Was he evil? I've spent a lot of time wrestling with that…
““Was he evil? I've spent a lot of time wrestling with that question. In the end, I don't think he was. Most people believe suicide is a choice, and violence is a choice; those things are under a person's control. Yet we know from talking to survivors of suicide attempts that their decision-making ability shifts in some way we don't well understand. In our conversation, psychologist and suicide researcher Dr. Matthew Nock at Harvard used a phrase I like very much: dysfunction in decision making. If suicide seems like the only way out of an existence so painful it has become intolerable, is that really an exercise of free will? Of course, Dylan did not simply die by suicide. He committed murder; he killed people. We've all felt angry enough to fantasize about killing someone else. What allows the vast majority of us to feel appalled and frightened by the mere impulse, and another person to go through with it? If someone chooses to hurt others, what governs the ability to make that choice? If what we think of as evil is really the absence of conscience, then we have to ask, how is it a person ceases to connect with their conscience?””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The quote questions whether actions like suicide and murder are truly free choices or driven by impaired decision‑making and loss of conscience.
In simple terms: It wonders if evil stems from a broken conscience and limited control.
Key Takeaway
Consider how mental health affects moral responsibility.
Themes
ethics
mental health
free will
responsibility
conscience
Mood
reflective
serious
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
psychological
ethical
When to use this quote
- clinical therapy
- judicial sentencing
- public policy on suicide prevention
- education on empathy
Key Concepts
psychology
moral philosophy
neuroscience
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance compassion with accountability for harmful actions?
- Can we improve decision‑making capacity in at‑risk individuals?
A Different Perspective
Human agency is constrained by cognitive and emotional dysfunction, not absolute freedom.