Sometimes people are nice simply because they do not have the capacity, nor the reference point, for anything else. Which isn’t inherently problematic, because similarly to how you cannot prove intentionality: does it really matter if you can’t prove it, if the outcome is positive? Especially if it is consistently “good”?
There are two types of people in this world: those who bring joy and those who take it. And if they bring joy, then so be it.
But today’s think piece looks at those who are capable of evil. Malice. Wickedness. Borderline psychopathy.
Especially those who are natural opportunists and have trained themselves to act on opportunity. They’ve also trained themselves to push through fear, shame, and the limitations in their own heads. This has proven successful. It’s probably part of what led them to become successful in the first place.
So they also know what it feels like to exceed their emotions: to act despite them. Which, arguably, means they can override some of the emotions that ordinarily keep people “in check.” Guilt, for example, can be positive if you feel it after doing something terrible. But, with intelligence, you can intellectualize your way out of that feeling of guilt. Especially if you have narcissistic-like tendencies (focus of self and abandonment of others). Which arguably, can also take you far in business as well.
The point is: even if their north star is positive, even if they came forward or started a business or project for the greater good, I would argue that it is easier for them to be evil than the average person.
Simply put, because they have both the opportunity and the skill set to be evil.
Which means they ought to have intentionality check-ins, balanced against factual data:
What is my intention here?
Have I recently hurt people?
Was it truly unavoidable?
Did they genuinely deserve what happened?
Can I debate myself on the flip side?
Am I increasingly looking for opportunities to do morally ambiguous things?
And, even more dangerously, is the baseline assumption of this all, because I know I can get away with it?
And, how much do I think I can get away with?
A reminder that with intelligence comes a form of moral responsibility.
Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should; particularly when doing it contradicts your own concept of “goodness.”
The more capable you become, the more important it is to question what you are capable of justifying.
If you want to check yourself, let’s talk.
There is no judgement around your shadow thoughts in our work together. In fact, those are often the thoughts worth examining.