Do you think that perpetrating evil can become part of a person’s identity if he practices evil long enough? I am talking about sadistically and deliberately hurting others.
Yes, I think if a person deliberately and consistently decides to hurt others, this can become part of a person’s identity. Let me clarify. This does not necessarily mean that the person sees the self as an “evil person.” Denial can enter the picture, and so the person could end up interpreting the cruelty as “people deserve to be punished, it is good for them.” Yet, even this denial can be part of the person’s identity. Forgiveness can put new meaning and purpose in a person’s life, leading to the free-will decision to put good into the world, including mercy that goes beyond doling out punishment as an end in and of itself.
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