When Good Men and Women Do Nothing

But read what the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3: “Understand this that in the last days will come perilous times of great stress and trouble …. For people will be lovers of self and utterly self-centered …. They will be without natural human affection callous and inhuman … uncontrolled and fierce …” (verses 1-3, Amplified Bible). The term “last days” refers to human society just prior to the return of Jesus Christ—the time we live in is now. Our planet has never been as perilous, as dangerous, as it is today. Consider the terms Paul used to describe the way people would be in our time: lovers of self, self-centered, lacking natural affection, callous, inhuman, uncontrolled and fierce. There simply words are no better terms to describe the gut-wrenching state of mankind today.  For example, in a 2006 survey, 81% of 18- to 25-year-olds said that getting rich was among their generation’s an important goals; 64% named it as the most important goal of all. In contrast, only 30% chose helping others who need help (Pew Research Center, 2007). Other societal trends support the claim that empathy is declining. For example, violent and aggressive acts significantly increased from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s among American college students who were self-reported moderate or heavy drinkers (Engs & Hanson, 1994). The minds of millions, including children, are steadily degenerating to the point where they are void of natural affection. Western culture desensitizes people to violence and cruelty, to human suffering and pain, to death. If you read newspapers or watch the news, you know that this is precisely the mental state of too many.

‘Evil’ people are those who are unable to empathize with other. They are selfish, self-absorbed, and narcissistic. In fact, other people only have value for them to the extent that they can help them satisfy their own desires, or to which they can exploit them. This applies to dictators in [America or around the world], and to serial killers and rapists. I would argue that their primary characteristics is an inability to empathize with others. They can’t sense other people’s emotions or their suffering, can’t see the world from other people’s perspective, and so have no sense of their rights. Other human beings are just objects to them, which is what makes their brutality and cruelty possible.’ Steve Taylor, PhD, Author of Out of Darkness

How does a member of society get to the point where brutality get public attention but no public intervention or public outcry? It becomes the shame of a society when we get reports of a weekend of carnage in cities like, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. These violent incidents become the acceptable norm rather than a moral call to action. In the spring of 2016, a video was posted on social media of a young lady being brutally beaten by a young male and you could see clearly onlookers and bystanders watching, smiling and laughing. We could raise the question they may were afraid and did not want to get involve. But the signifying, smiles and laughers suggest they were embracing the role of a spectator. The Irish statesmen and philosopher Edmund Burke, said more than 100 years ago:

 “The only things necessary for the triumph of evil was that good men should do nothing.”

This writer will hold his judgement on the weighing

in on these spectators and who believe that these spectators’ basic nature is good.

Meanwhile the triumph of evil has increase and become embolden, due to inaction. Even the President of the United States of America is leading the charge in his callous and disregard for other segments of Society. On January 15, 2018 the New York Times wrote an article on President Donald Trump, entitled, Donald Trump’s Racism: The Definite List. The writers David Leonhardt and Ian Prasad Philbrick cited a plethora of statement by the leader of the “free world”.  Society have become so consume with violence that the seed of doubt is restricting any movement toward decisive action. And when accompany with fear, we can expect more senseless violent.

There was always one pattern that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr consistently reverberated with clarity in his speeches on complacency and inaction. Those who do nothing while witnessing injustice and wrong-doing do worse than those who commit acts of injustice. For example, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Where do we stand in moments of comfort and

convenience? Is it wise to not disturb the status quo while yielding rewards in a period of comfort and convenience? Or is it cowardly to do nothing at a time our livelihood is being challenge? Or how should we handle mixed feelings and controversy surrounding the construct of our existence? Again this writer has offer you an example by withholding judgement. If, in a court of law, a man is considered innocent until he is proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt then we must restrain ourselves and save our judgement for later. Because what we are witnessing is an ever-evolving people and society still growing, learning and becoming but not yet have come to know who or what they are.

Prophet Muhammad said, “ Whosoever of you see

evil, let him change it with his hands; and if he is not able to do so then let him change it with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart – and that is the weakest of faith {Muslim}

This is an important saying because it show that a Muslim should not be an innocent bystanders. Every member of society is obliged to do something to stop wrong doing. A reasonable question to raise would be why? And a reasonable answer would be because all of humanity is held in judgement by a higher source for the flourishing of evil either through participation or inaction. And to be blameless in this hour is to begin with our conscience also refer to as the self-accusing spirit. This is the voice within that lament for peace and calm. This mean the voice of the people that desire peace and calmness and stability must come together. This move us from division to a more perfect union. It also mean living beyond the normal restrictions of these divisions. The single most important thing is to point out the wrong in ourselves before we can point out the wrong in other. When we point our index finger at others, three fingers point back at us. Maybe because we are three times as guilty so it takes courage and fortitude to do the right thing.

There is a moment in everyone life when they receive

clarity about their intent, purpose, morals and principles. The Ancient Greeks call it a kairotic moment from the word Kairos which mean the right, critical or opportune moment. The ancient Greeks had two words for time. Kairos and Chronos. While chromos refer to chronological or sequential time. Kairos signifies a proper and opportune time for action.

This point of clarity is important because if, the only

thing necessary for the triumph of evil was that good men should do nothing then this level of clarity will pose the best challenge to evil. So we have to consider the three dimension of time; past, present and future. Each dimension is a moment. No matter how expanse the moment is in time. For example we are not handcuff to the past because what has happened is done. So fear, worry, danger, apprehension is a non-factor. And we can’t stress about the future or what may or may not come. There is no detriment to us. But in the present dimension, we have to inhale pure oxygen and truth of our past and exhale any contamination before entering our future. This is a moment in our lives we will all experience. Courage rise up in this moment. There are no restriction or attachments in this moment. There is but one outcome for us to do in this moment and that is to right wrong. Evil can no longer triumph on our watch.

“When people are solely focused on the pursuit of

their own interests, they have all the potential to be unempathic. At best in this state, they are in a world of their own and their behavior will have little negative impact on others. They might end up in this state of mind because of years of resentment and hurt (often the result of conflict) or, as we see, for more enduring, neurological reasons.” From Science of Evil: On Empathy and the Origin of

Cruelty by Simon Baron-Cohen p. 24

Empathy requires you to know the keys of one’s life. We must be willing to walk with them and travel the same path they have travelled. We must understand where they are rather than where we want them to be. People that know right from wrong and can distinguish truth from falsehood and can see your sincerity. They can also see duplicity, manipulation and preconceive ideas with no basis of their concerns. We must make unempathic people safe enough to open up and trust one’s example, conduct or character. One’s characters radiates and communicate sincerity. Our character must measure up to our words. People will need the comforting words but won’t feel safe to open or expose their opinion and experiences because of such duplicity, manipulation, or the preconceived ideas with no basis of their concerns. People will only open up when you understand their unique situation and feelings. This is the only way you will be able to advise and counsel them.

We must build our skills of empathic listening on a

basis of character that inspires openness and trust. I’m talking about listening with the intent to understand and not be understood. When one is trying to be understood it involve talking when you should be listening. Empathic listening is that you fully, and deeply understand that person; emotionally as well as intellectually. Empathic listening involves much more than registering, reflecting or even understand the words that are said. Once we intimately understand through our connection with people, the problem of narcissism and emotional erosion will be dealt with. This is the moment we offer a prescription, a solution and precede to help them. We often write prescriptions before conducting a thorough examination and diagnosis of the situation. If a medical professional can be held liable for offering a prescription before knowing what is wrong then we can be held in judgement for offering our advice before listening with empathy. And more important than anything else we can cause irreparable damage to such person or persons.

      So in order to stop the triumph of evil, we must understand the origin of conflict.