Mercy! Mercy! That Dang Nabed PERCY!

Evil

I’ll be quoting from a book I’m reading but I won’t reveal the author at this time. There is a human tendency that I often refer to as “love me/love my dog.” My experience in the Military taught me that often those we don’t agree with and indeed dislike, are dismissed to quickly without listening to what the have to say. For example in the debates raging in this country over politics, one side often refuses to listen to what the other is trying to say. Conservatives listen to Fox news and radio talk shows and the Liberals to the mainstream media. Since I think that Fox News makes an attempt at being “Fair and Balanced” I listen more to that outlet, but not to the exclusion of other sources that express a more liberal point of view.

It is also my experience that there is more to be learned from listening to our “enemies” than in listening to our “friends.” Thus I’m not going to name the author of the book I am currently reading for fear that one side or the other will quit reading. I will however, name the book and Author before moving on from this series of blogs.

When I retired (early) from the Military I was Chief of Staff of a large organization that had a strategic mission with a worldwide scope of operations. I worked for a General Officer who was the commander. After awhile I noted he had a character trait where he either liked someone or hated them. Those he liked could do no wrong and those he disliked could do no right. For one member of my staff the General took an intense dislike. Nothing Lieutenant Colonel “Smith” did was good enough and the commander publicly and privately nitpicked and belittled this subordinate for no reason I could discern.

One morning in a briefing the General really went over the top in humiliating Smith. After the briefing I called him on it.

“What came over you, sir,” I asked privately afterwards, “attacking him like that in front of everybody?”

“Did you ever meet somebody you just simply hated?” he replied. “Somebody you despised viscerally, from the very first moment you set your eyes on them?"

“No,” I answered, “...can’t say as I’ve ever had that experience."

“Well Bob,” he continued, with a penetrating stare, “I woke up this morning feeling wicked.”

As I looked into his eyes I knew his words were an honest expression of truth. I also realized I could no longer serve him and put in my request for retirement.

In an earlier blog I posted some quotes that express my views on a concept often referred to as “Evil.” I will be talking more about this in the days ahead.