A thought experiment.

[Zethras]

So I was writing the other day, and an interesting thought came to mind as I was fleshing out a character, but i'm not completely sure it's "correct", so I bring it to you lovely people.

It is this:"To hate that which is evil, is to embody all that is good."

So to take the poetic nature from the statement; do you, the reader, believe that hating something evil, is in and of itself a positive, or do you believe that hatred towards anything, regardless of good or bad, is inherently a negative?

Please explain why you think one way or another.

[Underverse]

That's the definition of superficial groupthink. So, I'm going to have to disagree.

Hatred is only useful as a defense mechanism for low-information situations. If you have more information available, the correct way to proceed is to use logic to determine a course of action, instead of impulse. If you opt for impulse, you're an ignorant sheep.

[Super Kami Dende]

I believe that it's up to the individual person to decide what is "good" and what is "evil", Thus if hating something "Evil" is not inherently negative, is it Negative if something you "hate" and think is "evil" is thought not to be "evil" by someone else?

[docterfreeze]

Evil is subjective, so if you hate something evil you're good to some and bad to some.

[Zethras]

That's the definition of superficial groupthink. So, I'm going to have to disagree.

Hatred is only useful as a defense mechanism for low-information situations. If you have more information available, the correct way to proceed is to use logic to determine a course of action, instead of impulse. If you opt for impulse, you're an ignorant sheep.

I don't disagree with this bit. However, the character in question has intimate knowledge of the thing that they hate. So it's not a mindless impulse that they hate this thing, it's a calculated decision.

[Julian Rayne]

No. Two evil entities can hate each other.

[Zethras]

Evil is subjective, so if you hate something evil you're good to some and bad to some.

Well yes, obviously. The subject in question though is undeniably evil though, and the overwhelming majority of other people agree on this, speaking from the perspective of the characters in the book, that is.

[Dezerte]

I think hate can make you blind to your own evils.

[baskev]

So I was writing the other day, and an interesting thought came to mind as I was fleshing out a character, but i'm not completely sure it's "correct", so I bring it to you lovely people.

It is this:"To hate that which is evil, is to embody all that is good."

So to take the poetic nature from the statement; do you, the reader, believe that hating something evil, is in and of itself a positive, or do you believe that hatred towards anything, regardless of good or bad, is inherently a negative?

Please explain why you think one way or another.

2nd one....to quote a small dude, Fear is the path to the dark side…fear leads to anger…anger leads to hate…hate leads to suffering.

Hate makes you blind, it makes you focus on the bad things. Instead of the good things. You can hate a rapist all you want...but caring for the victim should be priority nr 1. So if you are feeling only hate...then yeah you are on the wrong path....But as a sentece/figure of speech...its a great one.

[AwkwardSquirtle]

There's more to good than simply hating evil. I do believe there is evil in the world, as I'm a Christian, so this of course affects my perspective. I believe God hates evil, so following him dictates that I should too.
That said, there's a distinction to be made between evil itself and those who do evil things. I believe evil behaviour is a symptom of a fallen world, and so in a sense those who do evil can be considered victims. There's a popular idea among Christians that we should "hate the sin, but love the sinner," and that's how I try to see things. I often fail of course, because I'm a fallen person too; fun fact, Christians aren't perfect and shouldn't act like they are.
So no, I don't believe hatred itself to be inherently bad, I lean more towards hating evil is a good thing, provided it is the evil itself that you hate.

I don't wish to derail this into religion and get the thread shut down, so if you want to flame me or ask further, feel free to take it to PM. Don't ruin the thread for OP.

[Deleted]

I mean, if your character is a paladin or a member of any self-righteous sect, they can believe that, yes.

[Zethras]

2nd one....to quote a small dude, Fear is the path to the dark side…fear leads to anger…anger leads to hate…hate leads to suffering.

Hate makes you blind, it makes you focus on the bad things. Instead of the good things. You can hate a rapist all you want...but caring for the victim should be priority nr 1. So if you are feeling only hate...then yeah you are on the wrong path....But as a sentece/figure of speech...its a great one.

Heh, I was waiting to see how long it would take for a Yoda quote to pop out.

However, that being said, the thing that is being referenced has no good qualities to it. The character in question has been personally wronged by it, and now hates it with all their being, and in doing so, gives them the power to fight against it.

[Halyon]

Neither. Hating takes a lot of effort, and hating large groups is just not fair. There can be reasons and/or mitigating factors. But hating specific people/beings for their deeds is fine and dandy. Lines have to be drawn somewhere, just draw them sensibly.

[Zethras]

There's more to good than simply hating evil. I do believe there is evil in the world, as I'm a Christian, so this of course affects my perspective. I believe God hates evil, so following him dictates that I should too.
That said, there's a distinction to be made between evil itself and those who do evil things. I believe evil behaviour is a symptom of a fallen world, and so in a sense those who do evil can be considered victims. There's a popular idea among Christians that we should "hate the sin, but love the sinner," and that's how I try to see things. I often fail of course, because I'm a fallen person too; fun fact, Christians aren't perfect and shouldn't act like they are.
So no, I don't believe hatred itself to be inherently bad, I lean more towards hating evil is a good thing, provided it is the evil itself that you hate.

I don't wish to derail this into religion and get the thread shut down, so if you want to flame me or ask further, feel free to take it to PM. Don't ruin the thread for OP.

I was also expecting this particular point of view to show up at some point, and I do appreciate it, despite not partaking of your faith myself.

[Deleted]

I guess that is the easiest way to be reasonable. Because neither good nor evil exist outside of a moralistic fantasy every individual human harbors. So it doesn't matter if you are a murderer who says it feels good and hence is good to kill other people he doesn't like hence are evil or someone who kicked an rapist to the ground because he's evil while protecting the a women because she is victim hence good.

[NicoWolf]

Good and Evil are merely perceptions, like beauty and taste. We can argue until the cows come home the nuances of it all, but as long as we have points of view, what one considers to be good and what one considers to be evil will always and invariably up to the individual to decide.

For example; I believe abortion is a matter of choice and not an evil act. There are those who will disagree.

You cannot provide a solution because it's a matter of personal perception; a point that would be just as valid if the act were still illegal.

[Independent voter]

We would have to sit down and come to a consensus on what "evil" is. This wouldn't be easy.

[Venant]

Good and Evil are merely perceptions, like beauty and taste. We can argue until the cows come home the nuances of it all, but as long as we have points of view, what one considers to be good and what one considers to be evil will always and invariably up to the individual to decide.

For example; I believe abortion is a matter of choice and not an evil act. There are those who will disagree.

That doesn't make any sense in that any act can be a 'choice'. If a father makes the choice to stab his 16 year old daughter to death while she sleeps because she dishonored her family, under your way of thinking how do you differentiate this from your justification for abortion?

[Flatspriest]

OP, your premise is flawed from the start. The correct thing is that in every evil, there is some good, and in every good, there is some evil. There are no absolutes in this world.

[Halicia]

Good and Evil are merely perceptions, like beauty and taste.

They can be objective though... just like honey can objectively taste sweeter than salt... actions can be objectively more good or evil in comparison to similar acts.

The subjective part tends to come from ignorance and preconceptions, whereas understanding the reasons behind the act can help dispel the polarity of "good or evil and nothing in between!"