On Good and Evil

By Jim Leonard

Deception is normal.

We naturally camouflage our behavior in order to protect ourselves and exploit others.

One way to look at it is: good can only appear to be good but evil can appear to be good or evil; evil, thus, has a superficial advantage.

However, good is supported by reality (where 1 equals 1) while evil makes the claim that fantasy and reality are the same (where 1 equals 2) which is not only untrue but unstable.

Thus, evil wins in the short run while good wins in the long run.

That does not mean overcoming evil is trivial or easy. Such overcoming is not either, only structurally unsound since evil leads to chaos.

Good leads to order. But particular forms of good, a particular good person for example, can be defeated. Good as such wins.

Evil, on the other hand, leads to chaos. And as such becomes more unsound over time, losing its way as it does. On the other hand, evil can (and has) won in the short run since good cannot, at first, determine what is true and what is false; if evil states it is good, then, naturally, naive good, believes that it is good and is then exposed to harm.

Good learns over time. Evil, however, becomes increasingly less able to learn over time and, finally, becomes unable to learn at all, since, finally, it cannot tell whether it is being lied to or not; after a point no adaptation for evil is possible.

Of course, embracing evil can lead to complete annihilation. That state, on the other hand, is not registered, so no victory is had.

Good supports the whole person. Evil undermines the entire person.

Good is enlightenment. Evil is delusion. Good is 'full', evil empty.