Over the summer, I read Robert Greene's exceptionally well-punctuated blog: "Power, Seduction and War." There are things about it I dislike, things I love and things that have me thinking for days on end. Incidentally, he wrote The 48 Laws of Power, which, Niah, I think you would LOVE and also The Art of Seduction, which, is a very eye-opening read!
Anyway, I was reading an older post called "In Praise of the Bad Guy" and it was one of the ones that really had me musing for quite some time.
The theme of this post is that we are drawn to what we perceive is the dark side of human nature, and presumably, the dark side of ourselves. He cites certain examples of classic "villains" both real and fictional and in those we are not talking about ritualistic serial killers or people who harm animals or children per se. From virtually every standpoint, that type of "dark side" is reviled, as of course it should be.
However, there exists, in all of us, an unmistakable desire to do "the wrong" thing (his assertion), and the more we call those people who act on that desire out on it, the stronger the pull is either to the person or to the act. In his exact words: "The strength of their denunciation equals the strength of their attraction."
He goes on to say, in what may be the most controversial opinion in the entire piece, that we are drawn to certain villainous characters such as the pimp, the seducer, the hustler etc because they are more GENUINE than we are. They recognize their dark side and rather than try to hide it or deny it completely, they act on it.
We will be reading this entire piece in class I think, because I want you to get the full context of what he is saying and I am really curious to hear what you all think. For now though, taken only what I've said here into consideration, do you agree with Greene or disagree? Also to be considered of course is: Do you have a dark side?
Naturally, you must support what you are saying with thoughtful and relevant examples.(450 words/65pts)
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41 comments:
Greene makes a point in many ways because there has to be a good side in everyone it ijust depends on how you want to act. Always behaving sometimes gets boring and people like to react at the moment to make a little thrill in their life even though its something you shouldn't being doing.wrong doing is exilarting of feeling that you normally don't feel such as anxious, mischief, and thrilling that gots your body all jumpy and wired up which makes your brain think it can do anyhting you want. usually people don't react this way but i understand that it some what needs to happen once in a while. i am not trying to say go kill or injure people but there are many ways to act wrong in a different way that makes your blood start pumping so quickly and you can hear your own hearbeat, just like when you get on a roller coaster before your cart goes over the drop.
Another thing that Greene spoke that caught my eye is that people are usually attracted to those who act more on the bad side. i believe its true, people who don't act like a pimp,a drug dealer, or a hustler want to put themselves near them it is because they want to cunsome some of their lifestyle since they don't have the will power or their confedence they have in their lifestyle.
I know that i have a bad side but i don't responded on my urges to act bad that much because when i do it usually gets my ass in trouble. i quess i am not bad i am just a normal teenages who take the wrong path sometimes. it just ends up you meet the wrond people who you believe they are showing you the right way to go but then one day you realize you don't got shit because you messed up already listening to stupid people who don't know their head from their ass. I made mistakes such as trying drugs and actually enjoying them until i realized my grades were getting worse, and i was always getting in trouble with the family becasue they always thought i had an additude. i learned from my mistakes but i still sometime react in a bad way but nothing in a way that it will become a huge problem anymore.
I am shocked beucase im usually the person who doesn't want to read any bull crap that teachers say we need to read but what this Greene author is talking is something that has me interested where i want to keep reading more. He has a grerat opinions and he know how to make people deeply think into topics.
Greene’s piece is looking very interesting to me and I am anxious to read it, but for now I will agree with him. “The strength of their denunciation equals the strength of their attraction” means to me the worse they are the more dominant they are. We are very attracted to those with power and high authority which I believe people to what they do, such as pimps, seducers, hustlers, etc. People also could have dark sides for different reasons as well though. Such as coming from a certain area or background and believing that they need to be that way. The ghetto, to me, is a very funny but amazingly dangerous place. Kids there think that they need to act ‘hard’ or be the rawest one there for the respect. In my eyes, who wants respect from a person who sells drugs, rapes, steals, or even kills which will only last you a only little bit of time when the respect from someone who is successful will last you a lifetime. This might be the only case in time when it is okay or allowed to hide your feelings. If you hide your feelings and don’t cat on these ‘dark’ feelings, there would be less killing and negative things going on in our world today. Who are people to judge us, when we can all be strong. I think that not only every single person walking this earth has… their own type or perception of a dark side. Some people, like me, choose to not show it or hold it in. My dark side although, is my weakest point, I did something bad to a person I really love and it messed everything all up. I do regret it but I haven’t done anything wrong since than to resemble my dark side which is the positive part. Not only me but everyone’s dark side is their weak side. But sometimes people’s weak side is their strong side, its all one big circle of confusion. Bottom line, all people have a dark side, but not all people act on that dark side. Okay hustler, seducers, and pimps might be more genuine to us on a certain level but they will never amount to anything.
I do not think anyone is born evil. No one should be automatically characterized as being on the dark side. Sinful acts, that some may see as evil, are developed over the years while you are finding yourself. The habits that you develop while growing contribute to you and your beliefs. These habits are mostly influenced by the environment that you grow in and the people that greatly influence your life. Although I am not sure who Robert Greene is, I find a lot of his points to be true. We are drawn to villainous characters, because they are more genuine than the average person. But after a while, how genuine are they really? They are not scared to hide emotions they have and express themselves the way they truly feel. They can accept themselves, even if it is not the popular thing. Also, if they see that people do not favor their behaviors, they do not change their selves for anyone else. They are who they are; you can take it or leave it. But how much attention does it take for a person to stop being so genuine and start acting on their feelings to please their audience? When it comes to the pimp, the seducer, the hustler etc., these people who are looked upon as sinners are doing nothing more than living the life that they want to live, being who they really are. However, "The strength of their denunciation equals the strength of their attraction." This is true. The more attention and criticism that you give to an individual, will in fact provoke them to continue their behavior. Most people, who do things that are looked upon as wrong, are doing it for the attention. Attention is what most villainous characters are seeking. Pimps, seducers, and hustlers seek money to flaunt. The money that they can show off and the nice things that they can buy gain them attention. That money provokes them to live up to the expectation that they feel they should fulfill. Gang members seek respect within their community. After being characterized as a gang member, those individuals feel as though the attention they receive for having that label, gives them respect. That respect provokes them to live up to the expectation that they feel they should fulfill. The attention that villainous people receive provokes them to continue their behavior, and even exaggerate their behavior. I do not feel as though I am villainous. I do have outbursts sometimes of negative emotions, I argue, I am outspoken, but let’s face it, everyone has bad days. It is human nature to experience angry or sinful feelings. It happens to everyone, it does not make them bad people. People are who they are, they choose the lives they live.
I agree because every one gets curious about the life of a villain every now and then. The people who engage in vilaines actions or activities are not all bad people they just didn't have enough disapline in their life or didn't have good guidence when thay were growing up. If you have guidence and dicapline in your life you will be able to resist the urge to do some thing bad. Knowing right from wrong is another thing, there are some people who just didn't learn or weren't tought write from wron so they don't know that what they are doing is wrong. Beleave it or not I do have a darker side to me, I get very angry some times and I don't say some of the nicest things or do some of the nicest things but I am able to control my anger and thus I don't get as angry as I used to.
Mr. Greene makes a good point, and I would totally agree. I read a little bite of his book "48 Laws of Power" last year with Mr. Hall. And defiantly think his good writer.(and Niah you would like it) his surely believes greatly in what he writes about. But anyway I think everyone has evil in them and it just depend on there surroundings that make there evil sides come out. I also believe as an society we are attracted to those with power and high authority which may lead some to do acts that would be consider evil. People also could have dark sides for different reasons such as coming from a certain area or background and believing that they need to be that way to fit in with the people in those places.
Not everyone is born with darkness, but the society they live in turns them that way.
I surly have an bad side but because of how my parents are would can defiantly say I will never act on that side ever again. At least not for now, maybe in five years when my parents cann't beat my ass anymore. but darkness is something that has to be brought out in people.
After reading the blog and pondering about what Robert Greene had said, I think I do believe that what he is saying is true. If you ever have seen “Made” on MTV then you can kind of see what Greene was talking about. If not, then let me fill you in, Made is about high school students who are stuck in a click and they wish to be someone different for a day. So then MTV sends a coach of some kind to them and then the coach teaches the student how to be the person that they are tiring to betray. Some of the students who go on the show are jealous of the people that they are tiring to be. The students are usually the complete opposite of the person they want to be. Like the punk- rocker chick who wants to be a prom queen or the straight “A” student who wants to be a jock. They spend all their time doing what they do best that their jealous of the people who have what they want. The students on that show are not wishing to be evil people like Greene is talking, but they do wish to be someone who has everything that they want, which is kind of what Greene is talking about. The people Greene is actually talking about are like the priests who say that they are celibate with god and then they go and molest children. Most people in this world do have or wish to have a dark side, but normal people don’t wish to be molester or serial killer bad just normal old bad. Like me, in my mind my dark side is like a Joan Jett kind of person, someone who doesn’t care what other people think about her and acts like a tough rocker chick. She’s not bad like The Joker, but she has the persona of being someone you don’t want to mess with.
Based on what I just read I agree with Greene. When people find the dark side of them or someone else they are attracted to it. I think I know why. When someone's dark side is revealed it is more appealing to people than their norm. People go day by day with the intensions of being a good person. When things go wrong and a person's bad side is brought out everyone is either entertained or shocked from it. From that moment on people would want to see your bad side more often. It is the type of thing where you are not guaranteed to see that type of thing again so you try your best to make it happen.
There is also the case where you are attracted from your own bad side. This is because you never felt this type of feeling before, and at the moment it feels better than how you felt before. You feel a stronger sense of power you never felt before and you enjoy this feeling. For example, in the Spider - Man 3 movie, Spider - Man put on the black suit he enjoyed the strength and power that he had. He lived his life on this suit which brought his bad side. The only thing wrong with it is that he had no problem with his dark side until it slowly destroyed his life. It took an even stronger power from himself to remove this suit. This is also an example of how people are attracted to other people's bad side. This movie was a success because people wanted to see a good guy go bad. It brings attention because it's completely different from what you normally see this person. You get attracted to it because you are entertained from what you don't normally see from this person.
Yes like everyone I do have a bad side. I try to stay away from this side because it is not something I want to live my life on. When people see my dark side they are attracted to it. The reason is because it is not something you see every day from me. When I get mad I cannot control myself. The last time I was mad was during the football game. I don't know why that day was different than others, but I let my anger out on the field. When other people see my dark side it is somewhat entertaining to them. The reason is because I am generally a nice person. I think everyone has a bad side in them. Some may think not, but that is because they either deny it, or they haven't seen or noticed their dark side yet.
It’s usual for us being what society molds us to believe. From Louis XVI’s reign to Hitler’s, we do what we are told is ‘right’ later on knowing it was ‘wrong’. Apologize for our mistakes for believing in them and then move on...…………....what?!!?!?!?! It’s true though. Humans are just a lot more naturally attracted to their dark instincts before their light. I consider it temptation and temptation can be just SUCH a huge jackass and sometimes there is not enough self-control in one to ever be able to say “no”. It starts when you’re born a/k/a our foundation. We slowly learn to perceive by what we know and by the age of 18, hopefully we all know between right and wrong but how many people in the world still do “wrong” anyways, still KNOWING the action they have whatever taken is wrong. Half of the times, we don’t even bother making things ‘right’ either but instead, hide. And then it becomes a cycle… whether you’ve found yourself a religion or something to get rid of the ‘bad thoughts’, excuses for there is still that darkness that consumes you solemnly and it depends whether you choose, day-by-day, to give in or not. The examples of characters that get pimped out and seduce and hustle that some may even grow to worship, cannot be considered genuine just because they act on a certain desire but instead, considered more true to their cause and to themselves just because they act upon what they believe and some of us didn't think of doing so first. To me, we all have a certain image that we either choose or not choose to portray depending on our surroundings. A drug lord may or may not portray himself that way because of what has come to affect him, maybe. Such as hate, jealousy, vengeance, beliefs, and things of that nature…that could also make a person to be the way they are as well. Excuse me for my ramblings but those emotions don’t create a more genuine person. A person who is considered to be more good, great, genuine, all the G words combined that make a person awesome in others’ eyes, would you ever try but to think that maybe it’s all a façade? Greene has a point to what he’s saying but did Greene ever try and think more outside the box? That maybe it all goes back to what society thinks? Each generation, we create a new trend. This generation, we have anti-social outcasts who believe they are what make the world go round. Lets leave that for others to decide, and themselves. As for me having a dark side... it's not having a dark side, but more so a dark past... don't we all?
I agree with Greene he has made a good assumption as to all people. Some people will disagree as to them having a darker side. Everyone has a dark side but like the blog only some people show it. As everyone has it they can choose through their life it they want to show it or to hold it in. Most people I believe have urges to let their darker side show through. Often people do bad things. Even though most of the time they are perfectly nice they have to sometimes let out those evil feelings. Most evil villains will let all of there feelings out it is just the fact that the more prominent ones are the bad or evil traits that shows through the most. All people have different levels of evil feelings. This is why we have all types of people in this world. You have nice people who have a little bit of the evil but most don’t see it. Then you have the people that are half evil and half nice. These are the kind of people that can be nice but at times they are very mean or always being rude to other people. There are to more kinds of people left. There are the really evil ones who no one likes and these are the people that are the evil villains in stories. Then there are the really rotten pedestrians. These are the people that no one likes and have no friends because they always treat people as if they are the world and these people are also the kind of people that are conceded. It all depends on what kind of person you are and how you like to treat others.
I would like to begin with a fact I believe nearly all people have come to terms with by now. It is no secret; all humans are born with a sort of “dark side.” No one is perfectly innocent in this world; I believe our race proves that time and time again with the numerous wars and other issues which rise on a nearly daily basis. However, it is not these serious problems that call out the facts. No, it is the smaller actions that give proof.
An example; you’re having a bad day and you don’t want to be bothered. This is natural; we all have our moments where we don’t want to deal with life. We avoid others, claim we’re busy, anything to escape responsibility for another. In doing such, we may ignore another’s cry for help or needs for our own selfish desire for solitude. This is just promotion of evil, our own emotions.
We don’t need a mood to guide us though. Nay, even on a good day, that little voice in the back of our head urges to go against standards in order to get what we want. Though we may smile and hold back the true feeling, all of us can imagine and dream. A majority of the time, we probably see ourselves doing what we truly wish to do. If approached violently, is the first reaction not to fight back just as ruthlessly? We know this is wrong so why would we even think to do such a thing? It is that “dark side”, that little devil in all of us craving to ignore the rules in order to achieve our own desires. Why do we listen to it though?
Personally, I believe the world around us encourages misbehavior. The life of a villain always seems more exciting, we often look up the bad traits for entertainment. In television shows, who gets more screen time? Though the heroes always win in the end, is it not the villain that gets the most attention? Plotting, planning, the drama that associates itself with it all; is it not meant to entice the viewer? We encourage our own lust to cause trouble; we’re our own worst enemy in a way. The encouragement is all around us. No one guards the milk at school; why not take some? Access to drugs is sadly available, if everyone else is doing it, why shouldn’t you? It is questions like this that doom us, our dark side promotes them and we follow through without concern because in the end it is what we want or believe is what we need.
So I ask; will this cycle ever end? If it is us promoting our own behaviors, why can we not control it? The life of a bully, the life of a criminal, the life of a monster; these stories seem so much more eventful than our own. We crave to be like these people, occasionally going as far as holding them up as role models. Until the respect of this figure and the urge to do wrong is taken away, we have sealed our own fates.
I would have to say that I do agree with the idea this brilliant man has conjured up. It seems as though in today’s world it is desirable to be a Bad A*$ by basically everyone because no one really wants to listen to the rules of society, they just do it because they feel obligated to. I mean sure there are the people who have no urge to do anything bad or rebellious, but for the rest of us there is basically a little fiend in us that gives us the desire to go against everything we have ever been told. I’m sure some people at times just wished they could rob a bank or steal a nice car with no consequences because its fun to fantasize about pulling off such a thing, but most people understand that in the reality we exist in there’s no possible way to do it without being considered a criminal, going to jail, or getting a respectable job because such a felony would follow us our entire life. The reason we care more about living a respectable life then fulfilling the wants of our dark side can be summed up by what Greene says, that "The strength of their denunciation equals the strength of their attraction." Most of us just aren’t as attracted to the desire of doing the wrong thing as the “Pimps and Hustlers” are, so I guess you could say we are in essence afraid to do the wrong or immoral things causing us to in some ways envious of the people who don’t care about the repercussions of their actions. Sometimes it can be how we are raised, or just our attitudes on life. If we are raised in a terrible, conniving, dangerous area we will most likely grow up to be the rule breaker, trying to find a decent way to survive because education may not be available to us. Or if someone just hates life and has a death wish, they could go into the field of Drug Dealing, constantly putting their life at risk. To anyone else that job may seem frightening, or just plain stupid but to the person who doesn’t care it is simply an opportunity to get extremely rich or get shot. Now I don’t know about you, but Drug Dealing doesn’t seem to appetizing to me, which is why I don’t give into my “dark side” because my logic realizes that it’s better to make an honest living without breaking too many rules.
I will admit that I have a dark side to me, and yes, it has revealed itself on some occasions throughout my life. Still, I have never done anything extreme, but they are still incidents that show I have a dark side. I will also admit that I am not afraid to show “the other side of Pete” to anyone, I just choose not to on a normal basis, but when the time comes it will come out, and I can say it usually feels good. Now, I don’t do anything too bad, which is why I never really feel bad about the things I do. They are usually just small little actions that are just enough to fulfill the want of my “dark side” which is enough for me; I don’t like to go overboard. So yeah, I have a dark side, and I think I can confidently say so does a majority of the populace so I suppose it’s just a flaw of human beings. As far as it defining how genuine someone is, well I guess you could say it shows who the real them is which would in fact make them more genuine on that level.
I totally and completely agree with what Greene says. Within ourselves we all have the ability to be bad. Even the nicest person in the world has a dark/bad side. It is also true that we identify with a pimp,seducer,etc because they are who we really are in the inside. Most people don't like to show their dark side for various reasons. One could be that they don't want others to see them differently.Personal presentation is key today in the world. If someone found out your little skeletons in the closet, it could ruin your reputation forever. Some people chose to act on their dark side because they are tired of trying to hide it. The most extreme case of this would be a child molester. They move into a new neighborhood and don't want people to know their secret. Things are good for a while and then all of a sudden they change. The person falls back into the same routine because they are tired of trying to fight it. It's like the conscience thing. The angel on one side and the devil on the other. People get tired of doing the right thing because it doesn't offer any spontainety. Another good example of this would be a new church-goer. They change all of the old stuff they do because they think that it's the RIGHT thing to do. Now it's been 2wks and they're just itching to go to the club. What do you think they would do? They go to the club because they think it's just this one time, nothing bad is going to happen. I know that I have a dark side. It's the one thing that I don't like about myself and don't wish to share. But what I can tell you, is that it rarely ever comes out becaue I try my best to conceal it.
"The strength of their denunciation equals the strength of their attraction." What I get out of this quote is the stronger the feeling against the act the more attractive the act becomes. Kind of like the forbidden fruit it becomes more tempting purely because it is forbidden. You know the fruit is bad but there is something that is drawing you to that fruit. Some people may feel this way however I feel there are other factors to consider. In the case of Adam and Eve this statement would be true. They were in a garden filled with many fruit trees and delicious berries to eat. They were free to eat anything in the garden they choose expect the fruit on that one tree. Although they were not hungry they hungered for what they could not eat. The strength of their denunciation of the fruit equaled the strength of their attraction and they finally give into their desires. Another statement is drugs can enhance human creativity and can achieve a higher level of success then being sober. I am completely against this statement as someone that studies the arts. I m very passionately against this statement but it doesn’t make me hunger for the drugs. I don’t think about doing drugs to achieve a higher level of success, there is no temptation in my mind. This so may be true for some may not be necessary true for all.
Some may say everyone has a dark side that we are born both good and bad. I say define dark side? Most would agree a priest with a secret passion for young children has a dark side. However the adult catholic man who attends weekly mass, and watches porn on a Friday night, does he have a dark side? One most consider whether porn is socially accepted activity or a depraved secret to be kept in the dark. Some may say that porn is a sin and therefore the catholic man has a dark side. However others may say it’s a natural activity for a healthy sexual male. Depending on what you believe will dictate what you think the definition of a dark side.
Are pimps and hustlers really more true to themselves then say an English teacher. Again there are factors to consider. If a pimp grew up with a life long ambition to become a pimp then one may consider that a true statement. However, often those professions are not chosen but rather a result of limited possibilities. Society may want us to believe that the pimp is really being true to himself and someone we should admire rather then admit that this person may have fallen through society’s cracks. One will never know if the child grew up to be a pimp would have chosen that life if other opportunities were available.
As for myself a dark side I m not so sure some dark thoughts I’m only human. On this I will let you draw your own conclusion.
This is a very controversial issue because it is saying that we law abiding citizens are jealous of the lives of say a drug dealer or gangster. I in a way agree with this not necessarily for the same reasons and I also have a spin that I personally believe in. Well Greene does have a point because there have been times where that has crossed my mind. The thing is that when you think of that kind of a life style it is one where you don’t have to do nearly as much as someone who is abiding that law yet you can gain double the amount of money. From that movie Gone in 60 Seconds “I realized that you have to work twice as hard when it’s honest.” This though brings me into my main point though. While I understand and agree with what Greene is saying I have my own take on it. I have felt the way that he has spoken of but the main time that I feel that way is after I’ve watched a gang related movies or programs. These programs and movies not only inform you of the gang but in some cases glorify it. Just like in almost every armed service based movie I’ve ever watched it makes you want to do what they are doing. As young adults we are very impressionable. I have based my choice of career off of a movie that I had watched that day before and before that there was this show that I really liked and that would be a cool job. So as you can see there are a multitude of different things that could influence what us human beings want from our lives and while I believe it can be from our subcocious desires I do not like to block out the media as a large contributor to the outcomes of our lives. I also mentioned money earlier as something that drug dealers can get without as much work as people who get it honestly this also applies to thieves and this is also another reason why someone could look to that as a “career”. Which is the truth, I was actually just having a conversation with my perents about what I want to major in and it all revolved around money which I really don’t like but that’s what the world revolves around. So although I do belive in what Greene said I do not feel that it is the only thing that people think about when they make that choice in their life. That is truly what I believe because I have experience that feeling and personally know what made me want to do it.
Greene’s theory is very interesting and makes a good point in many ways because not anyone in this crazy world is evil, everyone also has their good side to them, I think it just depends on the person. Greene states “ The strength of their denunciation equals the strength of their attraction.” what this means to me is that if a person is the worse the person is, the greater they have of influencing it to others around them. Some people seem to be very attractive to people who have greater power than most around them. Some people might get caught up with the wrong group of friends and they might influence their actions to them and end up doing the same wrong decisions as them. It really depends on what kind of person you are and how well your parents raised you. I don’t think that people wake up one morning and decide to be evil. Others might look at their peers and compare themselves to them and realize what one person has and the other doesn’t. That one person might have so much cloths and money just because he deals drugs, and since the other person envy’s this trait, they might start doing whatever possible in order to be up top with their level. If someone does decide to do this, they might feel like their higher than everyone else and might feel like they have strong sense of power and enjoy the outcome of it. Some people might start to get involved with this kind of lifestyle because they think that they would have more respect and power over other individuals. In my perspective, I know that just because I’m short, I’m not going to start dealing drugs just because I want power over people. I don’t think that’s a way to get respect out of others. I think it’s one of the lowest things in life to do something like this and to put yourself in a dangerous situation. I don’t think that I would be a successful person by lowering my standards and definitely won’t make me happy about myself either. Everyone in this world has an evil side to them, others just decide to use it more than others. The more you attention you are giving the person, the more they would want to continue their behavior. They feel as if they can tell you whatever they want and they expect you to do it, and if not you could suffer the consequences. Who are they to hurt you? Nobody. They just think that they are better then you, but in reality their nothing but trash. I know that I have an evil side to me, but I’ve never seen that part of me come out. It so hard for me to have hatred over someone when I know that I want to get along with everyone. I might get really angry sometimes and say stuff out of anger, but I don’t mean them nor will I go to the extent of hurting someone. It not who I am and I’m glad I didn’t get raised that way. So everyone has an evil side to them, it is just up to them if they decide have that evil come out in them.
How is it that as human beings we're attracted to such a dark side? What actually makes us act so wrongly?
Being kind and gentle most of the time can make people bord, so thats when the need for excitement starts to kick in. It's like a burst of energy pulls you to the dark side, then you're trapped and you a sudden urge inside you builds up to do something wild, thrilling, and most importantly bad. For once, at that moment in time, you become the villian and you can't stop until whatever mischievious plan was storming through your mind.
When you become the villian, even for a short amount of time, everything starts to unfold. People see your true dark side, where there's no escape. Also, when you show your dark side it's as if you don't have a care in the world and nothing else matters but you completing your thrilling mission of bad behaivor.
However, one question comes to mind though, do we really thrive for and envy those who show their dark side? What is the attraction between us and the "villians"? I would like to think that our envious attitude towards them is that they can show every flaw they possess, but it's a constant struggle with those who try to hide every imperfect thing and bottle emotions up inside. We wish and strive for the confidence they have to show their flaws and be proud of them.
I know for a fact, every once i while a little vilian inside of me is screaming to come out. Sometimes, i feel as if it gets tiring always being good and never experiencing thrill. So, I take a break and it feels like a sudden burst of energy crowds over me to do the wrong thing. There just comes a time when I have to let loose and escape from all the bagage life carries, just to enjoy at least one moment of the dark side
First of all, Mrs. Bunje, what a great blog topic. Everyone is attracted to the dark side some point or moment in their life and no one really gives the time to think why and search deep inside what it is that attracts people to it. Sometimes people don’t even notice it in the first place. But I semi-agree with Robert Greene. I do believe that people become attracted to the dark some point in their life, but I wouldn’t say that people intentionally are drawn to it and have desires to do “the wrong” thing. Majority of people don’t really want to do the wrong thing of purpose unless he/she wants to hurt someone or something like that. Few do want to do wrong things and create problems and chaos. I believe that everyone wants to be noticed and everyone wants to be remembered for something. My mom always says this quote to me and I’ll never forget its meaning that “bad attention is still attention”. For example, there are celebrities who do drugs and expose themselves and they go on the dark side by getting arrested. They do it namely for the attention, even if it’s bad attention, I’m sure they enjoy hearing about themselves and leaving a mark in history. If someone really didn’t want the attention for bad things, they wouldn’t do the bad things in the first place I think. The pimps and hustlers that Greene talks about is an example of someone doing bad things to get attention. Now a days, people call each other bad things and take them as compliments. I can’t stand the fact that friends call their other friends the B-word or anything that once had a bad rep, is now, for some odd reason, the thing to be. To be those kinds of bad words is taking credit for being one; and taking credit for being one is doing the wrong thing. B’s and W’s is not a good thing to be. They generally are things you wouldn’t want to be, but in our society, some people go out of their way to go on the “dark side” and get the attention it brings. Everyone has a dark side at some point in their lifetime, otherwise we would never have mistakes to learn from.
Now when I say everyone has a little “dark side” to them, I include myself as well. I’m not perfect, nor is anyone, and I can recount a few times that I had fallen in place to the dark side and portrayed villainous qualities. I have talked about people behind their back, thought horrible things about someone I was fighting with, and lied to some of my peers. They all are dark-side-like qualities and I’m sure everyone has done one or the other before. It’s just things that some people don’t think about and our emotions get in the way and block out our rational ways of thinking. We act upon what is wrong more often than what is right, because we subconsciously strive for the attention and act on what first comes to mind.
Working for Atlantic County Municipal, my dad has often had to portray the look of a business man. Constantly wearing flashy suits, he's forced to act like someone he's not. Even after reading this small excerpt I somewhat agree with what Greene had pondered up. EVERYONE has a dark side, and no matter how much they try to deny it, it’s just natural. So yes, I do have a dark side.
Looking at me, you would probably think I was quiet & kept to myself. Yes, that’s true at times. But unfortunately, I also have an anger problem. This dark side rarely comes out, but trust me its there. Now although I do agree that people have a dark side, I don’t agree that people are drawn to do bad things. I don’t know about you, but I try my hardest not to do things I know are wrong. Simply because of fear of the consequences, and being mad fun of. Who wants to be mocked and make chaos? Exactly. Now I mean, there are those times where I just have an urge to do something wild and crazy, but I try to stay away from what might be considered "Bad".
No one is considered perfect; everyone has done something that would be placed into the “bad” category. I can sit here and ponder all the things I & my friends have done, that you Mrs. Bunje might consider bad. Not because I wanted to, or not because I wanted to be cool, just because it was something that just happened. Ive done fake things, Ive talked about people behind there backs; Ive cursed out my dad, & even lied before. Some might consider this a “villanious” quality.
I’m sure we all day dream about doing something extremly bad, but then reality kicks in and we realize that we can’t actually do something like that an expect not to get caught. So then we through those thought down the drain.
Now to the "hustlas", "pimps", & "hoe's" thing. I DEFINITLY agree with that. I mean I can’t lie, I’m even attracted to hustla's. They walk around flaunting all there jewelry & gain respect from everyone. Who doesn’t want that? Not saying that’s it good thing it’s just natural. I guess you could say I "admire" them. I don’t seem them as villains, or bad people, I just respect that they can actually be themselves & not act like someone there not.
As to what Robert Greene discussed in his piece, I have to say that I don’t completely agree. I believe there is good in everyone, and the "bad" ones choose to be bad. Consequently, everybody makes their choice to either live on the darker or brighter side of life, so our world is assorted with many types of people. To me it isn’t that “we are drawn to what we perceive is the dark side of human nature, and presumably, the dark side of ourselves,” there are those choose to live this way. I, however, do not.
While watching an action movie I, for one, am always impressed by the good character. I admire the heroic and courageous things he/she does. I am not by any means, drawn to the “pimps, seducers and hustlers” because they are “genuine.” That is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard. I believe a genuine person is one who takes the extra step to do the right thing because in most cases, it is exceptionally more difficult. I would never consider a villain to be genuine under any circumstances.
But the question is, do I have a dark side? From what I believe a dark side entails, I do to some extent. I make mistakes of course, it happens to everybody. However, I don’t believe choosing to do the wrong thing on occasion defines you as a villain or “living on the dark side.” For instance, the term “jealousy” came straight to my mind when thinking about someone’s bad side. I get jealous sometimes, just as anybody else. But at least 98% of the time, I do not act upon my feelings of this green monster. Whether it has to do with my boyfriend or another girl, I care too little to let jealousy take over me. So I guess you could deem that the 2% left over is what makes up my bad side.
I agree that we all have the ability to be bad. For personal experience, I can tell you that there are days where some girls need to get rocked (especially in soccer). If you’re doing something to deliberately hurt/anger me, I’m going to act in response to it (this is within my 2%). But I’m only doing that because something bad was done to me. I honestly do not like to hurt people; it just makes me feel terrible. But if someone intentionally does something to harm me, I’m not going to care as much about how they feel, I’m solely going to act upon the situation.
Despite all, I believe that life is full of choices, and how you choose to live if just another one to add to the bunch. There is good and bad in all, but it’s up to you to decide which you want to reveal. Reading Robert Greene’s entire piece should be interesting because from what I can see, there are so many different opinions on what he has written.
Well in my opinion, I believe Greene is correct on some points, but I also disagree in some areas. That is, the fact that human beings are at times drawn to the “dark side”. There has not been one person who has not thought, did , or even attempted to do anything wrong. Everyone has the urge to do the wrong things just some actually give into the urge and others know how to control it. But I don’t believe that we as people are born with a “dark side” or the urge to do wrong. I believe that the only we are influenced to do wrong or bring out our “dark side”, is from what we see and hear in the environment. The people we grew up with(friends, relatives), the things we see every day (media), the type of language we hear. I think that’s how we drawn to the “dark side”, like when we actually see it happening ( such as what the blog said, pimping, dealing drugs, stealing, even using profanity). But like I said I think the only we develop a dark side is when we see wrong doings actually occurring. For example if a kid sees a man dealing drugs, the kid might become curious and want to know how it all works, and actually go and try it, but just maybe if the kid didn’t see the man dealing drugs, then the kid wouldn’t have the urge to do deal the drugs. Me, myself, I’m not going to say haven’t done anything wrong, because who hasn’t?. Even if its as little as cheating on a test or as big as to getting arrested. And I’m not going to say I don’t have a dark side because everyone has one, it just depends on if you choose to give into it or show it. I also agree with Greene when he says that the “more we call on those who act on the desire to do wrong the stronger the pull is to either the person or the act.” With that said, I think its completely true, because if you have friends who smoke and drink, your most likely to drink and smoke with them. But I’m guessing it all has to deal with curiosity, like I said I’m just guessing because what other reason would you have to do wrong or be drawn to the “dark side“? Maybe people are just curious to see how it feels to do wrong, want to get a taste of the dark side but unfortunately sometimes those don’t know how to get back to the good. But I guess that’s not anyone’s fault except oneself because WE have the choice to decide whether or not to do wrong not anyone or anything else.
What a long day. Odly enough after watching a bunch of old ladies swim for 2 hours i wanted to come home and write my blog..which seems to actually be interesting. Every person definately has a dark side, and thats a bold statement. Ever good girl and smart person and amazing athlete i have ever seen has a dark side no matter what they say. If there were no dark side then why bother to go to school and look absolutely gorgeous everyday. Obviously your trying to show other girls or even guys how much better looking you are than others, and no one can touch with a ten foot poll. The pretty girls may think they are so good, but in the proccess of looking so good all they're doing is showing their dark side at its' best. The athlete as everyone knows has a darkside, becuase without a darkside then why bother with compition. At some point during their sort, whether they are friends with the other team or not, they came to win and will do anything and everything they can to win. And if they are down in the count it's very easy for their temper to flare and even try to hurt anyone that's in their way, which if you ask me is terrible and brought out by the darkside. As far as showing their darkside all the time, not so much, these two people, the pretty girl and the athlete only let their bad side flare out when it's needed. I have a darkside for sure. It's not bad, but maybe some people think otherwise. Sometimes i say things that make people think I'm a terrible person, but in reality i mean no harm by a wrong statement, i jsut like to say what I'm thinking about. But i can honestly say i never go overboard, and i always have a level of self respect and respect to others, and i will say mean things at times, but even i have a line I do not cross. It's tough to say why i say the things i say, most of the time it's just becuase I love talking to people, and you can tell i talk a lot, but what does that hurt? Well when i talk too much the darkside definately comes out, and things slip by that i know I'll hear about later. But it's not a big deal becuase people know who i am and i hope by now they realize my darkside only comes from me trying to help them. Even when it's something they do not want to hear about. Everyone has a darkside Ms. Bunje! I'm curious to hear yours. And all of the quiet people you never hear from. How interesting would it be to learn everyones darkside that you know so little about, you couldn't even guess their favorite color?!
Although my intentions of doing this blog are always good, I always find myself writing it at the last minute every single week. What ever. Anyway, after reading this blog quite a few times, I finally came to the conclusion that I agree with Robert Green. I guess you can say everyone does have a dark side. Even if you refuse to admit it, you know that with every decision you make, in the back of your mind you wonder what could have happened if you didn't chose a certain way out. For instance, let's say last weekend you wanted to lie to your parents and do something they would never in a million years let you do. But, you got scared and decided to do the right thing and just do something "okay" that night. You know that all night, in the back of your mind, you were wondering how much fun you would have had. You were probably so jealous of everyone who got to do what you wanted to so, and you probably wish you could be more like them. I guess that is why we are drawn to villainous characters. We assume that they are actually having more fun, enjoying their life, instead of doing the right thing. So, it definitely makes them more genuine then us. Their not afraid to be themselves, and do what they want. And in which case, many people envy them for their qualities.
Do I have a dark side? Yes. I believe EVERYONE does. I would say my dark side is that when I’m in a bad mood, I take it out on everyone. You could be the nicest person on earth, and I will just give you an attitude, ignore you, or give you a dirty look. Like today, I was in a horrible mood in math, and someone complimented me. I just turned the other way and said nothing. I guess I just don’t care about how anyone else feels at times, and when I’m in a mood like that, it’s really hard to get out of. Sometimes my friends don’t talk to me because it’s that bad. I guess I just don’t give a crap about but myself and when I look back I feel horrible. But good news is that it has gotten better:)
Before I start this blog, I would like to say that I did not fully understand this, so I found the whole blog on the internet and read it. After reading the blog, I would say that I somewhat agree with what Robert Greene is saying. Everybody in the world, including me, has a dark side. Every person during everyday comes to a situation where they think about doing something bad. Most of the time they choose the right thing to do, but sometimes they choose the wrong thing and succumb to the dark side. I was faced with one of these decisions earlier today. I had to makeup a math test during my study hall. I showed my pass to my teacher and then walked to my math class. The test took me about twenty-five minutes to finish. There was twenty minutes left in the period when my math teacher wrote me a pass back to my study hall. I was walking down the hallway when I realized how free I was. My math teacher thought I was in study hall and my study hall teacher thought I was taking a math test, so I could do whatever I want or go wherever I want without getting caught. I chose to go back to class, so I stayed away from the dark side. I did not agree with Greene's blog when he said that people go to the movies to see the villain. I will use the new batman as my example because I just saw that. The whole movie was about the villain (Joker), and I thought the whole movie was great. I did like the villain, but in my mind the best part of the movie was when the hero beat the villain. I think that everybody has a dark side, but whether or not we are bad is only decided by our choices.
I must have been five the first time I stole. It was a set of rings from walmart, I took the rings out the package in the store and put them on my fingers. After leaving the store my father noticed the rings on my hand and realized what I did. He threw every ring out the car window, as my mother popped me. I never stole after that, but I thought about it.
I agree with Greene. People do indeed have an unmistakable desire to do the wrong thing, and the sad part is most of us give into that desire. I want to do “bad” things sometimes but I consider myself honest and trustworthy and normally realize that it’s the wrong thing and can consider the consequences very quickly.
Focusing on people being drawn to villainous characters because they are more genuine, this may offend some but honestly it’s the truth. A lot of us walk around in denial lying to ourselves about who we are and what we’re about. That’s with everything. I know someone who is insecure and just has sex but won’t admit to themselves that they just like sex because that wouldn’t be socially accepted. Instead this person is drawn to fictional characters who are horrible people, but are upfront with there intentions and who they are as people. When people have dark sides they hide them because they know it’s wrong. Men who secretly beat their wives try hard to cover up who they are by overcompensating, when really they’re pitiful evil souls. I’d have more respect for a villain who is honest with there’s, over a closest villain.
Do I have a dark side? No, what you see is what you get. I don’t dress up and rob banks or rob helpless old women on Thursdays. Now I can be dark but that’s natural, a little darkness can’t kill, you need to in order to survive. Nice people only get so far.
I believe in what Greene is saying seldomly because there is not one single human on earth who has not done something bad or wrong, even if it is as simple as letting a friend copy your homework. I do not think that we are all born bad, but we choose to be with certain aspects. We allow ourselves to take on certain personalities and traits around different people. With that said, I do think we are drawn to the "dark side" of people for the most part, especially those who rarely do wrong. Although their "dark side" is usually never a positive outlook, it does let them become unique and genuine. They know what they have done, they know what they are doing, they know where they are going, and they do not hide any aspect of it. Many people, including pimps or hustlers, are actually fond of their "dark side" and take pride in it. To me, very few people take pride in their selves, thus, I think that is why we look up to those who do with their negative actions. I will admit, I myself am attracted to others flaws and negative actions simply because I am a fixer. I always try to fix everyone's problems, therefore, I surround myself with those who have numerous problems, addictions, and negative actions. It is them who make me feel important and needed because in one way or another, they always need my help also.
Unless I'd like to lie out of my butt, there is no way that I could say that I do not have a dark side. I know my flaws, which I am not proud of, but I am not afraid to admit them. I've lied, cheated, stolen, self abused, hurt, and so on. No one is perfect, especially not me. I mainly do these things because I try to go the easy way out and not let someone else hurt me. Instead of allowing someone the opportunity to harm me, I hurt them first, usually emotionally and mentally. It's my own way of survival for the fittest. I usually do not flaunt my dark side like the pimps do, instead I try to hide them, especially addictions. But after struggling and continuing to deal with them, I've learned to accept them. I still do not flaunt them, but I no longer let others' opinions effect me unless they have gone through rehab and the same situation. Because of my dark side, it also makes me believe that there are others like me that feel the need to fix things, and maybe they will eventually fix me.
I still do not feel as though your question was answered and I feel that I may go too into my own emotions, but I just don't know where to stop or what direction to take. So if my blog answers seem a little out there sometimes, I'm sorry but my brain never liked to follow one track.
I agree that humans are drawn to the dark side of nature, but I do not believe that we are born that way. I believe that it's from years of media, fixation on movie characters, and watching the behavior of older individuals that choose to act on bad behavior. Mostly because if we are in a setting where we are comfortable we are prone to acting out, but in a more controled, quiet situation we arent comfortable, and arent quite sure what to do except obey. I do believe we all have dark sides, and it's only a matter of time before it shows. Except it's usually the smallest mistakes that have the most impact on a persons life, in anothers eyes.
After hearing and thinking about what Robert Greene said I would say I have to agree with him. Inside all of us there is a dark side, not always a side that we want to hurt people but a side that we want something and will do anything to do it. Not everyone shows their bad side we just think about how bad you want to win or how bad you want the person to just disappear, but we know that its not the right thing to do so we don’t do it. Other kinds of people think these things and actually take them into action. This never really turns out good because someone may end up getting hurt or some other terrible things. Murderers are the kind of people that take these things in action, just because they want to hurt someone or even kill they think its ok, be realistically its not. Once the person lets out there bad side one time they then think that it is ok to do and people like murderers begin to kill many people. You are not a crazy person if you let out your bad side but you are a crazy person if when you let out your bad side you kill people, and people like that are the reason we have jails.
I myself do have a dark side but not one that’s serious. I always think of certain things that are evil like when I see the person that I just hate I want to just tackle and punch them In the face, but of course I do not do this because I know right from wrong. I also have a dark side when I see expensive things like nice cars and big houses, it makes me just want to just to become a bank robber so I would have enough money to buy them or to just steal them. I do not do these things because I know what the consequences are for these actions and know that it is not worth it. I tend to show my bad side when I don’t get what I want. I’m not a baby I just hate to not get what I want because I usually get my hopes up and then they are crushed when I don’t get it. I usually don’t get too mad and I just keep it to myself and don’t let it get to me but sometimes I just take it out on someone and then later feel really bad about it because I know I acted the wrong way. This is just how human beings are, we have a good side and have a bad side, it’s a completely normal thing and hopefully we all try to show our good side more often.
No one is perfect in life, if people were perfect then there would not be any problems in the world. That one "perfect" person would solve all of our problems. Everyone does have a dark side but some people do know how to hide it and not take advantage of what is implanted in their life. The people who do "the wrong" thing most likely are provoked into doing it, and it keeps going on with them from their friends or enemies. More from the enemies would make this wrong doing happen and make it stronger and people would be more pressured into bad things. I feel that I do have a bad side to me like most people do. It’s that angry side that mainly everyone gets when things do not go the right way. It's not a bad or dark side, just an upsetting feeling or angry when things mess up. Everyone is like that it's just how they choose to handle it makes it "the wrong" thing to do. I know when i make a mistake during a game there are two ways for me to handle it. I could fold up and hate everyone and everything around me and blame everyone for my mistakes, or i can fix it and move on and focus on my next play. But the dark side can come out and that’s when everything breaks down. So you could say that everyone has a dark side it just depends who is the person that it is happening to and how they handle it. The dark side is never better than doing the right thing all the time. The more popular dark sided people are the ones that think that everything is not going their way and that their life sucks and no one is ever going to take the time to listen to them. I think everyone puts these type of people on a higher level and think of the differently. They usually are the ones that take it and use it and become what others try to not be. People have to fight through the temptations and not give in and fall under pressure.
Greene’s post “In Praise of the Bad Guy” seems to be an interesting subject. The notion that we are drawn to the dark side of human nature or the dark side of ourselves is an insightful prospect in which I would have to agree.
In an earlier blogg (human nature…and other oxymorons) there was a question that asked if people were inherently good or bad. This blogg, to me, seems to tie into that question. My answer to that question was that no, people were not inherently bad, but now that I have read this blogg I feel differently. When I think of the dark side of us I imagine those two figures, which are so commonly used in cartoons, of an angel and a devil appearing on your shoulders. Usually, in fact almost every time, the character chooses to give in to the temptation of the dark side. The same principle can be applied to real life, and yes I did just use a cartoon as an analogy to real life. People in everyday life almost always give into the smallest of temptation even though they know that it is wrong. This is why I feel differently about the whole inherently bad or good concept. Before I said it was impossible for people to be inherently bad but now I believe that it is entirely possible, in fact I think all human beings are. This perception of mine explains why I agree with Greene’s assertions because I do believe that all living breathing human beings are born with a tendency to submit to their dark side. Some may give in more than others but all in all every individual, whether they want to admit it or not, does fall victim to their not so innocent ambitions. And yes of course I have a dark side just as everybody else does. And as much as I hate to say it I do submit to my dark side, just as I’m about to do now. Knowing that this blogg is supposed to be four hundred and fifty words I am going to stop typing and go to sleep!
Well i have to say, judging from what was written in this blog, Greene's piece, "Power, Seduction and War.", has definetly intruiged me, not to mention i would have to say I've taken a long while to figure out just how I feel about it. To tell you the truth, I agree and disagree. People are all taught from the get-go to do the right thing and be a good person and you'll lead a healthy happy life, which is something I completely agree with. Then there are those like the pimp, the seudcuer, and the hustler that that are not ashamed to show the dark side of there being. These people are definetly appealing to us, not in every situation, but alot of the time the "villian" is someone that catches our eye, and this I think is because they're openly displaying the parts of them most "good people" try to hide away or even rid themselves comepletely of. We're attracted to this, because I also believe not everyone has a "dark side". Yes, there are flaws in every person, some have anger problems, some inflict in negative activities, but i don't necessarily consider this being someone's "dark side", it's just an issue. So considering that, I'm not completely sure you could say I have a dark side. Yes, I get angry at things and sometimes don't always do just what I should, but that's just me making mistakes in the way I should be. Greene's piece to me seems as if he's saying the greater the rule one breaks, the greater attraction people have to them and that situation, and this I do agree with. As I was getting at before, i think this interests us because it's not what WE do. Most people don't break the rules, and do what ever they feel, so when we encounter someone like this, we want to know more, simply because they live a whole different lifestyle the the one you and I do. All and all I think reading Greene's full piece will be very interesting and will DEFINETLY create some good discusions for the class. :]
After finishing this blog I have come to a decision. I think Greene is correct about everybody having a dark side or an alter ego. In cartoons the evil person never beats the good guy. Batman always beats the joker but the Joker never beats Batman. Everyone normal person thinks about doing something that is against the law. After they think about it they follow there conchus.Your conchus makes you good and evil. Some people break the law because they think it is okay. People that commit crimes were not raised right.That person probably didn’t have the right guidance from their parents. People will do the wrong things if they don't have guidance. When I was 8 years old i took candy out of a store and tried to eat it in the car. My mother noticed it and when i got home that was one of the worst beating i ever got.I do indeed have a dark side. I try containing it and try not to show it. When it shows I become rude and don't care about other people feelings. I say whats on my mind. I definably don’t think my decisions out rationally. I do what ever I am in the mood to do.Only a select few have ever seen my dark side.
I agree with Greene when he says that somewhere inside of everyone there is the desire to do the wrong thing. Somewhere within every person I have talked to they have done something wrong or wonder what it is like to be called to the principal’s office and get in trouble. Every time I hear someone say they want to beat someone up or do something wrong I remind them of consequences such as Saturday detentions and sometimes that works to stop a person from making the wrong choice, but the desire to do it is still there. Whether someone is the genius student with straight A’s and very involved with no discipline at one point has to wonder what it’s like which eventually would cause that person to do something wrong to see what it’s like. Naturally, no person is born genius or born a villain. I know a lot of people who used to be straight A’s and all in sports, but now some of them are the ones I constantly hear those people called down for some type discipline. People develop the way of being good or bad as they grow up and experience different things. In many cases a bad experience can throw a person’s life off the good track and onto a bad track forever. Maybe everything is a pain and things are really hard throughout a person’s life, but nothing says just because a person was all nice and relaxed yesterday and a mean, tough, harsh person on the next day does not mean that they are only good because that’s how they grew up or how they have been so far in their life. Someone could start as an evil or bad person and learn from it and change to a good person overnight. No one is born into one way of acting, but they can be taught as a young child to act a certain way. I personally know that I have a dark side to me. It’s by far my attitude all in words. When I get a little upset or angry I take it all out in words, than everything turns into an argument. I don’t care how innocent someone is classified as or what they classify themselves as. People don’t just develop a dark side from somewhere they grew up because you learn forever never does a person know everything. People develop the way they act and think from people around them and from news reports, TV stars and possibly someone higher up in a community such as a governer. Not just certain people of each category have a dark side, everyone does somewhere inside them. As I mentioned mine is my attitude that acts to kill on a bad day and it can be as simple as an attitude on a bad day or someone who just all around believes in being evil and is than considered a villain.
I don’t completely agree with Robert Greene. I do believe in a way that everyone has a dark side to them. It can be as simple has not liking someone or as bad as wishing they would just disappear off this earth, or even worse. But I don’t think that everyone has a full dark side. They may be some out there but not everyone. Yes, people can do some bad things but that is normal. I don’t think that people are inherently dark. I believe it’s how we were raised and what we were raised around. Most of the things we grow up around and see are bad influences, which could cause the thoughts of doing “dark things.” For example, music these days has a big influence on peoples views. They see these famous people that they may see as their idols singing about guns and drugs etc. Tv shows are all drama filled now. PG-13 movies even use the “bad” curse words now. These are just a couple of things that could influence someone’s “dark side.”
I wouldn’t say I have a “dark” side but yes I have done some bad things. When I think about people having a dark side it think of two-faced people. And I am in no way two-faced. But at the same time I can think of bad things I have done. Once again, I think there are some people who may have their dark sides but I don’t think everyone has a complete “dark side.”
This little introduction to Greene’s piece has left me baffled and fulfilled with suspense. Most people in life have good intentions right? Sometimes it’s just a matter of them being able to complete these good intentions. I feel as if some adolescents are dying to be a good person but because of their atmosphere. I know we have all seen those students in school who give the teacher a hard time just to look the least bit cool in front of their piers but in reality they look like a pack of wolves raised them. Through my last three, inescapable, years of high school I have learned students love to make a scene. And this is most definitely a dark side about 85% of students have and I for one have been there. When we have our piers watching over us of course we yell back at our teacher. Who would turn down disrespecting a teacher, it’s the coolest trend yet. No maybe it feels like it at the time but after you feel worthless. Your teachers don’t yell at you to make you look stupid they are trying to educate you and mold you into an intelligent respectable adult.
Students on a daily basis try to blend in with there surroundings by either trying to be a suck-up, ghetto, fake, whatever it is we all do it. Of course, we all want to fit in but we shouldn’t have to be something we’re not. People who hang out with the gangsters tend to put up this huge front as if they are the toughest things to have ever walked the halls at Oakcrest, and I know we have all seen the students, in which you would think were ATTACHED to our teachers hip if you didn’t no better, the suck ups. These are just disguises to make us fit in, a.k.a a lie. A lie is never good, therefore it is plotted. Plotting usually is bad, therefore leading to a dark side. IF you have to think long and hard of a way to fit in, by not being yourself I think its pretty evil and just plain sneaky. Do you honestly think students want to be known as the ‘bad kids’? They love the attention and feedback they get but they are not truly happy what brings us back to our blog last week. Without loving yourself it’s hard to be a good person. We are all born equal, not our surroundings, but all given life. It is up to us what we do with our life. Some of the poorest people, with horrible lives have grown to be famous and successful. I sometimes think committing something bad, is way easier, then to do what is right. For example, in seventh grade I knew someone who stole this girl’s money, and me being a tattle tale told, under one condition the office didn’t tell, but what do you know a period later everyone knew it was me. I dealt with more consequences then the person who stole the money. Messed up huh? Now that I am older I realize people really didn’t think I was a tattle tale they just couldn’t believe I had the heart to tell. Anyone can steal money and lie about, well that is someone with a dark side, but someone with a good side would tell.
I definitely don’t always have a good side, trust me if you get me mad enough you will soon find I have a dark side. Everyone pretty much has a good and bad side. No matter if you are a gangster, prep, jock, stuck-up, or suck up were all human in which make mistakes. After all, if we never made mistakes how would we learn? All the little mistakes we make in life are just platforms we sprout from. With these platforms we form into wise adults. I for sure am not a wise adult; I am actually still on the mistake trail of ups and downs. But I do know I am a good person at heart that once in a while can have spurs of dark side. But after all you do have to spice life up a little bit. Not in a sense go out and commit crime, but don’t hold back from making mistakes because those mistakes will help you make more important decisions later in life.
I completely agree with Greene, the dark side of us is more genuine. We all hide the darkness inside of us as some of us hide it with a smile. As we are given more of a reason to do what we believe to be wrong the greater the chances that we will carry them out. The greatest example of this is Star Wars. Anikin Skywalker was an good guy who had a great power but a dark side to him. As his desire for power increased he began to tap into the dark side and the change was starting to become visible. So to gain this power he switched sides and the hero became the villains.He was though only tapping into what was inside. The hustler for instance, does what he or she does not because that is the right thing, but because that accept their dark side and then show it for everyone to see. I know that I have a dark side I just hide it. Therefore the hustler and pimp are more genuine then I am, because I know that I have this side but I don't show it. Some people are without a doubt drawn to the villains because they wish that they could be them if only for a short time. I know that personally there are times that I was and sometimes still are drawn to the hustler because of the car that they have, and all the money they throw around. Every day though I believe that the people that do not except that they have a dark side will one day be consumed by it. There are people I see all the time that believe that they do not have that villainous side but I clearly see them changing and turning down the wrong path because that is what truly what is inside of them. But if you except that you have a small dark side but don't embrace it they you will never have to see it come out. The hustlers and pimps not only understand that they have a dark side but they build on this so it gets larger and larger. I hope though that I will ever truly end up fully embracing my dark side because I know that it is there but I will not let it take me over like the hustler or pimp has done. I much rather be the less genuine person not showing my villainous side, then the genuine person that has shown that side of them.
Greene has a point when he said everyone has a dark side, and people are drawn to the people who act on thier dark side. The individuals who corruptively show thier negative side, are the ones who gets the most attention. People seem to be attracted to the bad things people do. It's like getting a rush, no one can tell you anything when you feel like have all the control. Thats what people think when they make thier decisions, Something in the back of thier mind is telling them they have nothing to worry about. When you have no worries, you begin to do anything you want and not have any doubts, and luckily the villainous characters would get away with thier actions. Thats what draw people to the other individuals who act on negativity. When the vallainous characters get away with thier crime, that convinces other people to think they can get away with it also. Thats when people start to act on thier bad side purposely. It trully does feel good to get away with your crime.
Sadly, but trully i could say that i have a dark side. I believe everyone has a dark side, some just know how to control the outbreak of thier actions. The same way I explained how people are attracted to people who does bad things. That explanation also relates to me. I've done my wrong, in the past. I've seen some of my friends do things that wasnt one of the best desicions, and some way around that strange corner I've turn around and done the same thing. Knowing that its wrong is the part that makes it feel so good, just because you didnt get caught it constantly makes you want to do it over and over again. Just to let you know, I do make the right decisions and i do know right from wrong. Sometimes a good boy like to go bad.
Robert Greene makes an excellent point and I have to agree with him completely. Everyone has a dark side but along with that everyone also has a good side. In my opinion it’s a person’s surroundings that will determine if their dark side will triumph over their good side. Greene brought up a valid point when he talked about how people are attracted to those who are “bad” such as the pimp, the hustler, or the seducer. I believe that Greene’s opinion is true in this case; people tend to surround themselves with the things they want or envy. A pimp or a hustler are seen as people that make their way through lives by committing illegal crimes but seem to also live a rich and luxurious life, at least until they go to jail. Two of the seven deadly sins are greed and avarice. Most people follow these sins, at least in today’s society, they aren’t happy with just being financially comfortable or just living for the satisfaction of being alive, everyone always want more. It seems like people would rather follow another’s footsteps, although their going in the complete wrong direction, in order to be happy or satisfied. Its confidence that ones self needs to be able to say no and lead your own lifestyle no matter how little or how much you have, you can only find happiness being yourself not living another’s life. Like almost everyone in this world I am not perfect and I occasionally go against my morals and continue to do, what deep down inside I know is wrong. I wouldn’t consider myself a bad person for my desire to do the “wrong thing” I’m just like every other teenager who tends to follow my peers instead of being the leader and I have definitely made my share of mistakes, but can honestly say I'm learning from them. Recently the path I’ve been taking hasn’t been exactly the beautiful “yellow brick road” but more like the wrong path. The thing is if you surround yourself with people who are constantly involving themselves in harmful activities you to might follow. As I get older my addiction to live the fun carefree life is slowly coming to an end and I’m realizing right from wrong, sometimes the hard way. The exhilaration and excitement that one can get from involving themselves in the wrong things and with the wrong people can be overwhelming and at times fun, but the thing is once one wonders into the dark side you become a completely different person, a person that one day you might not like. Living in the dark side for some people can or will destroy their lives but it takes a lot of strength for a person to realize that the path they are choosing is wrong. It seems like people are attracted to the bad side of life for a while it can be thrilling and pleasurable but in the end followers must become leaders because the desire to live that fun elaborate “bad” life will soon come to and end and the entertainment of watching yourselves and others fall into their own holes will soon cease. Everyone has a bad side it’s just how you as a person can learn to overcome the pressures and live for yourself whether that be good or bad.
I think that Greene has a point. Every single person beholds a darker side within. Everyone strives to be better and to do this they must discover something new. With more knowledge come more power, and from this power erupts a sort of characteristic corruption in the form of greed, deception, and lust. A new skill or knowledge, unmoral as it may be, can bring us an easier way to deal with life’s problems. As we find this short cut or loop hole in society, we discover that we can gain what we want through the art of seduction, thievery, and deception. Along with what we can gain with this darker side, I think everyone has the urge to rebel against the guidelines that we are taught as children. This causes us to go against societies moral values. We willingly fall into temptation because are morals have been altered by this rebellious attitude.
In literature, a character of interest always has a problem which tends to put them into the category of the “bad guy”. Even if not seen as the bad guy, they with have something corrupt in them, whether it be some type of addiction, or some kind of darker quality to them. Exceptionality comes from the distance a character is from what society’s vision of the perfect person. Perfection can get boring if everyone is striving for it. It is our flaws that cause us to stand out from one another.
I, in fact, do have a darker side to me. Although I see myself as a good-hearted young man, I know that I enjoy exploring the darker side of my capabilities. I find amusement in testing people; seeing how hard I have to push a certain person until they finally decide to push back. Creating havoc is always interesting as well because any group, such as a town or school, tries to create a system to make everything flow smoothly, the way that they should. Causing a flaw in these systems by causing something unexpected to happen is always amusing to people when they aren’t part of the system. Testing capabilities always causes people to explore how much good they can achieve as well as how much bad. Seeing what I can obtain through these somewhat negative capabilities always drives me to push this power further to see just how much I can obtain or just how much I can put a dent in the general public.
greene makes a very good point and i do agree with him. no matter who you are or how you were raised, you will always have a tendancy to do wrong. whether it is big things or just little things like staying up late, everyone has some tendancy to do wrong. many people try to come off as "goodie two shoes" and make people think they would never do anything wrong when in reality their head is filled with crazy ideas. just because someone doesnt have the confidence to do something wrong doesnt mean that they arent planning on it. for example cops. everyone percieves them as the protectors and that none of them would do anything wrong. this perception is clouded by the general public. when a cop speeds for no reason and hits somebody he gets away with it. all he has to say is he was chasing someone and he gets off when in reality he was breaking the own laws he protects. no matter who you are you have a dark side. i have one as well but not like a crazy kill people dark side but like a speeding staying out late kind of dark side. for example if my parents werent home i would definately stay out as late as i wanted. i might even sneak out. that doesnt really come off as a dark side to me though it seems more like a teenaged tendancy that everyone goes through can a teenaged tendancy be considered having a dark side if everyone goes through the same feelings? i would never steal or hurt anybody though. i have never had that desire and never will. i guess it is just my morals that dampen any dark desires i may have. some peoples proffesions are also considered to be dark sides. some people may only be good at selling illegal things. just because they are illegal doesnt mean that these are dark dimented people. those people may just be trying to survive. not that i condone any of that kind of behavior but it is prevalent in this day and age. if people focus more on their good sides and not their small dark sides then their lives would be much happier and better.
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