[quote quote=449157]I see bad people like babies. They came into this world completely pure, like clean water, innocent and untouched. Everything they became—their personality, their habits, their ways of thinking—was shaped by their environment, family, society, and life circumstances. None of the “bad” things they do are truly their fault, because they are a product of what surrounded them, how they were raised, and what they experienced.

In a way, they are like a river shaped by the stones and soil it flows over. The person I see now is just the result of everything around them, not something they consciously chose in the beginning. Understanding this doesn’t mean I approve of harmful behavior, but it allows me to look at them without hatred or judgment. I can see the human behind the actions, the innocent child that once existed, and the suffering and conditioning that led them to be this way.[/quote]

I am a strong believer in that people make choices. They choose what to do next. They are not a domino that falls because the previous block fell over. A person chooses to go right or left. When a child grows up, he chooses whether to bully others. He wasn’t taught to be a bully. When I was younger, I had so called friends who took advantage of others for their own .. don’t know what to call it other than their desires or pleasures. When I saw how they did this, I felt repelled and disgusted. So, I stepped away from them.

So, from this I take it as there is real evil in the world. There are some who get joy or reward from hurting others. This doesn’t come from their environment. That is the way they are. It is nice to be able to say that everyone is like a baby. All innocent. But, I stood at the place where the choice was to be made.

A child playing with an animal might accidentally kill the animal. One child might feel remorse and another child might feel power. This is not derived from environmental factors but something inside a person. Evil is real. I wish I had your perceptions and clean mind. To believe everyone is an innocent soul.

So, how to deal with a harmful person? What does society demand? A punishment equal to the crime. Relative truth and Objective truth. That might be for the enlightened mind. I am here just trying to survive.

Hello James, Thomas, and Alessa:

James wrote: “The Truth is, there is no free will whatsoever.”- Is that because No self = no free will?

I agree with Alessa that it’s both. We are shaped—deeply—by our environment, especially early on. But at some point, we may begin to make choices that are more thoughtful, less reactive. Choices that reflect awareness, not just conditioning. Moment where we pause, reflect, and choose differently than we were taught or triggered to.

Thomas wrote: “So, from this I take it as there is real evil in the world. There are some who get joy or reward from hurting others.”- I agree.

And continued: “This doesn’t come from their environment. That is the way they are.”- I think it’s not one or the other. I think it’s both.

I want to sit with this more. It’s a rich question—what drives us, and when do we truly choose?

Anita

I am sorry, James.. I didn’t understand your reply..?

😕 Anita