Roots of Violence, Seeds of Change

An Occasional Publication for Persons Interested in Violence Prevention
In order to prevent violence, we have to understand it
______________________________________________________________________________________
Volume 1, Number 2 September 2010
______________________________________________________________________________

Evil  Feels  Good:  

 Think  Before  You  Act  
 
By  Jane  Gilgun  
 
“Consequences  show  whether  actions  are  evil  or  not.”  
 
The  funny  thing  about  evil  is  that  it  feels  good  when  we  do  it.    That’s  why  it’s  so  
hard  for  us  to  recognize  evil  when  we  commit  it.  People  who  do  evil  think  a  lot  of  
different  things,  all  of  them  pleasant  and  even  compelling  to  themselves.    
 
A   case   in   point   is   the   actions   of   an   18-­‐year-­‐old   New   Jersey   college   student  
who   secretly   videotaped   his   roommate   being   intimate   with   another   man   in   their  
dorm  room  and  then  posting  the  video  on  the  internet.  On  September  19,  he  wrote  
on  Twitter,  “Roommate  asked  for  room  until  midnight.  I  went  into  molly’s  room  and  
turned  on  my  webcam.  I  saw  him  making  out  with  a  dude.  Yay.”  
 
A   few   days   later   on   September   22,   the   videotaped   young   man   jumped   off   the  
George   Washington   Bridge.   The   police   found   his   body   nine   days   later.   The   day   he  
jumped,  he  left  a  message  on  Facebook  that  read,  “Jumping  off  the  gw  bridge  sorry.”  
 
  The  young  man  who  videotaped  posted  a  Twitter  message  the  day  before  the  
suicide,  “Anyone  with  iChat,  I  dare  you  to  video  chat  me  between  the  hours  of  9:30  
and  12.  Yes,  it’s  happening  again.”  
 
  This   was   fun   for   the   man   who   did   the   videotaping   and   then   made   it   available  
on  the  internet.  It  was  the  end  of  the  world  for  the  young  man  who  was  videotaped.  
 
Evil  as  Sport  
 
  The   chair   of   a   gay   rights   group   said,   “We   are   sickened   that   anyone   in   our  
society…might  consider  destroying  others’  lives  as  a  sport.”    
 
   The   young   man   who   videotaped   did   make   a   sport   out   of   someone   else’s  
intimacies.     He   may   have   thought   that   gay   baiting   is   a   legitimate   sport.   Plenty   of  
people  believe  that.  
 
  I   think   he   was   caught   up   in   the   fun   of   posting   the   videotape.   He   probably  
thought  the  video  would  be  funny  for  many  other  people.  It  may  have  been.  
 
I   do   not   think   he   meant   to   destroy   a   life.   I   do   not   think   he   thought   that   far  
ahead.    
 
Now  It’s  Too  Late  
 
The   man   who   videotaped   is   not   having   fun   anymore.   The   police   charged   him  
with   two   counts   of   invasion   of   privacy,   which   carries   a   maximum   penalty   of   five  
years  in  prison.  Some  are  calling  for  hate  crime  charges  that  have  severe  penalties,  
too.  His  university  expelled  him.  
 
This   young   man   did   not   think   that   his   roommate   would   be   so   hurt   that   he  
would  kill  himself.  He  thought  no  further  than  the  fun  he  was  having.  If  it’s  fun,  do  it.    
That’s  what  guided  him.  
 
Evil  Actions  do  Not  Fit  Stereotypes  
 
Like  others  who  do  evil,  the  man  who  videotaped  had  the  respect  of  friends  
and   the   love   of   his   family.   Students   from   the   high   school   where   he   had   graduated   in  
June  described  him  as  kind  and  from  a  loving  family.  He  was  voted  “best  dancer.”  His  
parents   took   out   an   ad   in   the   yearbook   that   read   in   part,   “It   has   been   a   pleasure  
watching  you  grow  into  a  caring  and  responsible  person.”  
 
This  brief  portrait  shows  that  we  can’t  rely  on  stereotypes  to  identify  people  
who  do  evil  acts.    Most  people  who  do  great  harm  to  others  do  not  have  pencil  thin  
mustaches,  slick-­‐backed  hair,  staring  eyes,  and  wear  a  cloak  that  they  use  to  cover  
the  lower  part  of  their  faces.    They  look  like  you  and  me.  
 
Consequences  Show  Whether  Actions  are  Evil  
 
 Some   of   the   students   at   the   university   where   the   crime   occurred   debated  
whether   the   man’s   actions   were   a   thoughtless   prank   or   a   heinous   crime.   Evil   acts  
are  not  usually  evil  in  intent.  People  who  commit  great  harm  set  out  to  have  a  good  
time   or   to   satisfy   some   desire   for   wholeness   and   pleasure.   Evil   acts   such   as  
uploading  a  video  of  private  acts  are  in  the  minds  of  actors  harmless  pranks,  but  in  
the  consequences  they  are  heinous  crimes.    
 
Consequences  show  whether  actions  are  evil  or  not.  Intentions  mean  nothing  
when  another  person  is  greatly  harmed.    
 
Civility  Training  
 
  The   university   that   the   two   young   men   attended   had   been   planning   civility  
training   to   prevent   hurtful   uses   of   technology   and   group   psychology.   The   training  
starting  just  days  ago.  This  incident  gave  renewed  energy  for  the  training  to  a  dazed  
and  traumatized  student  body.  
 
Needed:  Accountability  Training  
 
  The   university   might   consider   accountability   training.   Most   people   would  
undo   the   hurt   they   cause.   After   all,   they   did   not   mean   to   hurt   anyone   in   the   first  
place.    They  had  been  selfish  and  thought  only  of  themselves.    Such  persons,  and  this  
is  pretty  much  all  of  us,  need  pointers  on  how  to  make  up  for  what  they  have  done.    
They  know  they  have  lost  the  respect  of  people  who  are  important  to  them.    
 
  Here  are  some  things  we  can  do.  
 
• Admit  it.    State  clearly  and  completely  what  you  did.  
• Describe   effects   of   your   actions   on   the   people   you   hurt.   Be   clear   and  
concise,  but  give  details  on  how  your  actions  affected  others.  
• Take   complete   responsibility.     Do   not   make   jokes,   blame   others,   or   plead  
extenuating  circumstances.    After  all,  you  did  do  it.      
• Say  you  are  sorry  and  mean  it.    As  you  speak,  notice  whether  you  actually  
do  feel  sorry.  If  you  do  not,  you  are  not  being  accountable.  
• Accept   recrimination.   Listen   and   hear   what   the   people   you   have   harmed  
have  to  say  about  your  actions.      
• Do  not  repeat  your  harmful  actions,  no  matter  how  good  you  think  these  
actions   will   make   you   feel.     Statements   of   accountability   and   apology   mean  
nothing  if  you  turn  right  around  and  hurt  others  once  again.  
 
If  we  do  this,  we  may  earn  our  way  back  into  the  good  graces  of  people  who  have  
lost  respect  for  us  because  of  our  harmful  actions.    If  people  respect  you  because  you  
committed   harmful   acts,   then   you   may   have   to   re-­‐think   whether   you   want   that   kind  
of  respect.  What  kind  of  person  are  you?  
 
If  it  Feels  Good,  Think    
 
The  lesson  to  be  learned  is,  that  if  it  feels  good,  think  ahead  before  you  act.    
Ask,  will  this  hurt  anyone?    What  is  the  worst  case  scenario?    What  is  the  best  case  
scenario?  For  the  persons  I  may  hurt?  For  myself?    For  my  family?  For  my  friends?  
For  the  other  person’s  family?    For  the  other  person’s  friends?  
 
The  family  of  the  man  who  committed  suicide  said,  he  “was  a  fine  young  man  
and  a  distinguished  musician.    The  family  is  heartbroken  beyond  words.”  
 
References  
  
Foderaro,  Lisa  W.  (2010).  Private  moments  made  public;  Then  a  fatal  jump.  
New  York  Times,  September  30,  A1,  A4.    
 
Foderaro,  Lisa  W.  &  Winnie  Hu  (2010).  Student’s  online  musings  point  to  
state  of  mind  before  a  suicide.  New  York  Times,  October  1,  A18,  A19.  
 
Gilgun,  Jane  F.  (2010).  Fake  accountability  &  true:  Telling  the  difference.  
http://www.scribd.com/doc/38241791/Fake-­‐Accountability-­‐True-­‐Telling-­‐the-­‐
Difference/  
 
Gilgun,  Jane  F.  (2010).  On  being  a  shit:  Unkind  deeds  and  cover-­ups  in  everyday  
life.    http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015XV33Y  
 
Gilgun,  Jane  F.  (2010).  Why  they  do  it:  Beliefs  &  emotional  gratification  lead  
to  violent  acts.        http://www.scribd.com/doc/30778872/Why-­‐They-­‐Do-­‐It-­‐Beliefs-­‐
Emotional-­‐Gratification-­‐Lead-­‐to-­‐Violent-­‐Acts  
 
About This Publication
Roots of Violence, Seeds of Change is an occasional publication for persons
interested in violence prevention. In order to prevent violence, we have to understand it.
Jane F. Gilgun, Ph.D., LICSW, is the editor and publisher. To submit articles to this
publication, Professor Gilgun cordially invites researchers to email brief articles of three
to five pages to her at jgilgun@umn.edu.

About the Author

Jane  F.  Gilgun,  Ph.D.,  LICSW,  is  a  professor,  School  of  Social  Work,  University  of  
Minnesota,  Twin  Cities,  USA.  See  Professor  Gilgun’s  other  articles,  books,  &  children’s  
stories  on  scribd.com,  Kindle,  and  iBooks  for  a  variety  of  mobile  devices.  She  has  done  
research  on  the  meanings  of  violence  to  perpetrators  for  many  years  and  on  many  other  
aspects  of  violence.