I define evil as a disturbance from the status quo. Critics may say, if this is the case, then the American Revolution, Civil Rights, and microsoft's Tivo are all evil. To which, I would argue, they are right! Each in it's turn has disturbed the status-quo and impacted society-at-large to one degree or another.

In the time of the Revolution, New England colonist wanted to upset the status quo of England's form of rule, and have a fresh start. In England's mind we were 'evil' for doing so. Western Civilization has come to believe, by the vehicle of religious sects, that 'evil' is an entity unto it's own. When the proper view should be more of the yin-yang concept where black disturbs the white, or in this argument evil disturbs what is good.

Though it's true 'murder' by definition has more negative consequences then good consequences. It is also true that when your bodies immune system 'murders' disease within your own body, it has a greater amount of positive consequences then negative. Both examples disturb something within the context it is presented. Morally, I would hope we would all evolve to the point where the intentional taking of human life is abolished. In the meantime we try to bend our mind around what has more negative consequences for "society-at-large", a serial-killer in New York, or a General giving orders to compliant soldiers because innocent people are defined as evil. I would challenge that the degree of separation is getting less and less each year. And though we spout euphemisms such as collateral damage and unfortunate circumstances, the result is the same; the loss of precious human life.

What is evil? A disturbance of the status quo. What is the status quo? That would depend on your geography and your circumstances, but once you let malicious violence become a part of your personal life, are you welcoming more or less positive consequences into your life. How can we each disturb malicious violence in our lives? It's time to challenge, to shake up, to confront how each one of us handles conflict. Then the 'evil' of taking human life, will become a welcome distant memory, and the disturbance brought on by the demand for 'evils' transparency will kill the need for malicious violence ever more.

Learn more about this author, Mike Coski.
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