caughtinanetwork | [Video] 02nd Rule

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[Video] 02nd Rule

[Looks like Joshua's up in a tree somewhere. There's a thoughtful expression on his face.]

“In each of us, two natures are at war – the good and the evil. All our lives the fight goes on between them, and one of them must conquer. But in our own hands lies the power to choose – what we want most to be we are.” A quote from an author named Robert Louis Stevenson.

[He now looks at the screen.]

How much of that is true, do you think, Vatheon? Do you think it's through choice or nature for one to be considered "good" or "evil?" Or do they even exist at all in a pure state?

[An amused smile.]

I confess that I might be looking for a debate on the subject, but it's also out of curiosity.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I don't think anyone can be pure good or pure evil. There's always- at least a little bit of the other, even if you don't think so.

So, essentially, there are shades of grey instead of black and white?

Yeah, I guess so.

I mean, sometimes it's hard to even know what "good" or "evil" is. You might choose to do what you think is right, and not even realize it's hurting someone.

That's certainly true. The line gets blurred, and sometimes a good cause can turn into something unpredictably awful. Do you think the reverse is also true? That a terrible act can actually turn out to be a good decision in the long run?

...I don't know.

I guess if you can accidentally do something bad, you can accidentally do something good. But- I think it'd be harder.

Sometimes, a bad deed can be salvaged or 'transmuted' into a good outcome. For example, if a 'bad guy' didn't do the things he or she did, then how would the hero ever learn to face the hardships and grow from those experiences?

...isn't that kind of stretching it?

It depends on the events that fall after that single start. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one single step," after all.

But it'd be better if the hero wasn't needed.

Isn't a hero always needed to set an example for people? Or for people to look up to them? Try to emulate who the hero is as a person?

People don't need to try being heroes all the time. They just need to be people.

Sometimes, people need an ideal or a goal. An ideal so that they can foster hope. A goal for themselves as people. Some people may look to Hercules and wish to have his strength. Perhaps not his physical strength, but certainly the strength of his heart and how immortal he is in the minds of everyone. Or maybe they look to Odysseus, who used his wits and intellect rather than typical heroic feats to really shine through.

Instead of just being themselves?

It's like having a role model, really. They're people they look up to for one reason or another. Sometimes, people idolize a best friend or family member and consider them their hero.