driftinghound12 said:I couldn't find an existing thread for this, so I’m starting my own because I’m genuinely preoccupied with it... I view this more as a psychology question than a philosophical one. Throughout my life, I've made a conscious effort to be a good person—honest, fair, someone who pursues goals through creativity and hard work, and stays kind and helpful to everyone. I try to approach everything with a positive mindset. It would all be much easier to enjoy if there weren't people in my orbit who seem hell-bent on causing harm. Generally speaking, these are individuals who thrive on destruction, constantly seeking validation by stepping on others. They just seem drawn to malice.
One such person pretended to be my friend, only to steal my boyfriend after we had been together for years. Another is my sister; when I confided my plans to her, she rushed to execute them herself just to snatch the credit. She loves nitpicking me over trivialities and belittling me to others to make herself look better. Then there was a colleague at work who swiped one of my ideas—in a workplace where we're supposed to be collaborating toward a shared goal—and took all the praise for it.
Why are some people naturally drawn to darkness, finding satisfaction in tearing things down for their own gain? How are you supposed to handle them once they've already won? What can be done as a preventative measure? Clearly, I’m attracting this kind of energy somehow; perhaps I’m trying too hard to be nice or "good," making myself an easy target for exploitation. I also don't understand why society seems to reward these types. They’re arrogant and "resourceful," knowing how to grab what they want without putting in any actual sweat or effort. Nowadays, it feels like screwing someone over has become normalized, while being decent is treated as the anomaly. Lately, I've become so guarded and disillusioned with people that I don't trust anyone, let alone want to go out. It got so bad that I actually attempted suicide because the pressure from these toxic people became suffocating. I just feel like I'm worthless and that none of my efforts matter.🤦
Zero. Honestly? It’s only gonna get worse from here. Just having the desire or the willpower to change isn't enough—it really isn't. Like, if people at work catch even a whiff that you're a pushover—and I mean that hypothetically, nothing personal—you're done. You'll become their favorite target for every little thing.
First off—I’m gonna lean more toward the philosophical side of things here. This isn't just some psychology deep dive, you know?
Look, there’s another side to this—because we have two genders, the way people interpret, define, and actually perceive good versus evil can take on thousands of different shapes. It's just how things work, right?
Thirdly—and I’m not even gonna get into the whole survivalist sub-problem here—because when you factor in that raw instinct to just stay alive (it's basically "me or them," right?), the line between good and evil gets pretty damn blurry.
Fourthly—look, a perfect example would be describing how things play out at some of today's workplaces. Around here, I’m basically equating evil with the concept of—
Selfishness..
At work lately, people seem ready for anything—no matter how shady it is these days. We’re talking full-blown hypocrisy, blatant nepotism, and lies on top of lies. It’s wild.
Here’s the deal: someone is going to be sharing an office with you—and yeah, it’ll be fine at first. But they’re gonna try—and I mean *absolutely* try—to make sure you never feel like you actually fit in. Why? Because the boss decided you two have to share a space. Simple as that. The thing is, this person isn't even powerful enough yet—even if they got the job through some shady connection—to actually kick you out of the office. But still, you’re walking on eggshells. You never know where you stand. You try to be friendly, right? You try to build a rapport? Forget it. Anything you say in confidence just ends up being office gossip in the next cubicle over. It’s impossible to grab a coffee or just exist for eight hours a day without feeling the tension. And honestly? It gets even worse when you realize they’re low-key dumping their entire workload on you—with the manager’s blessing, no less. Then comes the kicker: you realize you’re way more competent than they are. You see exactly how much they *don't* know—and how hard they're working to hide that total incompetence—and man... it just makes you want to scream.
Look, I just feel like there’s gotta be some kind of balance—like good and evil need to exist side-by-side to make sense. But honestly? It feels like lately, that scale has tipped WAY too far toward the dark side.
P.S. Gotta run, out of time right now. I'll hit you guys up once I'm back.