Choose: Good.... or Evil..... and tell us why!

[DrZeeLit]

I'll go first.
When it comes to writing, evil is really more fun. Creating an evil character makes my day.

When I give this assignment to students, they always write about Evil rather than Good. What does that say about society? Evil is prevalent, Good is tricky to describe, or maybe doesn't have as definitive a reputation?

Whatcha think?

[pres2032]

1. I'm an idealist, so It's all about the good in everyone

I love writing about that. I'm also a Catholic so we're taught that good is um, good and that we should be that and i kinda agree. :-)

[Hans Delbrook]

9. Catholics also believe that humans are inherently good

And that we, therefore, have to be tempted into evil. Not true of a lot of other Christian faiths who believed we're born w/ a tendency to evil. That's why for years Catholics changed the line in Amazing Grace from "...saved a wretch like me" to "...saved and set me free."

[pres2032]

16. true that

A priest once said that when God was creating everything and He got to man, He said "And it was VERY good!" The priest also talked about how other Christians see man as manure and God's grace just covers us like pure white snow, but we'll still $hit. The priest said that we are made perfect and that while sin deforms us, God actually wants to make us perfect again.
One of the best homilies I've ever heard and it's so true and a far cry from the "we're pieces of vile $hit" talks we get from other "Christian" sects.

[Hans Delbrook]

18. Sounds like an "earthy" priest

I love that kind of priest. I has some in college.

[Fenris]

2. Good.

Evil fascinates, but I will always choose good over evil.

[bush_is_wacko]

3. Evil is easier to write about

Good is far more fun and there are degrees of good. I can't say I feel the same about evil. A good human is still human and fundamentally flawed. An evil human doesn't even seem human.

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. Much more room for creativity in the evil stuff

So a guy does good, let's say "help someone". So, there you go - that's the whole thing, "He handed her the wrench, helpfully" or "Running down the stairs, he opened the door so the TV deliveryman didn't have to set the box down".

Boring.

But evil - let's say "kill someone". Well, you have a million ways of killing someone!

And good - let's say "not kill someone". What can you do? "He decided against killing the man." Sure, you can get creative in the not-killing, but then it's just writing masturbation - "He didn't kill by putting hot pokers in his eyes; he didn't kill by cutting off his legs at the knees and setting him on fire; he didn't kill him by tying to his arms and legs to four Mustang GTs and having them drive away in opposite directions. In fact, he didn't kill him at all, in any way. He was a nice man."

Evil is more interesting.

[Wickerman]

5. Good by default - evil is such a Republican value

:)

[DrZeeLit]

6. That's interesting. No "good" Republicans?

The only "Good" Republican is a "dead" Republican? Just remembering rhetoric from the "Red" days.

I can't quite equate Evil with all the Republicans.
I know some very nice, kind and genuine Republicans.

Still, Evil is more fun -- so maybe that's why Cheney's always learing?

[Wickerman]

15. uh, no, I was making a broad brush joke

Of course all Republicans aren't evil, just like all Dems aren't saints. However, and of course, as someone who is wholeheartedly behind Dem causes and was one who finds Republican stances on many issues intensely file, yes, I see so many more Rethugs as vile than as Democrats.

I see much of their platform as evil and beneficial to a few - while I see the Dem platform as in the genuine interest of the common individual.

[hyphenate]

7. According to actors I know

They prefer evil, because evil is never constrained. Evil can be expressed in many ways, and evil doesn't have to allow for any consequences of their actions. Good might always triumph, but evil always gets the best lines. Evil can kill with impunity, can covet extensively, can get away--almost, with murder. Evil will kick ass until the final act.

Good comes with responsibilities. Good never hurts or harms, and is always willing to sacrifice for the betterment of all. Good doesn't kill without knowing how terribly wrong it is to kill. Good always follows the rules and good almost always restrains him/herself and avoids temptation. (Unless you're James Bond, but he's got a rascally side to himself!)

Evil can get carried away and act over the top. Evil can wear ridiculous makeup and still be sinister. Evil can always find a way to get revenge on good, and often succeeds until the final act.

Being a "good" secondary character means almost certain death, and not a "good" death. Evil secondaries almost always have a spectacular finish, even if it is a cliche.

On the other hand, in real life, good doesn't have to be perfect, just have the interest of others in mind. In RL, good is only as good as the final outcome. In RL, evil wins more. In RL, evil can often mean pursuit over many years, and a guilty conscience to plague you. In RL, good can range from "just shy of evil" to "sainthood." In RL, most of us have would have at least one dark spot on our history, if not a lot more than one!

In RL, I think I'd rather be a rascal, someone who tends to ignore the letter of the law if it interferes with justice. It is more exciting in RL to have a personality that reflects more than a simple black and white, good vs. evil paradigm, and instead focuses on three dimensional people who have both good and bad traits, but somehow end up trying to be at the very least, a better person in the end.

[DrZeeLit]

19. I agree. Evil does win more often. Or does it just seem that way?

You wrote some really terrific, thought-provoking ideas.
Thanks!

[hyphenate]

22. Thanks!

:D

[TalkingDog]

8. I embrace the Evil in myself

Jung feels that too many people deny their dark impulses. Hence their fascination with Evil.

And hence people like *W* who would never admit to having any faults, much less negative thoughts or feelings.

If you can admit that you are full of hateful, spiteful, judgemental, bigoted, murderous, etc. feelings and stop supressing them, you can become a whole and balanced person.

I am an evil bitch
I hate you and I hate everybody else too
I hate myself
I am that vile, digusting person you avoid

See don't I feel better now?

[DrZeeLit]

20. Yep. Did that Jungian analysis. Taking in the projection. It works! n/

[burn the bush]

10. good thoughts produce good chemicals in your body. It keeps you happy and

healthy. Bad thoughts produces bad chemicals in your body. It makes your prone to disease. This is probably why I'm not that well. Anyone following a negative path will eventually destroy themselves.

[Spider Jerusalem]

11. Evil is easier to relate to.

It is, I think, closer to human nature...or maybe it IS human nature. "Good" in most ethical and religious systems comes from trying to transcend the innately "evil" self. Just look at the history of human society...a long and depressing chronicle of war and atrocity, despite the technological and civilisational advances we've made in the past ten thousand years.

[ZombieNixon]

12. "Evil will always triumph

because good is dumb."
-Dark Helmet, Spaceballs

[UpsideDownFlag]

13. 'Evil....Dr. Evil....'

[DrZeeLit]

21. Great! Perfect for this thread! n/t

[sniffa]

25. he's funny, so he's off the axis of eviL

[Metatron]

14. I would also choose to create an evil character over a good one.

Since most people (at least in my opinion) strive to be good, writing about evil allows you to vicariously do things that you would never do in real life. It's sort of the best of both worlds.

[Der Blaue Engel]

17. My favorite characters in my writing are "evil"

But none are thoroughly evil, even when they are clearly the antagonist of the story. I think I'm most fascinated by the fact that those deemed "good" by society are often at best emotionless and dull, and at worst, fatuously self-serving and unable to empathize, to the point of committing evil in the name of good; but when someone generally regarded to be evil does something with empathy or justice, it becomes that much more powerful, and their downfall even more tragic.

So perhaps what I prefer is Evil redeemed, or Evil transcended. How virtuous is it to "behave" when you have no negative impulses to resist?

My favorite fictional characters in other writers' worlds are those like Spike in the Buffy-verse. My e-mail sig file is a quote from Spike, when asked by teenaged Dawn about evil: "Well, I'm not good, and I'm okay."

[Phillycat]

23. Evil! I'm an EvilDUer!

[sniffa]

24. you're in the axis of eviL

[Phillycat]

27. WE are, together!

Premarital bisexual footrubs and all!

[sniffa]

30. my utopia!

:D

[sniffa]

26. eveL knieveL

you betcha he's on the axis of eviL.

[amazona]

28. if it's fiction it's because narrative requires conflict

...and writing about evil is a cheap way for beginners to generate conflict.

It would be more challenging to write about the conflict of two goods, but probably not too do-able for a short assignment for a class.

I wouldn't read anything deeper into it about society.

[furrylitldevil]

29. I always thought evil characters

were easier to develop. Good (at least to a bunch of students) denotes boring whereas you can do more with evil. Evil characters have to be more creative in their approach to things, whereas the "good" guys traditionally have the same approach to a given problem. Also, good characters are traditionally more reactionary and evil characters are more proactive. "Dr. Nasty is trying to take over the world, what should we do Cpt. Fantastic?"

At least, those are the reasons why I always chose evil over good.