Chapter Five:

It seems that every day the news showcases another evil person to stamp out‹an evil dictator, a scandalous business, and whatnot. After all, bad news outnumbers good on the television, leaving plenty of targets. Unfortunately, this concept of good and evil excludes many people who mean well, and brings a fist upon people who need help.

Everything makes sense if you think about it the right way. Energy comprises everything. Energy moves at vectors, to which we assign the names of good and bad. We then judge a person based on where the arrows point. Though well-intentioned, this serves only to judge people as good or evil (one should note that the word "judge" in a legal context refers only to the committal of a crime, not a person's character). Too bad people aren't evil.

You heard me right. If you read the previous paragraph carefully, a problem pops out. Unlike physics, where an instrument tells exact size, actions are subjective. The effects of this kind of thinking exist everywhere. Judgment leads to hate, hate leads to violence, and violence leads to more judgment. The only way to prevent this cycle starts with not labeling people "evil."

If you paid close attention, you picked up another cycle from the previous paragraph‹evil usually destroys itself‹though not without taking something with it. Evil generally (but not always) destroys, but remember, no "evil" litmus test exists. Instead, the focus should be on using people's energy to build.

Morals come from somewhere, and most of my basic beliefs come from my mom (like telling the truth). On the other hand, most of my reasonings about the world in general (such as the aforementioned goodness/evilness paradox) result from my own observations. For example, some people think that criminals lack the capacity to change. My way of thinking says that people, make a choice, and many factors influence that choice, but control of that choice ultimately falls on the person making it.

Even so, people make the wrong decision, and someone needs to turn them around. To just "lock 'em up" leaves the problem intact. Prisons are obsolete, and we need to focus on rehabilitation.

That rounds out the short list of my beliefs. Of course, if you ask, I'll make your eyes bleed from reading.