The Psychology of Evil: Why Good People Do Horrible Things
History is full of chilling examples that make us question
whether people are born evil or made evil.
While we like to believe we are good people,
the truth is we can justify far more than we realize.
So, is evil something we are born with,
or is it something our environment shapes?
The Stanford Prison Experiment
In the 1970s, psychologist Philip Zimbardo conducted
one of psychology’s most famous
and disturbing experiments to study
the effects of authoritarianism on morals.
- The Setup: Volunteers were split into two groups: prisoners and guards. Guards wore uniforms that stripped their individuality, meaning their actions reflected the group’s morals rather than their own. Prisoners were addressed by numbers, dehumanizing them.
- The Behavior: Guards took every opportunity to mistreat prisoners, disrupting sleep and subjecting them to humiliation like wearing bags over their heads or using buckets as toilets.
- The Conclusion: The experiment ended early due to ethical concerns. It suggested that opportunity, anonymity, perceived duty, and power imbalances can make ordinary people act efficiently evil. The role you are given can make you act evil.
Can Children Be Evil?
If someone can be born evil,
surely we would see them performing evil deeds from a young age.
- The Youngest Serial Killer: Amarjit Sada, an 8-year-old boy from India, committed shockingly sophisticated crimes, taking time to lure victims and hide bodies.
- Biological Perspective: Researchers suggest he may have been biologically wired for violence, potentially having an extra Y chromosome, which increases the likelihood of committing violent crimes.
- Nature vs. Nurture: While biological predisposition exists, psychological factors are often brought out by upbringing. Without full details on Sada’s life, it is hard to know how much his environment influenced him.
The Decision to Be Evil
While environment and biology influence us,
they are not the sole determinants.
- Choice Matters: Despite abuse being a factor in many serial killers’ childhoods, not all abuse victims become evil.
- Complexity: Criminologist Lonnie H. Athens argues that the “nature vs. nurture” debate is meaningless because the relationship between the two is too complex to make a definitive claim.
Conclusion
People are born evil, and people are also made evil.
But ultimately, evil people decide to do evil things.
While genetics and upbringing play a role,
most individuals still have alternatives to violence.
Continue reading:
The Psychology of People Who Don’t Have Friends
The Psychology of People Who Don’t Post Their Photos on Social Media
