s hard to make sense of. Events like the mass killings in Paris and San Bernardino leave me asking: what lesson can I pass on to protect my children?
After much thought, I’ve reached a hard conclusion:
they must understand that Evil exists in the world—and learn to deal with it on their own terms.
When my kids were growing up, I taught them to respect differences, to see more than one approach to a problem. I raised them to value tolerance, understanding, and compromise. I truly believed that discussion and love could solve almost any problem by appealing to the basic goodness in people. I hoped that by teaching kindness, they would experience kindness.
But I may have unintentionally taught them to be sitting ducks.
This worldview works in 99.9% of situations. It fails only when confronted by Evil.
Evil isn’t just someone doing something bad. Bad people usually know they’re doing wrong and feel guilt or shame—that’s what keeps most of us from crossing certain lines.
Evil is different. Evil is badness rationalized—made acceptable by an internal lie.
Sometimes the lie hides in politics. Sometimes in religion. Sometimes in something as bizarre as a “talking cat” urging violence. But it’s always the lie that fuels Evil and makes it grow. Without the lie, evil deeds would stand naked for what they are.
If a neighbor claimed his cat told him to kill you, I’d hope you’d do two things:
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First, protect yourself—avoid him, call the police, take defensive action.
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Second, don’t blame the cat.
But what if a crowd believed the cat was real and killing you was a good idea? Killing the cat wouldn’t solve the problem. There would always be other cats. The more people accept the lie, the more dangerous the Evil becomes. And as the group grows, violence can start to feel normal—even righteous.
So what do you do when confronted with Evil? Three things:
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Recognize Evil for what it is.
Don’t let people mask it. Media and commentators will try to reframe mass killings as workplace disputes, mental illness, or society’s failings. These distractions protect the lie. Evil is rarely subtle. Someone stockpiling weapons and building bombs wants one thing: to harm others. Don’t let anyone talk you out of naming it. -
Protect yourself.
Use avoidance, alert authorities, and take defensive action. I’m not telling you to buy a gun, but I am telling you to take whatever precautions you deem appropriate. Evil doesn’t stop on its own. You have to be prepared to defend yourself. -
Expose the lie.
Say out loud that the “cat” isn’t talking. Warn others. People often know deep down when something is wrong, but they need the courage of others to help them call it out. Lies cannot stand long in the open; truth is the only antidote to Evil.
Above all, remember:
never trust what a cat tells you—cats lie, and Evil thrives on lies.
Love, Dad