Woher die Monster kommen (Where the monsters grow)

[matrixmann]

Worin liegt der Schlüssel zur Boshaftigkeit?
...In dem Moment, wenn du begreifst, dass du jemandem oder etwas alles antun kannst, was du willst, und niemand kommt, um dich dafür zu bestrafen. Egal wie grausam, unfair, ekelhaft, pervers, verächtlich oder unmenschlich es auch sein mag.

Wherein lies the key to malignity?
...The moment when you realize you can do anything that you want to anyone or anything and there's no-one coming up to punish you for what you've done. No matter how cruel, unfair, disgusting, perverted, despicable or inhuman it may be.

Comments

[onb2017.livejournal.com]

Not always. There is still moral borders where people do not cross no matter what. Everyone has them to some degree.

[matrixmann]

I'd think this is rather the minority.

[onb2017.livejournal.com]

Like I already said I would agree it is the case if it is crisis.

[matrixmann]

Regular people which just want to go on with their lives like before, this will be the case. But even in parts, I think it's gonna end for them. Like, when somebody wants to steal from them if no police is there and can be expected to come. Or, under the same circumstances, if there's something they need or that is exceptionally useful and it is behind a shopwindow. If no police is going to come and you need it, don't think they let it remain there... It's about survival then.

[onb2017.livejournal.com]

That's what I was trying to say. Survival instinct. Otherwise I've seen majority of people even if there is no police or whatever, do the right thing.

[matrixmann]

But only if they got taught some idea of what is right and what is wrong.
Point that I always laugh about on the German obsession of its politicians and its administration: You decide on a lot of fucking new and harder rules, but - what you gonna if somebody doesn't even know what a rule is?

[mandarinsun.livejournal.com]

Most people will do what they can get away with.

[onb2017.livejournal.com]

I think it depends. In normal circumstances majority of people will behave like homo sapiens with moral limits and only a few may behave like animals. But in chaos and crisis that may flip the other way around.

[mandarinsun.livejournal.com]

That's wrong. I've seen tens of thousands of children at schools. It isn't like they all hit and attack each other all the time, but lying and dishonesty is normal. At schools in poor areas, violence is much more common. I would say that children are only as non violent as they are because they know they'll be punished if they aren't. Children from nice neighborhoods only act well behaved because it would bring shame to their family and the schools have to lean on them hard to keep them in line.

I'd say out of 30 students, five are total reprobates that are not redeemable at all.

[matrixmann]

Children still are in the phase to learn what they can do and can't do, and if no ape properly shows them or emphasizes on showing them limits of what they can do, then it's internalized in their heads "I can get away with everything, actually".
The "actually" then only is due to, just as you say, people being around them and punishing them for it if they misbehave.
If there wasn't, they'd just do whatever they like and what brings up an advantage for them in their own thinking.

[onb2017.livejournal.com]

Agree, children are just learning what is wrong and right. People are not born with values right away.

[mandarinsun.livejournal.com]

Ah! but we were just talking on my page how Millennials don't grow up anymore and stay childish until they are in their 30s and maybe indefinitely!

[mandarinsun.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of it is that nowadays people grow up watching everything on screens, whether it is phones, tvs, laptops, etc..It is very difficult, and maybe impossible, to learn morality and empathy by staring at video. I also just was given a iphone within the last few months and have noticed that now sometimes teenagers or children just sort of appear in front of me to ask a question because I was looking at my phone and I wasn't really noticing them before. If someone grows up for years like that, you can see how a lack of empathy occurs.

Studies have shown that lack of empathy is something younger generations suffer from. It becomes narcissism. They can't picture how their actions effect someone else. Even thinking about how if you aren't paying for yourself, other people are suffering by paying for you is a lack of empathy problem.

[mandarinsun.livejournal.com]

You just have a secure attachment with your mother and father and family and are projecting the fact that you trust them onto trusting everyone else which is a big mistake. People are definitely not trustworthy.

[matrixmann]

Don't know if it's that; for me I couldn't claim it, but even though I still know on a general base what you do and what you don't do and somebody telling me from one to the other day I needn't be like this anymore, I'd still have my troubles with suddenly starting to behave differently just only because I can.
The only thing I'd have no troubles with is hurting and shooting somebody if he wants to get a piece of me - but that is because it's currently such a vague thing with fighting back in this justice system. It literally damns you to only turn the other cheek, all other things that you can do will make them bring you on the dock like you've been the evil arse who's harmed someone else for base motives.
So... in a way, I'd stick to it, even though I don't have made the best experiences with humans.
Call it a habit of the one who thinks he's superior to the others and he thinks he doesn't need it or "sparing to do what you already felt like it's crap when somebody else does it to you" or just tiredness because breaking rules and protecting your skin from being punished for it are some kind of "hard work" to do too.