Stay away from evil, part 1
12 June 2023
The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 16, verse 17 states (translated from Hebrew):
The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil; he who guards his soul watches his way.
This has also been translated as:
Good people stay away from evil. By watching what they do, they protect their lives.
But what is evil?
My current definition, slightly modified from 3 years ago, applies to everyone equally, regardless of their political beliefs or demographics:
What constitutes evil?
1. Being dishonest on a regular basis or being indifferent to the truth.
2. Promoting bigotry, hatred or violence.
3. Taking away the rights of others.
4. Undermining respect for the rule of law.
5. Weakening democratic ideals, institutions or countries.
6. Enriching oneself or one’s friends or relatives at the expense of others, particularly while working in government or the nonprofit world.
7. Supporting, in a major way, evil people or evil institutions.
Exposure to evil changes who we are, which may persist for years after the exposure is gone. This exposure is a risk factor for ourselves doing evil. The risk is lessened but does not disappear by ceasing our exposure. It is best to avoid or limit it in the first place if we can.
All of us should think about the evil we are exposed to in our lives, and what we will do to limit this exposure.
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