Evil vs Mental Illness

[fuzzems]

Personally I think we do a disservice to label EVIL as mental illness. Some actions in this world are just EVIL. And labeling it all as mental illness simply creates more stigma around mental illness. Jeffery Dahmer was EVIL. And, do some of these evil people perhaps have some underlying mental disorders too? Yes. But, portraying their acts as a product of mental illness creates fear and stigma that someone with anxiety might SNAP. I think we need to call evil what it is.

 

[Nebulous]

Just googled the definition of the word 'evil' and it says:
profoundly immoral and wicked.

Mentally ill people are capable of doing profoundly immoral and wicked things for sure. So are "normal" people. I think anyone is capable of doing something evil during a lapse of judgment or in the heat of the moment. When it becomes an compulsion and they cannot stop themselves from doing such things, then I'd say thats when mental illness comes into play.

 

[passenger]

Personally I think we do a disservice to label EVIL as mental illness. Some actions in this world are just EVIL. And labeling it all as mental illness simply creates more stigma around mental illness. Jeffery Dahmer was EVIL. And, do some of these evil people perhaps have some underlying mental disorders too? Yes. But, portraying their acts as a product of mental illness creates fear and stigma that someone with anxiety might SNAP. I think we need to call evil what it is.

First instance that comes to mind here is Mongoloid people. As a group, they do have a birth defect/mental issues. Maybe some societal 'flaws', but certainly not evil or to be afraid of.

 

[MrDawn]

I've always been of the opinion that mental illness doesn't excuse a person's actions. If you go out and do evil shit you should still be held accountable, mental illness or not. A lot of prisoners try to use mental illness as a cop out and it doesn't work. They don't realize that people aren't that stupid.

 

[+paradox]

god gave all humans a conscience and morality, as well as free will... humans know what's evilness and wickedness, but still does it... not all humans that are mentally ill cause harm and/or evilness... all humans that cause harm and/or evilness are mentally ill in one way or the other... still doesn't disqualify them from earning their judgment...

 

[DrLeftover]

There are those among us who are truly mentally ill.

There are those among us who are truly evil.

There is danger is confusing the two.

 

[MrDawn]

There are those among us who are truly evil.

Like this guy. I'm still both disappointed and confused how he never got capital punishment.

Nikolas Jacob Cruz (born September 24, 1998)[1][2][3] is an American mass murderer who perpetrated the Parkland high school shooting, where he shot and killed 17 people and wounded 17 others on February 14, 2018. In 2022, Cruz was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for his involvement in the deaths and injuries caused during the shooting, which is the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history.

Cruz had been known for behavioral problems since preschool,[4] and as a teenager on social media he shared his obsessions with mass shootings and expressed racist, antisemitic, homophobic, and xenophobic views.[5] He was a member of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps.[6] He legally purchased various firearms prior to the shooting.[7]

Nikolas Cruz - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[DrLeftover]

Like this guy. I'm still both disappointed and confused how he never got capital punishment.

Nikolas Cruz - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

He didn't get "put down" because he was a minor at the time of the crime.

And, as is the way of things....

He WILL get out before he assumes room temperature.

 

[Webster]

There are those among us who are truly mentally ill.

There are those among us who are truly evil.

There is danger is confusing the two.