Comments on: Stupidity vs. Malevolence: Which is worse? http://www.byrnecreative.com/blog/2009/11/stupidity-vs-malevolence-which-is-worse/ Design - Mac - Web - Politics - Football - More Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:41:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Martha http://www.byrnecreative.com/blog/2009/11/stupidity-vs-malevolence-which-is-worse/comment-page-1/#comment-113 Martha Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:19:34 +0000 http://www.byrnecreative.com/blog/?p=153#comment-113 I have been thinking a lot about this today. I agree with Drew that stupiditiy/ignorance is generally easier to forgive, and in the aftermath it is easier to trust that the issue will not reappear if it was addressed. Education fixes ignorance, but I don't know of a cure for malevolence. I will definitely forgive my friends for doing something dumb or hurting me out of ignorance or misunderstanding, but I will not forgive them for hurting me intentionally. At the same time, seeing the family at the hospital that was feeding the 8 month-old candy and grape soda is a great example in my mind of malevolent ignorance. I cannot (or choose not to) believe that if those parents knew what harm they were inflicting on their child, they would have continued, but at the same time, not educating themselves on what is appropriate to feed to a baby is a malevolent act. How could they not know that there are things that are harmful? And knowing that such things exist, it was a choice to not find out what they are and then avoid them. Ignorance and willful ignorance are different, as are educated malevolence and malevolence. Isn't punishment an act of malevolence? If I give a student a lower grade on his homework because he is lazy, and I can tell he could be performing better just with a little more effort is, in my mind, different than giving a student a lower grade just because I don't like him. Different, and more acceptable somehow. Is there such a thing as justified malevolence? I guess that's what I'm trying to get at. I have been thinking a lot about this today. I agree with Drew that stupiditiy/ignorance is generally easier to forgive, and in the aftermath it is easier to trust that the issue will not reappear if it was addressed. Education fixes ignorance, but I don’t know of a cure for malevolence.
I will definitely forgive my friends for doing something dumb or hurting me out of ignorance or misunderstanding, but I will not forgive them for hurting me intentionally.
At the same time, seeing the family at the hospital that was feeding the 8 month-old candy and grape soda is a great example in my mind of malevolent ignorance. I cannot (or choose not to) believe that if those parents knew what harm they were inflicting on their child, they would have continued, but at the same time, not educating themselves on what is appropriate to feed to a baby is a malevolent act. How could they not know that there are things that are harmful? And knowing that such things exist, it was a choice to not find out what they are and then avoid them.
Ignorance and willful ignorance are different, as are educated malevolence and malevolence. Isn’t punishment an act of malevolence? If I give a student a lower grade on his homework because he is lazy, and I can tell he could be performing better just with a little more effort is, in my mind, different than giving a student a lower grade just because I don’t like him. Different, and more acceptable somehow. Is there such a thing as justified malevolence? I guess that’s what I’m trying to get at.

]]> By: Drew http://www.byrnecreative.com/blog/2009/11/stupidity-vs-malevolence-which-is-worse/comment-page-1/#comment-112 Drew Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:09:35 +0000 http://www.byrnecreative.com/blog/?p=153#comment-112 They are both bad, and 'which is worse' depends a lot on context for me, I think. In the most general terms, I think I agree that idiocy is more easily forgiven, but there are definitely limits. Some stupidity is really tantamount to malevolence in my view. This may be a different category than the class of idiotic things you were considering, let's call it selfish indifference, which I think carries elements of both stupidity and malevolence. That is, someone knows full-well (or should by any reasonable measure) the consequences of their actions (or lack of action), but willfully devalues all collateral damage in their decision making. I also I think I am more likely to give malevolence a pass if I understand the source for the ill-will and view it as being justified, or at least rational (this is most easily done when you are not the target of the ill-will). Malevolence borne from blind ambition, spite or other petty, unjust things ends someone very low on my list. They are both bad, and ‘which is worse’ depends a lot on context for me, I think. In the most general terms, I think I agree that idiocy is more easily forgiven, but there are definitely limits. Some stupidity is really tantamount to malevolence in my view.

This may be a different category than the class of idiotic things you were considering, let’s call it selfish indifference, which I think carries elements of both stupidity and malevolence. That is, someone knows full-well (or should by any reasonable measure) the consequences of their actions (or lack of action), but willfully devalues all collateral damage in their decision making.

I also I think I am more likely to give malevolence a pass if I understand the source for the ill-will and view it as being justified, or at least rational (this is most easily done when you are not the target of the ill-will). Malevolence borne from blind ambition, spite or other petty, unjust things ends someone very low on my list.

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