tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895527034843171824.post4674901867818633021..comments2024-01-04T01:16:23.041-05:00Comments on Life After Stern College: When good people do bad thingsSternGradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04629199158696400120noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895527034843171824.post-45966803607721610182010-12-17T09:44:53.430-05:002010-12-17T09:44:53.430-05:00People in real life aren't either mustachio-tw...People in real life aren't either mustachio-twirling villains or good little soldiers. Yes, we are complex - if we look at ourselves psychologically, there is the self doing battle with natural desires and the conscience. When I make a nasty comment I feel sorry about, the nasty comment is in my head, but my desire to act kindly which would usually stop my mouth was not able to move fast enough that time. That is the point of working on one's self, that whatever is in the mind doesn't get acted out. <br /><br />The most nefariously evil person has some warm and fuzzy thoughts deep down, nor is he beyond redemption. But Jews are held accountable for their actions, no matter their internal thoughts. Jews are within their rights to shun and exile one who has behaved horribly. If someone has done something execrable, and one says, "He's a nice guy" - there should be previous actions to corroborate that statement. Only God can weigh the bad against the good actions, and divine which outweighs the other. <br /><br />Sometimes I get frustrated with someone, and complain about this quality of theirs to someone, who replies, "It doesn't mean their a bad person!" I get annoyed with such a statement. I wasn't saying they were. A person who says that can only see people in black and white terms. One has to see each individual as a composite of good and not good, in my opinion.Bookwormnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895527034843171824.post-68260112601871685042010-12-17T09:38:55.387-05:002010-12-17T09:38:55.387-05:00Very thought provoking post.
Similar to what amin...Very thought provoking post.<br /><br />Similar to what aminspiration said, I don't think people are inherently bad. We all have to deal with a yetzer hara and some people don't have the strength to win all battles. Actually, we all don't win all battles. <br /><br />Most of the time, I think it starts with something small and it just snowballs into bigger and bigger evils because of human nature. They get used to doing it, and quickly learn how to quiet the guilty conscience. Or they just feel like they are so hopeless, so why bother? But deep down, I really, truly believe that given a chance to change, and of course the tools and help needed, they do really want to be good. You know the example of the neshama being covered in black, but when you scrub and clean it, you'll find that it's pristine underneath.Sun inside Rainhttp://www.suninsiderain.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4895527034843171824.post-85549783882620478352010-12-17T08:46:13.156-05:002010-12-17T08:46:13.156-05:00first of all-great post!
do i think people are in...first of all-great post!<br /><br />do i think people are inherently evil? We all have the yetzer hara which by default is stronger than the yetzer tov, and we have to constantly be fighting. I was just thinking how in judaism its not all or nothing. We believe that just because ur doing one thing wrong that means that everything else should go out the window and it does not mean ur a hypocrite. <br /><br />That is the yetzer hara trying to get us to quit everything and lose even the small amount of kedusha that we do have in our lives. <br /><br />so yes, there are people who have made mostly bad decisions and the more evil acts one does the less he cares and the less sensitive he is, the harder it is to return, but that does not mean its impossible, just much much harderaminspirationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02226594722883362146noreply@blogger.com