Do Bad People Exist?

[Tacori E-ring]

I really encourage my patients to ask for clarification if I say something they do not understand or the freedom to disagree with me. Personally, if your therapist's answer bothers you, ask him/her. I agree with the poster that spoke about practicing your assertive commutation skills.

 

[dk168]

I do not believe anyone is born "bad", more a case of nurture rather than nature.

DK

 

[kenny]

I do not believe anyone is born "bad", more a case of nurture rather than nature.

DK

+1 ... 100%

That's why the term 'evil' mades me uncomfortable.
There is the implication that it's almost a genetic thing or even a supernatural thing ...
"Some people are evil, but you I are not evil."
They are inferior, we are superior.
That tempting and beguiling mentality got women burned as witches.
It still gets gays executed in some countries.

I also get that we are all capable of doing bad things.
Carl Jung called it our shadow.
Fascinating topic to research.

Perhaps this is more the perspective your therapist holds.

 

[Jambalaya]

I believe in bad people and not just at the extreme end of the scale, either. I've known people who, while they aren't criminal and don't abuse anyone to an illegal extent, are nevertheless consistently unkind, uncaring, selfish, bitchy, cold, superior and egotistic. While they may not kill or attack or steal, they are bad people too in my book, and there's a lot more of those around than there are truly evil people. Your run-of-the-mill, everyday bad person. That was more of the context of the conversation with the therapist, not the truly evil stuff. To put it bluntly, I've known some real *******s.

Also, while I think that someone can act like that during certain periods of intense stress in their lives, and people can also just have bad days, I also know there are some who are just like the above, who have been like that across all the decades that I've known them, consistently. I think they are bad people.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I actually think nature plays just as an important role as nurture. I know we all want to comfort ourselves with that idea that if we are good people, our children will be good people. It is not 100% social modeling.

 

[Jambalaya]

Thanks to everyone for your replies. I was pretty blown away by what the therapist said. Calliecake, yes I could hear the circus music playing! Unfortunately I can only make half-hour sessions as I can't leave the people I care for alone too long, and I don't really want to get into an exchange of ideas when I need the time to talk about the things I go to see her for. She believes the world consists only of good people. I strongly disagree, but maybe she's got her reasons, like witnessing some amazing transformations, or perhaps it makes her happy to look on the bright side of human nature.

 

[Jambalaya]

House Cat - thanks for the long and helpful reply!