Is the Root of All Evil Within Us?
By: Bean Jones
Born to be bad? Author Barbara Oakley examines why some of us like making others miserable.
I normally shy away from books with titles that read like banners from tabloids, but Barbara Oakley's Evil Genes: Why Rome Fell, Hitler Rose, Enron Failed, and My Sister Stole My Mother's Boyfriend just grabbed my attention.
Personal Perspective
Using her experience with her own own troubled sibling, Oakley takes on the task of studying Machiavellian individuals.
She theorizes that notorious figures such as Slobodan Milosevic, Mao Zedong, and others may have all had borderline personality disorder or antisocial personality disorder. Depending on the circumstances, this predisposition for disturbing behavior is then either channeled to more constructive endeavors or unwitting aggravated by the environment that the person is in.
Classic Signs
Like her sister, Oakley points out that "sinister people" are "charming on the surface" but capable of destructive behavior. Citing psychologist Richard Christie, who, in the 1950s, spent a year as a fellow in the Center of Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Oakley lists the three most evident characteristics of the Machiavellians among us:
1. They're cold-hearted. "They view others as objects to manipulate rather than as people with whom to empathize," explains Oakley. They deal with people as if they were mere pawns--be they family members or strangers. It makes no difference to them.
2. They don't recognize rules. Oakley points out: "They don't care about conventional morality." Lying, cheating, and stealing are acceptable behavior for them. They operate under the mindset that "the end justifies the means."
3. They don't commit to ideals. They're more concerned about what they can get out of a situation rather than doing anything that's for the benefit of others. If you ask help from them, the first thing they'll do is ask, "What in it for me?"
All Relative
In any case, even if each of us may have Machiavellian tendencies, the people around us or we ourselves can make a choice to correct our behavior. Still, Oakley states that there are individuals who do what they want to do without thinking about how others may be affected by their actions. In the event that we run into these kinds of people, it's better to either speak up and put a stop to what they're doing or just simply get as far away from them as possible.
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Comments
To say that the root of evil is within us is the epitome of common sense - sure, we're not all as bad as Hitler, Stalin etc, but who hasn't lied? Who hasn't been selfish?
To think that humanity is basically good goes against a thing called 'history'...
Absolutely these people exist. Scott Peck describes them well in "The People of the Lie." I would go so far as to call some of them pure-on evil. Not all of them, mental illness and evil are of course not the same thing. But some of them -- yes.
well Jesus, in the Bible when told HE was good HE said, why do you call me good...none is good except GOD and of course HE was GOD so perhaps that was HIS point but the other point HE made is NONE is good
I do think "evil" is a mental illness. I think lack of empathy, for instance, is a disorder of normal development. I think that "enjoying" the harm done to others doesn't disqualify the illness anymore than preferring the high of mania does. As a civilized society, what to do for sociopathic persons is a sobering concern.
For one Machiavelli had nothing to do with it; he just had the guts to write it down:
two: people are great, through their own genes, but are refused greatness by the "god-praying mantices" that we elect to counter the monarchs, and proclamined a great step forward (in comparison only)and called democracy;
three: this crisis could possibly be used to push closer, and away from the bad genes of the few,
to the good genes of us all.
We produce them, we forget them; we move on.
Krassimir
What concerns me is that when I take the template of the 3 "Classic Signs" and overlay it on top of many leaders from business to religion to politics... its fits perfectly. Is there as much "good" in the world as "evil"? I live by a saying " all it takes for evil to exist is for good men to do nothing" I wonder. Is that the times we face now? Is Wisdom and Action and Accounabilty the solution as they have many times in the past? Is it time for humanity to "grow up and take responsiblty" We tell our children this. Are we doing this in all areas of our lives ?
Actually, we were foster parents to a girl who fit this profile. In many cases it's called, Attachment Disorder. Her mom was a prostitute who put her in front of TV and food while she did her 'job'. This girl was also raped as a little girl.
When a 0 to 3/5 yrs old doesn't get connected with a loving parent, they can develop this attachment disorder. They can easily be considered: sociopath.
Different that psychotic. Sociopaths have no conscience. And you're right, they are charming in many cases.
This girl tried killing our dog. She was a threat to us, so we'd hide all the sharp objects in our bath for nighttime.
Now, with all that said --- I agree with AB above ... We're all 'bad'. In our sight, yes we're good, but when taking a look at ourselves in light of God, we're bad.
And I've just gotta say ... it's the entire reason Jesus Christ came 2,000 years ago (you know, when the calendar changed).
Problem with this message is it takes admitting we sin and it takes realizing that there's nothing we can do to earn God's favor. But, that's why it's called: The Good News / The Gospel.
He took our punishment for us.
Anyway, I know, it sounds preachy, but it's not, it's just sound truth. And very appropriate since this weekend signifies the crucifixion and then the resurrection of Jesus.
Thanks for reading and hopefully, whoever reads this really reads the words and sees the reason for Jesus.
Lastly, always adopt or foster a child that is Younger than your children, so they don't fall prey to the potentially attachment disorder child.
I have been dealing with a partner for two years who I now have come to suspect is personality disordered.
"Like her sister, Oakley points out that "sinister people" are "charming on the surface" but capable of destructive behavior."
It's not something that can be explained sufficiently to anyone who hasn't experienced it first-hand. The change from the "charmer" to the "devalue/discarder" is so opposite & unexpected that this change totally upends the victim.
There is a startling lack of empathy/compassion- and the flip side of that = no remorse. They are quick to anger- arising out of any comment taken by them as a slight (and basically any comment is an insult).
All evidence points to damage in early childhood. Still, while most of us sympathize with someone who suffers from illness not of their own making- the reality is that disordered people will destroy anyone who steps forward to try to help them. Compassion = weakness to those suffering these types of disorders.
All you can do is save yourself- leave them & move on...
I have only just read this review, and not the book, but if the review resembles the tone of the book then I must say that Barbra is being a little simplistic here. I have been a Social Worker for 20+ years and I have worked with many people in that time, as well as these so called, "evil" or "selfish" people. There are many reasons why people behave the way that they do and it is unreasonable to have such a black and white viewpoint. Human nature is very complex, to say the least. We are extremely diverse and cannot fit into any box. In my experience people behave badly when they are in some kind of pain, seen or unseen. Human beings, in my opinion are basically well intentioned and peaceful, as long as we are feeling safe and content. Although, mother nature or the universe or the power of love, or God ... wont have us that way, because we would never be challenged and we would never grow, evolve or progress. Chaos or unrest is not a bad thing ... much goodness and growth has come out of all things evil, so to speak. I urge you, the next time you think a person is just arbitrarily mean ... take a moment to consider, what her/his pain might be. I promise you, your point of view will shift.
First of all I don't consider Machiavelli a Psychopat (I know thats not a politically correct word anymore, but why not call a showel a showel?)
I consider him more of a opportunist, a political grey emminence, a man behind the throne; a man who would like "a bit of the cake", without having the burdens of ruling the country? Remember this was Pre-Italy with lots of small fiefdoms and kingdoms, etc; and everyone for himself.
Back to the psychopat issue, I truly believe that this "mental illness" is more of a social illness due to lack of love, care and rearing of the infant/child in the early years which turns out to produce these psychopats in adult years.
In this matter I do more believe in Dr. Harville Hendrix of New York City and his theories of infant and child upbringing.
Look to Adolf Hitler, his father Alois Hitler was a very brutish man according to the books, big and scary, and as german/austrian upbringing was more into corporal punisment those days, no wonder Adolf became what he become?
As for Joseph Stalin, I dont know about his upbringing but I would believe it was more likely the same.
I don't say its all the upbringings fault, but unless there were some genetic illnesses in the families, psychopaty is, in my opinion, a social "disease" rather than a mental one.
I think it's really all a matter of society and environment - what kind of society/environment you grew up in and what kind of influence does your society/environment have or had in your past, present and future. That's where your learn to be good or bad - most parts are inherent while other parts are our being adapted to, or copying or being a reproduction of that which eventually becomes a part of us. If this sounds illogical, well, I guess it must be. But that's also how we are - many times illogical.
We all are capable of great evil, Google "Milgrim Obedience Test" and read the chilling reports about this test done about 50 years ago. Milgrim found that most people will administer lethal shocks when prodded by an authority figure with no differences between men and women. Scary, but given the right situation, most of us would comply with horrific deeds.
I see these tendencies fortunately in few people but am glad you help us to recognise it when we see it.