We are all born innocent until the pressures of the world drench us.
There is a school of thought that says yin-yang run in parallel lines; that there cannot be evil without goodwill and vice versa. But everyone knows the results of evil and most are on an eternal quest for good to triumph over evil.
Dr Phil recently hosted a show with the topic: Is it possible for a good person to turn evil? Do you think you have an inner demon, or do you think that you could ever be swayed by bad influences, people or systems?
During the show, footage shows participants being asked to inflict pain on a guy they are made to believe is a criminal (he is an actor), if he tries to escape. When he does, participants choose to either assault the actor in varying degrees or walk away from the situation.
In other words, they chose to either unleash the devil within or walk the higher road.
What are the factors that propel us to choose to be evil and when do they kick in?
Take the story of cougar Manda Reyneke, 47, and her former lover Deon Helberg for instance.
Twenty-one-year-old Helberg, who plays for the Blue Bulls and also plays for the Springbok Sevens team, learnt of the chilling plot to end his life when two Nigerians contacted him and told him how the scorned Reyneke allegedly wanted him dead.
Reyneke had been so besotted with the young bok that it led to the breakdown of her 20-year marriage with anaesthetist Dr David Johannes Reyneke, 54.
After obsessing about his love, she started obsessing about his death and was willing to pay a high price for his head. As much as R10 000 had allegedly already been paid to the hitmen, who aborted the mission when they realised Reyneke bordered on insanity with her obsession.
People close to the family described the Reynekes as “good, church-going people”.
According to sociologist Ahmed Seedat, the factors influencing our bad choices are:
Anger
Anger is a powerful emotion. “Sometimes fuelled by rejection, failure or criticism, once unleashed it can often seem to have a mind of its own,” writes Bridget Webber, a contributor on helium.com.
“Anger can seem as though it’s a separate being from its source. We all get angry now and then. Doing so is natural and normal. However, when anger gets out of hand it can make people say things they later regret, or do things they wish they’d never done. While anger can be a release of pent up emotions, it can also inspire violence and unhappiness.”
Depression
It may be as soon as a day to several months before depression can be diagnosed because of the trigger event, says psychologist Bernice Bosman.
“Usually, sufferers of depression turn to themselves to execute harm. It is usually only when a depressed client becomes docile or dangerously threatening that those close to her take action. But before her actions are noticeable, you will find that hatred and anger fuel evil decision. In short, if left unattended, it is highly possible for a depressed individual to even kill.”
Greed
“A lot of good people turn cold as they go about seeking more power, respect and authority,” says Seedat. “Hence the saying: ‘its cold up there’. People, who get into the habit of feeding off self-reward and underhanded methods to achieve their goals, are often rejected by people and this in turn tends to make them even more shrew. There is nothing more evil than that,” he says. “Once you get caught up in the dog-eat-dog mentality that we see so much of in the corporate sector, you have carved your evil path.”
Influence
Criminologists study what causes crime and how to prevent it. Apparently, one of the main causes of crime is influence. “Through a process called ritualism, a lot of juvenile delinquencies commit crime and graduate to more heinous crime as they master one crime after the other,” says Thobile Zimele-Sinqa, a criminologist.
Throughout history people have tried to explain what causes abnormal social behaviour, including crime. Efforts to control “bad” behaviour go back to ancient times.It was believed that evil spirits possessed those who did not conform to social norms or follow rules.
“To maintain social order in the settlements, persons who exhibited antisocial behaviour had to be dealt with swiftly and often harshly, hence the introduction of prisons and review of sentences.”
Take this story for instance. A British youth was recently bludgeoned into believing her online boyfriend had committed suicide over her dumping him. The girl’s bullies created a Facebook page named “RIP Jayden Rothwell”, which attracted 2 000 members. After that, the victim was targeted with abusive calls, blaming her for the so-called tragedy of a boy who never existed.
“Yes, teenagers are more prone to the behaviour. I put it down to hormones,” says Zimele-Sinqa.
Hormones
Researchers have also looked at the relationship between hormones, such as testosterone and cortisol, and criminal behaviour.
Testosterone is a sex hormone produced by male sexual organs that cause development of masculine body traits.
Cortisol is a hormone produced by adrenal glands located next to the kidneys. Higher cortisol levels leads to more glucose to the brain for greater energy, such as in times of stress or danger. Animal studies showed a strong link between high levels of testosterone and aggressive behaviour.
However, when a US woman murdered her husband and then continued on a killing spree that lasted a week, she pleaded PMS when she was given a lawyer.
Officials laughed off her plea, even though many women have admitted to feeling suicidal and violent as their periods approached.
“PMS is defined as physical, behavioural and/or emotional symptoms that start two or more weeks after the first day of a woman’s last menstrual period and continue up to a week after a menstrual period ends,” says Dr Morna Orady a general practitioner. “The symptoms tend to worsen as women get closer to menopause and… these women’s actions can border on the evil.”
Other factors include boredom, hatred, xenophobia and racism, sexism and self-hatred. - Sunday Independent