The great evil of the 'lesser evil'
How the Devil corrupts the virtuous
Did you ever feel cornered, forced to choose between only two calamities? Did you feel like you’d rather take a punch in the face than a knife in the gut?
Do you prefer the lesser evil over the greater one? Fine. I can understand that... We have all been guilty of choosing an arbitrarily defined “lesser” evil - an evil that is lesser for us, perhaps, but not for others.
I say ‘guilty’ because we are never innocent for choosing any level of evil, despite our self-righteous excuses. Besides, the lesser evil implies a false dichotomy… and there is always a third choice, and fourth one. Beyond a false dichotomy of only two choices lie other choices - principled ones - that we are too cowardly and weak to consider. Even not choosing is a valid choice. Even choosing both options of a false dichotomy can be an alternative. Yet we choose the most convenient evil because it suits us to deem it the “lesser” evil, never pausing to ask ourselves “lesser for whom?” And this implies that we trust our mental capacities enough to accurately discern which of two evils is actually lesser, and by whose standard.
The problem with choosing the lesser evil is that we lose sense of what is good.
We forget that the lesser evil is still evil (assuming it is indeed the least possible evil we can choose). If we feel morally justified for choosing an evil - albeit a lesser one - we become morally corrupt, since we confuse lesser evil with good.
The greatest evil is the lesser evil because it corrupts the virtuous.
The ‘lesser evil’ makes choosing evil seem good. The twisted thought process behind the ‘lesser evil’ psychopathy is utilitarian Marxism - the sick notion that any atrocity is somehow “justified” as long as someone’s convenient definition of an arbitrary “greater good” may perhaps be achieved. No evidence is required as to what constitutes evil lesser or greater (and for whom).
Proponents of the ‘lesser evil’ insist that, if you keep choosing the lesser of the two, you’ll keep minimizing evil… and in time, you’ll make evil disappear. Yet, the opposite occurs…
Evil presents itself as “lesser” when it threatens you with an even ‘greater evil.’ Classic good-cop-bad-cop routine… So, evil wins.
Evil is perpetuated and maximized specifically because of our justification and sanctification of the “lesser” evil.
The Devil wins when we willingly choose evil, and then excuse ourselves that it is somehow “lesser.” When we consider ourselves good for choosing evil - even a “lesser” one, we corrupt the meaning of ‘good,’ and we can’t even tell what is good anymore.
We do evil, then pat ourselves on the back for choosing the “lesser” one. It is precisely this excusing of evil that corrupts us beyond redemption. It is the lesser evil’s waiving of moral accountability that erodes all that is good.
Evil stops when we refuse to choose between the false dichotomy of cartoonish “greater” and “lesser” evils. Not choosing any evil is a viable third option - always - but it requires sacrifices most are unwilling to make. You can choose no evil. It’s just that we’re too blind and cowardly to admit it.
The lesser evil is not good; it’s just the most convenient evil.
Thank you for reading. I appreciate your time.
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A bit ironic, that "greater or lesser evil" choices come from an ideology that purportedly values "the greater good" at the expense of any individual or group--as you say, the question of "lesser evil for whom?" is never asked.
You say: "Proponents of the ‘lesser evil’ insist that, if you keep choosing the lesser of the two, you’ll keep minimizing evil… and in time, you’ll make evil disappear. Yet, the opposite occurs…" Nowhere is this clearer than in our elections, at least here in the US, where there are always only two choices (we are one of only 3 countries in the world with a two-party system). Continually choosing the "lesser evil" has only resulted in each election cycle presenting us with two even more evil choices than the previous ones. As long as people keep holding their nose to vote for the one they think is less bad, they are perpetuating the choice of two bads, and this can never lead to any better choices being offered.
Excellent read 🤝 I’ve never voted in my life! When all parties offer mere scraps from their table in return for your vote and all parties include the screwing over of many, I chose not to participate in the heinous game!