I don't think a day goes by when there isn't at least one report in the media about some type of heinous crime -- murder, torture, rape, arson, mass larceny or extortion, terrorism, etc. When most of us learn of these types of devious actions, we're apt to say, "I just don't see how someone could do such a thing" or "I can't understand how a person could even think like that."
Yes, these are the kinds of things we say and think, but are they genuinely true? Put another way, are we being truthful with ourselves when we say we don't understand the motivations behind these types of behaviors?
From my perspective, the answer to this question is a resounding, no. What bothers us is not that these actions and behaviors are atypical of human life, but that they are truly run-of-the-mill. What separates most of us from the criminals or terrorists is that we don't act on these sorts of natural impulses.
Almost all of us have felt rage over real or perceived injustices. I'm sure most every person has committed heinous crimes in the deep recesses of our minds. As stated above, the difference between us and those headlined in the newspaper is that our crimes are played out in our own unique and private fantasy worlds -- in the tangible world, no one actually is maimed or bludgeoned to death.
About the only way I would believe that a person had never entertained the thought of a violent or vicious act is if that person had no feelings whatsoever. If a person had never experienced happiness and sorrow, ecstasy and misery, or love and hate, then -- aside from not being fully alive -- I could genuinely believe they have not strayed from the norm.
I realize that for some this may sound like I hold a very negative view of humanity. Actually, my view is quite the opposite. I believe the fact that we can harbor such animus toward each other (and ourselves) and yet not be at constant war with everyone we come in contact with illustrates a remarkable capacity to embrace the goodness of life.
In addition, while some may view malevolent thoughts as being abnormal or evil, Taoism teaches that malevolence simply is the flip side of benevolence. To fully understand any concept, one must fully understand its opposite.
In other words, if an individual understands love, they must concurrently understand hate. If we don't truly understand the latter, we can't fully appreciate the former. The richness and breadth of love only makes sense in relation to its utter opposite, the complete and absolute absence of selfless caring.
It is in this vein that I believe we each intuitively know and understand the emotional foundations behind heinous acts.
Yes, these are the kinds of things we say and think, but are they genuinely true? Put another way, are we being truthful with ourselves when we say we don't understand the motivations behind these types of behaviors?
From my perspective, the answer to this question is a resounding, no. What bothers us is not that these actions and behaviors are atypical of human life, but that they are truly run-of-the-mill. What separates most of us from the criminals or terrorists is that we don't act on these sorts of natural impulses.
Almost all of us have felt rage over real or perceived injustices. I'm sure most every person has committed heinous crimes in the deep recesses of our minds. As stated above, the difference between us and those headlined in the newspaper is that our crimes are played out in our own unique and private fantasy worlds -- in the tangible world, no one actually is maimed or bludgeoned to death.
About the only way I would believe that a person had never entertained the thought of a violent or vicious act is if that person had no feelings whatsoever. If a person had never experienced happiness and sorrow, ecstasy and misery, or love and hate, then -- aside from not being fully alive -- I could genuinely believe they have not strayed from the norm.
I realize that for some this may sound like I hold a very negative view of humanity. Actually, my view is quite the opposite. I believe the fact that we can harbor such animus toward each other (and ourselves) and yet not be at constant war with everyone we come in contact with illustrates a remarkable capacity to embrace the goodness of life.
In addition, while some may view malevolent thoughts as being abnormal or evil, Taoism teaches that malevolence simply is the flip side of benevolence. To fully understand any concept, one must fully understand its opposite.
In other words, if an individual understands love, they must concurrently understand hate. If we don't truly understand the latter, we can't fully appreciate the former. The richness and breadth of love only makes sense in relation to its utter opposite, the complete and absolute absence of selfless caring.
It is in this vein that I believe we each intuitively know and understand the emotional foundations behind heinous acts.
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