Fear not evil

A worthwhite pursuit?

Fear not evil 

A brave aspiration, I think I’ve heard it somewhere before. How many can claim such a feat?

Many of us will experience what would traditionally be called evil. I’m not sure I like such a term, but I’m little equipped to take on such concepts as good and evil.

I certainly struggle with fear in my life, whether fear of some outcome, or fear of harm. Both are inevitable and part of the natural course. And yet I fear them.

Fear is all the more potent when we consider what our species has done, is doing, and could do. A fear response is normal. A lion tearing me apart also issues a fear response. All quite natural. Automatic. But beneficial?

For an animal with no intellectual reasoning, fear is invaluable. As logical and thoughtful creatures, even without the fear response we know what should be avoided. We don’t need a fear-based response to assess what will bring us harm.

A man begetting terrors on helpless beings. A coiled lion waiting to tear the flesh from my bone. Evil? They are both products of the natural course of things.

If we are to find evil in these things, perhaps you could forgive the lion. It’s hungry, and has impulses. It’s not out to intentionally cause suffering (not in a reasoned capacity anyway).

So we can somewhat confidently say the lion isn’t evil. What of the man (or woman) who in a very calculated and concise manner, maximises suffering in another. Is this evil?

Like the lion, the human has impulses. Like the lion, the human is hungry (metaphorically). Both inflict great harm. 

As I said above, I’m in no position to argue for an objective metric for morality which we are able to classify as evil. I only know the things that send a shiver down my spine, evoke in me a deep sense of dread, and leave me jarred with horror.

Luckily for me, my life has been pretty free of external agents of evil. And yet I fear the potential nonetheless. 

If one could discipline their mind, and quell their impulses to a point that when confronted with evil, they do not fear it in the slightest; one who knows well the depths of evil and has courage enough to gaze upon it with indifference, or even warmly kindness. What a wondrous feat that would be.

For what can one with the temperament of malice do but exude it? And what can the subject of horror do but endure it or perish. The latter was guaranteed long before.

Is such a feat possible? Is this a question only answerable by pursuit? Is this a worthwhile endeavour? If not, what is?