What’s “bad”? What’s “good”? Yeah, you could say that people like Ted Bundy or Gary Ridgeway (serial killers) are “bad”. They are/were psychopaths, and they’ve caused a lot of hurt. Both of them had long-time wives/girlfriends who were pretty fulfilled by having them around. (Doesn’t excuse what they did, by a long shot.) Ted Bundy used to work at a suicide hotline - talked several people down from killing themselves. Though you may use that as another example of evil. (If you’re really into the extermination of humanity.) Is Mother Teresa a “good” person? I can think of at least one person (I think Christoper Hitchens?) who thinks otherwise.
Real, adult, “sheeplike” life is much more complex than you seem to be able to understand. There are very few “good” and “bad” people in the world. Most bad people are regular folks dedicated to dumb ideas. Most “good” people don’t really do that much good.
So again, how do you define “bad” and “good”? Because if you can’t see into their lives or brains at the time, how the hell do you know what someone’s intentions are?
My life’s aim is to work with sick people. Should I get more than a medical history from them? A full life story? (Maybe I should…) But should I decide who I give more attention to based on goodness/badness?
(Sorry, I shouldn’t feed it, but I felt like blah-ing.)
You do realize, that each and every one of us has the potential to create or destroy, correct? Almost everyone is a shade of grey. There are very few “blacks” and very few “whites”. We are a mix of good and evil. People who do great evil often have a loved one or neighbor speak up about how kind and helpful they have been. People who have done many good, philanthropic works have been found to be mean and spiteful behind closed doors to their family. You’re dreaming pipe dreams.
But all good people do not believe the same as you do - some are ok with having bad people in the world - they do not want to take such extreme measures. There are good people in the world who are working toward making a future free from evil. Why do those good people want to live and work to make a better world?
I wonder what it would be like if there were no evil in the world at times. I think, that without the contrast, without the example of what to strive not to do, people would slip into apathy, and no good works would be done anymore. There is potential in all of us to do the most kind acts, then turn around and be selfish as can be. That’s human.
If you’re going to hold your happiness hostage to living in a perfect universe, you may as well allow yourself hope by accepting that there’s at least a theory as to how such a state might be achieved. The answer is in Revelations, or cartoon facsimiles thereof: Did you know it’s the power of Christ that keeps every atom from literally exploding?
It’s pretty stupid, but given your current state, you’ve got nothing to lose by believing the story.
Really? So if, for example, someone killed my family, beat me horribly, and left me paralyzed for life, I could just **choose **to be happy? That’s all there is to it? An act of will? “Buck up, Laddy, stop wallowing in your misery. You’re just choosing to be sad about it.”
So do you disagree with my statement that “I think you could choose to regain your happiness over time, as opposed to continuing to be consumed by grief for the rest of your life.”?
I strongly suspect, however, that xkcd hasn’t actually encountered any real suffering, let alone come to the point where he realizes that he has a choice in how he reacts to the world. He’s just using it as an excuse to be melodramatic and cynical.
xkcd, seriously, if you’re feeling this angry and bleak, go see a doctor and talk to her about depression. Otherwise, grab your tits and stop whining.