Nature of Evil

If we examine evil as being an aberration; something that is not normal within humanity, we may well miss its evolutionary advantage. Although we are all capable of stupid acts, some of which might have tragic consequences; very few of us are actually capable of performing malicious evil acts, say of purposely and deliberately harming others, for pleasure. The evil lack empathy for others. They have moral autism. In most traditional societies, those who're perceived to be evil are driven out. They are ostracized. Contemporary societies, because they are so large, help to conceal those that are evil. In societies that lack a universally accepted code of conduct, such as in the United States, the evil can flourish and thrive, even attaining election to high public office.