How good people fall for evil ideas
There are no bad people, just bad ideas
Some of the greatest stories ever told have super obvious Good vs. Evil themes to them. Think Lord of the Rings, The Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, The Lion King—basically any movie where someone wears a cape or breaks into song with woodland creatures. Our fearless hero is usually a kinda dorky kid who means well, trips over their own feet a lot, and somehow still saves the world. Meanwhile the villain is cartoonishly evil, "I kicked a puppy on my way here" with no shades of grey—just pure hate.
And we love that. It’s simple. It makes life easy like, “Oh, he’s got the sinister laugh and the mustache? BAD GUY. Got it.” This shapes our little moral compasses so we can grow up thinking we’re amazing judges of character. Like, “I watched The Lion King twice, I can spot a Scar in the wild. No problem.”
But we’re wrong.
Most evil is not twirling a mustache or cackling in a dark tower. No, evil is much smarter than that. It’s your neighbor Susan who brings you gluten-free cookies and passive-aggressive compliments. It’s wrapped in virtue, kindness, and a little bow of righteousness that says, “If you question me, YOU must be the problem.”
Let’s look at some examples:
Tyranny: "We’re just gonna take a little bit of your freedom...you know, for your protection."
Moral corruption: "If you even THINK about questioning this, wow, you’re heartless. Probably hate puppies too."
Manipulation: “I’m only doing this because I love you.”
And the thing is, when stuff feels good or sounds moral, people will DEFEND it like their life depends on it—even if it’s chewing through their soul like termites at a wooden buffet.
Take narcissists. They’re the masters of disguise. One minute they’re your loving dad, your compassionate community leader, or that “benevolent savior” who’s just so selfless. But the second you stop feeding their ego or—God forbid—catch them in a lie? Boom. That kind and caring mask slips, and suddenly, they’re going full Voldemort on anyone who gets in their way. And because they look so normal (or worse, admirable), they get away with it. Over and over.
And they get away with it because most people can’t handle the truth. I mean, who wants to believe the nice PTA mom is low-key a sociopath with a murder board in her basement? So instead, we shoot the messenger. Because it’s easier to blame the person pointing out the problem than to deal with the problem itself. It’s like, “Hey, I know the house is on fire, but could you not YELL about it? It’s making me anxious.”
Meanwhile, the ones who insist your version of the events are correct are saints. Makes the whole deception even harder to crack.
Just look at history:
The Inquisition? Done in the name of faith.
The Communist purges? All about equality.
The Cultural revolutions? Progress, baby!
Regular ol’ people—people who probably had killer lasagna recipes and adorable grandkids—turned into monsters because they were too scared to question what was right in front of them. And honestly? Who hasn’t been there? “It can’t be that bad... right?” Spoiler: It can.
And it’s not just in the history books. It’s in your everyday life, too.
That friend who says they love you but never shows up when it counts.
That partner who “cares” so much they’re basically holding you hostage with their “concern.”
That workplace that calls itself a “family” but would sell you out faster than a Black Friday TV sale.
The devil is in the details.
So, how do you actually see what’s hidden?
Look beyond the words—people say all kinds of things, but it’s what they do that matters. Ask yourself who benefits. Because good intentions are like participation trophies—they don’t mean squat if the outcome is a dumpster fire. Pay attention to who’s getting silenced since the truth usually gets punished long before it’s celebrated. And trust patterns over apologies. One “Oops!” might be an accident, but twenty? That’s not bad luck—that’s a personality.
And if you want to keep your integrity in this crazy world, base your moral compass on a solid foundation. Base it on objective truth—not how you feel about it. Feelings are great, don’t get me wrong. But sometimes they’re like that drunk friend at 2 a.m.—loud, emotional, and definitely not giving you any good advice.
So yeah, it’s uncomfortable, and unfortunately, a normal part of life. But discomfort isn’t your enemy. It’s your personal trainer for the soul. They say the clarity of your judgment and amount of productivity is directly proportional to the amount of crap you’ve overcome. That’s why hurt people hurt people, and transformed people transform people.
So, the world’s biggest problems are not just hidden. They’re protected by people who genuinely think they’re doing the right thing—bless their hearts.
But hey—at least you know better now.