How do you defeat evil and the people behind it?

Nicholas Gonzalez73 said:I suspect the real issue lies with those people who are just so fundamentally good that they can't even wrap their heads around the idea that bad actors exist, so when someone finally does stab them in the back, they’re left completely shell-shocked 😲

Then, on the flip side, you have the ones who put on this massive act of being saints, when in reality they're just complete garbage who blame everyone else for their own mess 😛

It really comes down to figuring out which camp the author actually falls into 😁

casualharbor9 said:... hmmm... 🤔... big boobs?

casualharbor9 said:Anyway, that’s probably a conversation for a different thread. 😉
The issue at hand here seems to be the subjective perception of evil.

Nicholas Gonzalez8 said:Look, it sounds like you're surrounded by total negatives right now, but trust me, not everyone is built that way.

I know this is incredibly heavy and painful to deal with, but try to see the silver lining regarding that guy and that "friend." They showed you exactly who they were—they revealed their true colors so you aren't stuck wasting more years on people who don't value you. Now, you actually have space in your life to find people who are actually worth your time. If they hadn't burned those bridges, they could have kept dragging you along for years only to stab you in the back later.

It doesn't matter who these people are. Just tune them out and live your life on your own terms.

And please, don't think about suicide. You are worth so much more than you can believe right now. Even when everything feels completely bleak, things can—and likely will—change.

Try to get out there and meet new people, but do it without any heavy expectations. You'll meet someone and realize you don't click, someone might reject you outright, or you'll just drift apart from others over time. That's just how life works—it happens to everyone. But there will always be wonderful connections waiting for you, and those can turn into real, beautiful friendships. Maybe even a new love too. 🙂

casualharbor9 said:Anyway, that’s probably a conversation for a different thread. 😉
The issue at hand here seems to be the subjective perception of evil.

Paul Thompson3 said:Hey driftinghound12! Skip the suicidal thoughts—instead, just realize you've been living under a delusion. You’ll have to accept this new reality and adjust your expectations and behavior to fit a new truth: most people aren't actually good, and if you give someone your total trust, you should probably assume they'll eventually betray it.
Next time, don't broadcast your plans; just do what you think is right for yourself first—confessions can be the icing on the cake later.

People respect bad actors simply because they fear them—kindness has never really been in high demand. People say it is, but let's be real, it isn't.
If you're looking for religious insight, the whole Jesus-Barabbas thing makes it pretty clear how the masses think.
Bad things are more powerful than good ones because that’s just how the world works. Destruction is fast and easy, while building something takes actual effort and time. A relationship built over years can be nuked by one person's actions in a matter of seconds.
Next time you're looking to make a friend, watch how they treat people they have absolutely nothing to gain from. If they're jerks to them, they aren't good people—don't waste your trust or your best self on them.

There are still plenty of decent, high-quality people out there—it just seems you haven't been lucky enough to be surrounded by them.

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.🤦

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.🤦

Susan Robinson3 said:At first, I honestly thought someone was just trolling, 😵 but if this is for real, then here is my take. Looking at it through a religious lens, I see it this way: If Jesus wasn't meant to fully defeat Satan in this world, then I certainly can't be expected to either. 🙂Satan exists to test me, acting as a catalyst to help me discern what is truly good. I view evil as a profound trial that everyone must endure to mature and ultimately decide which path they want to walk.

I am certain that those who commit evil eventually face the consequences; I truly believe in the idea that everything comes back around. That said, facing evil can sometimes offer a strange kind of benefit, because once a person witnesses firsthand how destructive and corrosive evil is to both the spirit and the body, they often lose the desire to ever touch it again.

As painful as it is, evil can actually serve a purpose if a person is smart enough to learn from it—to realize that after hitting their head against a wall fifty times, they should probably try a different approach. Unfortunately, people tend to be quite foolish, often repeating the same mistakes and spinning in circles until they finally break themselves.

Mark Vaughn8 said:You’re looking at it all wrong. Jesus came here to wipe out Satan's work and give us a fresh start through his life on this earth. He beat him right here on the ground, once and for all.

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.🤦

bluepanther8 said:If you’re focused on defeating someone or something, you’ve essentially entered into a "game." By doing that, you’ve tacitly agreed to participate in a match where you never even wanted to be a player in the first place. But here’s the thing—you always have the option to just walk away and call it quits if you aren't enjoying the rules. That is your right. You can either ignore the noise entirely or decide to become a stronger, more capable player. The choice is yours.
Well, evil never truly wins... at least not in this world. Your options are to distance yourself from that kind of behavior or to become "better"—which really means becoming tougher or even more ruthless than they are.

Adam Ross11 said:Malicious people are simply those who don't know how to find happiness, which makes them unable to tolerate seeing anyone else succeed or thrive. We can overcome such negativity by choosing to remain joyful and happy ourselves 👋.

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.🤦

John Palmer9 said:If this isn't just someone trolling, then I guess:

There has to be some bad out there, otherwise we wouldn't really know what good looks like. It feels like you can't have one without the other. Maybe we should just accept that possibility—that some people are going to act maliciously toward you—and then try to figure out ways to deal with those toxic types. I suppose you also have to realize that you won't always win those battles, and sometimes you'll just have to endure the unpleasantness. That's just how life works, I guess. The good things will eventually make up for the bitter taste of dealing with all that negativity, and having plenty of positive moments might make the hard times a little easier to stomach.

Jeffrey Fisher5 said:
Why do certain people attract Evil?
No one is born malicious. Not possible—regardless of what various fringe theories about demons or similar concepts might suggest.
We all start from the same baseline.
We enter this world as innocent infants, possessing no concept of the distinction between good and evil.
Then, evil finds us.
Often, it arrives wearing the face of those closest to us. Or, later, through strangers we encounter along our path.
But let’s be honest: evil exists within us, too. There isn't a single human being who isn't composed of both light and shadow.
And there isn't a soul among us who hasn't committed some sort of wrong, even when they truly believe they
are doing good.
The old adage "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" isn't just a cliché; it's a reality.

In your post, there is a very palpable need to do good (by your definition of goodness), yet there is an underlying expectation of a reward—in the form of recognition, respect, or affection.
True good deeds shouldn't require a trophy or a thank-you note.
One does them simply because you know they are right, or because it aligns with your internal compass. It shouldn't matter whether anyone notices.
Nor should it matter if someone else is rewarded for their unscrupulous behavior.
There is no room for envy or jealousy there, nor for comparisons.
One shouldn't feel diminished, nor should they stop being a good person, regardless of whether their actions are acknowledged by the people they specifically hope will notice.

You haven't quite finished the work of getting to know yourself yet, and because of that, you're already considering giving up (the suicidal ideation).
Once you truly understand who you are—your actual core—it becomes much easier to manage the darker impulses within yourself. You'll also better understand how to navigate the darkness in others, because evil doesn't always wear the same mask.
Life is, fundamentally, one long lesson.
Until our final hour.
Until then, just stay on your path... do good, and try not to look back at the shadows.

Adam Ross11 said:Malicious people are simply those who don't know how to find happiness, which makes them unable to tolerate seeing anyone else succeed or thrive. We can overcome such negativity by choosing to remain joyful and happy ourselves 👋.

Susan Robinson3;53305626 said:At first, I honestly thought someone was just trolling me. 😵 But if we’re talking about trolling, then fine, let's look at it this way. From a religious standpoint, there's a certain logic to it. If Jesus couldn't fully conquer Satan here on Earth, then obviously I don't stand a chance either. 🙂 Satan exists to test my resolve, acting as a sort of catalyst to help me discern what's actually good.

🤣🤣🤣
If Jesus himself couldn't beat Satan, you kids don't stand a prayer.

Anyway, my advice? Don't get too attached to people until you know them deeply enough that they can't screw you over later. 😉