Writer: Habiba Suliman
Editor: Nour Diaa
Designer: Malak Raslan
How many times have you read a novel or watched a movie and the main theme was good vs bad? Light vs darkness? The definition of good and bad differs from one person to another, however, the literal meaning of good and bad can be seen in whether or not a person fails to reach an acceptable standard in life. If you ask me about my definition of good and bad, I’ll probably think for a little while, but eventually I’ll have to answer. The scale of what’s good and what’s bad is a tremendous scale, it’s also considered somewhat a moral code. I think that if you ask anyone what their definition of good and bad is, they’ll get perplexed and maybe even fail to provide you with a solid answer, because how could you provide a definition that satisfies such abstract concepts? Now, according to me being good or bad always comes from within, it comes from our whole essence. Our hearts, souls and core.
There is something we have to always remember, that nobody is born bad. We are born as white as the early sky and as pure as the ocean. We all come into this world with solemn hearts and empty minds. Even bad people were once children with nothing in their hearts but utter happiness. The world is like an amusement park, you can’t take a child there and tell him to stay put and not play. They’ll simply be tempted to try everything. That’s exactly the same thing with humans, we face so many temptations on a daily basis that makes it hard for some to resist. Bad things appeal to lots of people, hence people’s reactions to them. It’s either they follow it or they don’t.
Doing one bad thing does not necessarily make you a bad person, however, have you ever asked yourself why you get attracted or interested in bad or evil characters? Scientifically speaking, people are interested in evil characters because it is exciting and instils fear and a sense of thrill. While others say that it may provide a safe haven for a person to explore the darker side of their personality, such as being attracted to a fictional villain. Speaking of evil characters and fictional ones, haven’t you ever noticed the film industry sometimes glorifies bad characters? Even if they were the worst kind of humans on earth? The most controversial one is Robin Hood. Robin Hood used to steal from the rich and give it to the poor, yes his cause was noble and understandable. But at the end of the day, Robin Hood was a thief. Another glorified real evil person is Pablo Escobar, Pablo is an infamous Colombian cocaine king. He died in 1993 but ever since he died, directors can’t seem to stop making movies about him. The quite famous Netflix series, Narcos, is based on Pablo Escobar’s life as the epitome of cocaine trafficking. Yet, there looms a question, do people change their minds about those characters after they know their tragic story? They say that the ends justify the means, but does it? Does having an abusive childhood justify growing up and being abusive? Does growing up in a neighborhood where drugs and murder are the normal justify doing the same things you vowed to never do? Do the ends really justify the means or is it just a saying?There are no bad people and good people, there are just people. Human beings are like yin-yang. At the end of the day, we are all simply morally grey, we are the middle. You’ll never meet a good person and not find a sliver of darkness in them and you’ll never meet a bad person who does at least contain a flake of light shining in their eyes, wanting to get out.
