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sytze.eurosky.social · @sytze.eurosky.social@bridge.neodb.net

Rated Evil: Inside Human Violence and Cruelty 8/10

<blockquote><br>"When future centuries say that the twentieth was the age of supreme evil, they will be referring not only to death camps and world wars, but also to the selfish, reckless consumption of energy and the destructive pollution of the air and water."<br></blockquote><br><br>I picked up this book after reading the [b:The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom|96884|The Happiness Hypothesis Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom|Jonathan Haidt|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348779688l/96884._SX50_.jpg|3587], since the author recommends it when he refers to the 'Myth of Pure Evil'. This 'myth' is quickly dispelled by the author of [b:Evil: Inside Human Violence and Cruelty|573611|Evil Inside Human Violence and Cruelty|Roy F. Baumeister|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1311990046l/573611._SY75_.jpg|932870].<br><br>What I find most compelling about the book is that Evil is viewed from the perspective of the perpetrator, instead of the victim. This creates a matter of fact depiction of evil, which some might find disturbing (e.g. "One could even suggest that it is wasteful (from a practical point of view) to kill a pretty woman without raping her first.")<br><br>The book seems to be primarily aimed at Americans, as an often-recurring theme in the book is racial segregation and violence. In that sense, it would have been more interesting if the author tried to include a wider range of evils.

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Published 2026-08-06 08:08 UTC · bridged from Atmosphere