#good-and-evil — Public Fediverse posts

A quotation from George Orwell

By “nationalism” I mean first of all the habit of assuming that human beings can be classified like insects and that whole blocks of millions or tens of millions of people can be confidently labeled “good” or “bad.” But secondly — and this is much more important — I mean the habit of identifying oneself with a single nation or other unit, placing it beyond good and evil and recognizing no other duty than that of advancing its interests.

George Orwell (1903-1950) English journalist, essayist, writer [pseud. of Eric Arthur Blair]
Essay (1945-05), “Notes on Nationalism,” Polemic Magazine (1945-10)

More about this quote: wist.info/orwell-george/16966/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #orwell #georgeorwell #civicduty #classification #devotion #duty #evil #good #goodandevil #ingroup #jingoism #moralduty #nation #nationalism #nationality #outgroup #population #racism #stereotype #tribalism #usvsthem

A quotation from Madeleine L'Engle

We find what we are looking for. If we are looking for life and love and openness and growth, we are likely to find them. If we are looking for witchcraft and evil, we’ll likely find them, and we may get taken over by them.

Madeleine L'Engle (1918-2007) American writer
Speech (1983-11-16), “Dare To Be Creative,” Lecture, Library of Congress, Washington, DC

More about this quote: wist.info/lengle-madeleine/823…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #madeleinelengle #censorship #confirmationbias #destination #finding #goodandevil #interpretation #looking #meaning #perspective #results #searching #seeking #reading #literature #art

A quotation from La Rochefoucauld

Nothing is so contagious as an example, and our every really good or bad action inspires a similar one.
 
[Rien n’est si contagieux que l’exemple, et nous ne faisons jamais de grands biens ni de grands maux qui n’en produisent de semblables.]

François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶230 (1665-1678) [tr. Tancock (1959)]

More info about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/la-rochefoucauld-fra…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #larochefoucauld #action #doinggood #emulation #example #goodandevil #imitation #precedent #suggestion #wrongdoing #badexample #goodexample #leadbyexample #setanexample

A quotation from The Bible

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” Instead, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink, for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
 
[μὴ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδικοῦντες, ἀγαπητοί, ἀλλὰ δότε τόπον τῇ ὀργῇ, γέγραπται γάρ, ” Ἐμοὶ ἐκδίκησις, ἐγὼ ἀνταποδώσω,” λέγει κύριος. ἀλλ᾽ ” ἐὰν πεινᾷ ὁ ἐχθρός σου, ψώμιζε αὐτόν· ἐὰν διψᾷ, πότιζε αὐτόν· τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν ἄνθρακας πυρὸς σωρεύσεις ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ.” μὴ νικῶ ὑπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ ἀλλὰ νίκα ἐν τῷ ἀγαθῷ τὸ κακόν.]

The Bible (The New Testament) (AD 1st - 2nd C) Christian sacred scripture
Romans 12:19-21 [NRSV (2021 ed.)]

More info about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/bible-nt/15586/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #bible #newtestament #romans #avenging #divinejudgment #divinepunishment #divineretribution #divinewrath #doinggood #goodandevil #gooddeeds #loveyourenemy #revenge #shame #vengeance

Solidarity seems like a noble goal, but it's specious at best. When rallying for a cause, we want solidarity – for others to join – but what if we are among the others? #Solidarity comes at the expense of self – fine if you are already committed. Otherwise, not so much.

https://philosophics.blog/2025/12/03/on-the-strange-politics-of-solidarity/?utm_source=masto&utm_medium=social
#solidarity #ethics #virtue #commongood #teaching #indotrination #normativity #institution #philosophy #psychology #virtue #dogma #flourishing #boundaries #goodandevil #totalitarianism #morals #principles

A quotation from Marcus Aurelius

And to pursue pleasure as good, and flee from pain as evil — that too is blasphemous. Someone who does that is bound to find himself constantly reproaching nature — complaining that it doesn’t treat the good and bad as they deserve, but often lets the bad enjoy pleasure and the things that produce it, and makes the good suffer pain, and the things that produce pain.
 
[καὶ μὴν ὁ τὰς ἡδονὰς ὡς ἀγαθὰ διώκων, τοὺς δὲ πόνους ὡς κακὰ φεύγων ἀσεβεῖ: ἀνάγκη γὰρ τὸν τοιοῦτον μέμφεσθαι πολλάκις τῇ κοινῇ φύσει ὡς παῤ ἀξίαν τι ἀπονεμούσῃ τοῖς φαύλοις καὶ τοῖς σπουδαίοις, διὰ τὸ πολλάκις τοὺς μὲν φαύλους ἐν ἡδοναῖς εἶναι καὶ τὰ ποιητικὰ τούτων κτᾶσθαι, τοὺς δὲ σπουδαίους πόνῳ καὶ τοῖς ποιητικοῖς τούτου περιπίπτειν.]

Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180) Roman emperor (161-180), Stoic philosopher
Meditations [To Himself; Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν], Book 9, ch. 1 (9.1) (AD 161-180) [tr. Hays (2003)]

More info about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/marcus-aureleus/8047…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #marcusaurelius #marcusaureliusmeditations #stoicism #blasphemy #complaint #evil #good #goodandevil #impiety #naturalorder #nature #pain #pleasure #problemofevil #problemofsuffering #providence #sin #theodicy

A quotation from Abraham Lincoln

The true rule, in determining to embrace, or reject any thing, is not whether it have any evil in it; but whether it have more of evil, than of good. There are few things wholly evil, or wholly good. Almost every thing, especially of governmental policy, is an inseparable compound of the two; so that our best judgment of the preponderance between them is continually demanded.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) American lawyer, politician, US President (1861-65)
Speech (1848-06-20), “Internal Improvements,” US House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

More info about this quote: wist.info/lincoln-abraham/7887…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #abrahamlincoln #abelincoln #lincoln #admixture #balance #goodandevil #government #greatergood #judgment #lesserevil #policy #publicpolicy

A quotation from Hannah Arendt

In their moral justification, the argument of the lesser evil has played a prominent role. If you are confronted with two evils, thus the argument runs, it is your duty to opt for the lesser one, whereas it is irresponsible to refuse to choose altogether. […] Politically, the weakness of the argument has always been that those who choose the lesser evil forget very quickly that they chose evil.

Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) German-American philosopher, political theorist
Essay (1964-08), “Personal Responsibility Under Dictatorship,” The Listener Magazine

Sourcing, notes: wist.info/arendt-hannah/45553/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #arendt #hannaharendt #binary #brightline #choice #evil #goodandevil #lesserevil #lesseroftwoevils #morality #necessaryevil #rationalization #selfjustification

A quotation from Euripides

AGAMEMNON: For it touches all,
   Cities and men alike, that deeds of ill
   Find evil ends, and virtue prosper still.
 
[ἈΓΑΜΈΜΝΩΝ: πᾶσι γὰρ κοινὸν τόδε,
   ἰδίᾳ θ᾽ ἑκάστῳ καὶ πόλει, τὸν μὲν κακὸν
   κακόν τι πάσχειν, τὸν δὲ χρηστὸν εὐτυχεῖν.]

Euripides (485?-406? BC) Greek tragic dramatist
Hecuba [Hekabe; Ἑκάβη], l. 900ff (c. 424 BC) [tr. Sheppard (1924)]

Sourcing, notes, other translations: wist.info/euripides/31850/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #euripides #hecuba #crime #consequences #evil #good #goodandevil #justice #karma #morality #punishment #reward #vice #virtue

A quotation from Euripides

HECUBA: It the duty of a good man to do good everywhere and always to punish the evil men.
 
[ἙΚΆΒΗ: ἐσθλοῦ γὰρ ἀνδρὸς τῇ δίκῃ θ᾿ ὑπηρετεῖν
   καὶ τοὺς κακοὺς δρᾶν πανταχοῦ κακῶς ἀεί.]

Euripides (485?-406? BC) Greek tragic dramatist
Hecuba [Hekabe; Ἑκάβη], l. 844ff (c. 424 BC) [tr. Theodoridis (2007)]

Sourcing, notes, other translations: wist.info/euripides/76521/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #euripides #hecuba #duty #evil #goodandevil #goodperson #justice #rightandwrong #virtue #wrongdoing

A quotation from Teddy Roosevelt

   It is not possible to lay down an inflexible rule as to when compromise is right and when wrong; when it is a sign of the highest statesmanship to temporize, and when it is merely a proof of weakness. Now and then one can stand uncompromisingly for a naked principle and force people up to it. This is always the attractive course; but in certain great crises it may be a very wrong course. Compromise, in the proper sense, merely means agreement; in the proper sense opportunism should merely mean doing the best possible with actual conditions as they exist.
   A compromise which results in a half-step toward evil is all wrong, just as the opportunist who saves himself for the moment by adopting a policy which is fraught with future disaster is all wrong; but no less wrong is the attitude of those who will not come to an agreement through which, or will not follow the course by which, it is alone possible to accomplish practical results for good.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) American politician, statesman, conservationist, writer, US President (1901-1909)
Essay (1900-06), “Latitude and Longitude Among Reformers,” The Century Magazine, Vol. 60, No. 2

Sourcing, notes: wist.info/roosevelt-theodore/1…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #teddyroosevelt #accomplishment #possibility #brightline #compromise #goodandevil #longterm #mutualagreement #necessaryevil #opportunist #practicality #pragmatism #principle #shortterm #temporization

İyilik ve Kötülük Okulu - The School for Good and Evil Filmini izle
#İyilikveKotulukokulu #GoodAndEvil #Komedi #Netflix #Film #Filmizle #Diziizle #izle #Fullizle #sinema

https://www.filmizleilk.com/iyilik-ve-kotuluk-okulu-the-school-for-good-and-evil/

#Poll : Who or what do you thing could be added in this manichaean "Axis of Evils".

Multiple answers possible.
No need to answer.

Types of answers possible :

- Person(s): for each person's first occurrence, add traceable fact to give it weight of fact (vs opinion)

- Concept(s) (whatever fits).

#Good #Evil #GoodAndEvil
#Hitler #Propaganda #AxisOfEvils #Health

A quotation from The Bible

Be on your guard against false prophets; they come to you looking like sheep on the outside, but on the inside they are really like wild wolves. You will know them by what they do. Thorn bushes do not bear grapes, and briers do not bear figs. A healthy tree bears good fruit, but a poor tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a poor tree cannot bear good fruit. And any tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire. So then, you will know the false prophets by what they do.
 
[Προσέχετε ἀπὸ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν, οἵτινες ἔρχονται πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν ἐνδύμασιν προβάτων, ἔσωθεν δέ εἰσιν λύκοι ἅρπαγες. ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτούς. μήτι συλλέγουσιν ἀπὸ ἀκανθῶν σταφυλὰς ἢ ἀπὸ τριβόλων σῦκα; οὕτως πᾶν δένδρον ἀγαθὸν καρποὺς καλοὺς ποιεῖ, τὸ δὲ σαπρὸν δένδρον καρποὺς πονηροὺς ποιεῖ. οὐ δύναται δένδρον ἀγαθὸν καρποὺς πονηροὺς ποιεῖν οὐδὲ δένδρον σαπρὸν καρποὺς καλοὺς ποιεῖν. πᾶν δένδρον μὴ ποιοῦν καρπὸν καλὸν ἐκκόπτεται καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται. ἄρα γε ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτούς.]

The Bible (The New Testament) (AD 1st - 2nd C) Christian sacred scripture
Matthew 7:15-20 (Jesus) [GNT (1976)]

Sourcing, notes, alternate translations: wist.info/bible-nt/19235/

#quote #quotes #quotation #deception #bible #jesus #disguise #facade #fruit #GoodAndEvil #ntegrity #preacher #pretense #product #prophet #results

A quotation from Zinn

   An optimist isn’t necessarily a blithe, slightly sappy whistler in the dark of our time. To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places — and there are so many — where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.
   And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.

Howard Zinn (1922-2010) American historian, academic, author, social activist
Essay (2004-09-02), “The Optimism of Uncertainty,” The Nation

Sourcing, notes: wist.info/zinn-howard/35668/

#quote #quotes #quotation #action #badpeople #endeavor #future #goodandevil #goodpeople #history #hope #humancondition #humanrights #humanity #inaction #inspiration #meme #optimism #pessimism #present #struggle #success #utopia #victory

“Animals have no politics, but they can feel good and evil,” says Oleh Kokhan, producer of "War Through the Eyes of Animals," a forthcoming film looking at Russia's war on Ukraine through the eyes of animals.

#Russia #Ukraine #ecology #animals #nature #war #violence #GoodandEvil

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/19/animals-can-feel-good-and-evil-film-puts-new-perspective-on-ukraine-war

A quotation from Orwell, George:

«
Something, some psychological vitamin, is lacking in modern civilization, and as a result we are all more or less subject to this lunacy of believing that whole races or nations are mysteriously good or mysteriously evil.
»

Full quote, sourcing, notes:
https://wist.info/orwell-george/73848/

#quote #quotes #quotation #goodandevil #nationalism #prejudice #racism #stereotype #tribalism

From my old saved texts on PC:

"""
7chan /b/
17/10/16 15:11

Hi, anon! Someone sent me this palabre over e-mail. He presented himself as Pete Anderson. I tried to search for authors of this name, but I have not found anything. I'm interested in, which existing philosophy does the text resemble. Here's his e-mail:

"Hi, Mark! I am Pete Anderson. Hope, you're doing well! I was delving into transcriptions of old Hittite and Luwian texts. And I found this text of unknown origin, it was located in the same batch as the transcription of Illuyanka:

"four creatures,
5100 BCE,

During my walk on the lake, I was talking with an imaginable creature. Which appears to be an angel. I talked with him about what is the difference between free and slave person. He offered me to imagine a bottle and a landscape. Bottle uses its water for different actions. We went through different stages of differences:

1) "Free" bottle moves. "Slave" bottle does not move.
2) "Free" bottle moves in different directions. "Slave" bottle moves in one direction.
3) "Free" bottle moves, builds new walls and crashes existing walls. "Slave" bottle only moves.
4) "Free" bottle moves, builds, crashes and makes building and crashing more efficient. "Slave" bottle moves, builds new walls with only a clay and crashes walls with only a stone stick.
5) "Free" bottle moves, builds, crashes, optimizes, records and reuses information on his clay with stone stick. "Slave" bottle only moves, builds, crashes and tries to find "best" solution.
6) "Free" bottle moves, builds, crashes, optimizes, records, reuses information and uses walls for recording. "Slave" bottle doesn't see walls as recording mean.
7) "Free" bottle learns from past sucked bottle. "Slave" bottle starts from scratch every time.
8) "Free" bottle knows: its capacity is limited for water, and it grows something different for extra capacity. "Slave" bottle only recharges water.
9) "Free" bottle is focused on life. "Slave" bottle is focused on easy-to-follow frames or comfort zone.
10) "Free" bottle rests. "Slave" bottle is busy every time.

So this is how I can determine difference between the "free" and the "slave".

Then I asked The Angel about what's the difference between the "good" and the "evil". If they can do the same things in different contexts. The Angel said me something like:
- The Good is free and harmonic. The evil destroys itself and tries to survive at the same time.
- But isn't the evil harmonic if it can keep the same level of life with different means?
- Harmony is eternal. It is about finding a balance between your qualia and surroundings. Self-destruction with survival is not eternal. It's limiting. Harmony and limiting are different things.
- How does harmony come in pair with freedom if harmony also poses constraints?
- You can live healthy and peaceful life with unlimited journey and creation. And you don't need to have more power or money, than you need to achieve for this. This is what about this dichotomy.
- So The Good lives life and creates value for themselves and then for others? And the evil is limited in beliefs so it tries to limit others to survive? So others can also be drained into the same game?
- Yes. You are right.
- Isn't utilizing resources of Nature a destruction for survival?
- No.
- Why?
- They can be utilized for growth. Like child grows in size to adult person. And a single hut which looked like a palace, starts to look like a cage.
- So The Good grows until free harmonic eternity is achieved? And the evil deludes itself by false beliefs into eternity of their limited image?
- Yes.
- But other conscious beings can also be utilized as resources.
- Then they're not conscious beings. They're fully controlled items like minerals or cattle. Conscious beings brings the Harmony and the Freedom.
- So The Good works on par with other conscious beings to grow? And the evil tries to destroy conscious beings to extract resources for its survival?
- Yes.
- Can the evil be a shadow of The Good? And this shadow deludes itself, that it's worth the same and even greater than The Good?
- Yes. You're right.
- I understand you. Why the evil exists then?
- It exists to understand The Good. The Good learns All The Life. To achieve The Harmony and The Freedom. While the evil portrays All The World as a perfect sphere, which can be easily predicted and controlled.
- I understand you.

Then I walked out of the forest back to the home. The Angel said:
- We are walking through the people. I keep you. So that you look easy while dreaming. Today you have a rest and dreaming mind because you underslept. That's ok. Later you will sleep well and be in more hurry for your path.""
"""

#blog #findings #philosophy #parable #story #harmony #freedom #goodandevil

Everyday Burdens - I have come to realize that email spam filters are a lot like being taught the Bible, faith, God, good and evil. Teaching it what's not junk/bad what is good/right is hard! There are limitations to understanding and acceptance and this doesn't just apply to children. Psalms 68:19-20 #amylynn, #amylynnsvoiceovers, #email, #emailfilters, #faith, #faithandtech, #faithandtechbytes, #goodandevil, #parenting, #spamfilters, #techhelp, #technews, #twit http://www.amylynn.org/podcast

I'm not saying he's wrong but, to paraphrase PG Wodehouse, it is never difficult to distinguish between Friedrich Nietzsche in aphorism mode and a ray of sunshine:

"Whatever is done for love always occurs beyond good and evil."

#Nietzsche
#PGWodehouse
#Love
#GoodAndEvil
#bookstodon
#Quotes

#villainera #goodandevil #makeup #nonbinary #occosplay