The heart of darkness…

People wonder why it is that people commit murder. More often than not, people believe that murders are committed due to emotional outburst, snapping, or even out of necessity. However, there is one reason that people fail to conceive, or better yet…don’t want to believe; the fact that they murder other people…because they can.

Look at serial killers. Sometimes, criminal profilers associate serial killers to do whatever it is they do, due to a rooted psychological trauma that was experienced earlier on. Take for example, one of the better known serial killers, Jack the Ripper. Jack the Ripper would go around the streets of London killing prostitutes right there on the streets. Though, his true identity is still a mystery, one of the more popular theories as to why he did it, was that he was beaten and abused as a child by his mother…and saw prostitutes who were pregnant as representations of his mother…and an inner urge for revenge drove him to murder them.

However, as I said earlier, one reason people do not acknowledge as to why…is “just because”. Probably, the reason why, is that deep down inside, people are optimistic. Deep down inside, they’re afraid…and if they do acknowledge the fact that there are people who murder just for the sake of murdering…then they accept that evil does indeed exist. People who can murder a living thing in cold blood…for no other reason whatsoever than just wanting to…may indeed be the embodiment of evil; evil incarnate, if you will. People love living in shells, living with shrouds over their faces believing whatever it is they want to believe, yet not seeing the truth. They want to be comforted, they want to be safe…and in doing so, live with blinders on.

Men and women have the potentiality for evil. Whatever way you see things: Religiously, seen through the first sin…our capacity/capability to commit sin; historically, the countless genocides as well as massacres all throughout history dating back from pre-Greek era up to modern times; scientifically, seen through the discovery of the “evil gene”.

We are capable of doing evil. Everyone must realize that. Everyone should acknowledge that fact. One thing though that we can do…is choose not to do evil. Everything is a choice for us. Sure, we have the potential to commit evil deeds, or become evil, however we have the power, the freedom to choose otherwise. It is our responsibility as human beings, to choose to do good. These people who believe themselves as evil, or acknowledge that they are evil believe that they have no choice in the matter. That they are evil and that there is nothing they can do about it. They are wrong. Everyone still has a choice. We still can choose. There is no crossing the Rubicon, there is no point of no return. Everyone can still reconcile, everyone can still make amends. Everyone can still choose. Choose, to do good.