Where does the destructive power within us come from?

The Duality of Destruction in Human Nature

Where does the destructive power within us come from?

It is not merely a coincidence, but a consequence of the unique design of the human psyche. Unlike ancient nature, where survival means a struggle for life, humans are capable of taking pleasure even in destruction, experiencing an inner impulse toward inhumane actions. Such a tendency is born from the very essence of freedom of choice, when passions overwhelm reason and moral guidelines become tenuous.

Not only does freedom provide the opportunity to stray from good, but it also sets us apart from other beings. A single dominant passion—be it the thirst for power or greed for wealth—can completely overshadow and transform a person into a bearer of destructive energy. This inner conflict turns a human not merely into a participant in the struggle for existence, but into an active creator of negativity, capable of inflicting suffering both on oneself and on others.

Moreover, many modern reflections point out that human nature is imbued not only with personal dimensions but also with metaphysical aspects of evil. The influence of supernatural forces along with social and cosmic manifestations of destruction—from wars and brutal oppression to natural disasters—create a complex, multifaceted picture of evil. This duality—first personal, and then collective—demonstrates that evil is not merely a byproduct of biological laws, but arises from deep, almost inevitable internal and external collisions.

Thus, the capacity for destruction lies at the heart of human nature, emerging as a result of both inherent traits and the influence of the external world. An awareness of this dual essence helps us better understand why humans are capable of embodying both light and darkness—and how essential it is to seek balance by directing the freedom of choice toward constructive purposes.

What causes might explain the presence of negativity and evil in human nature?
The primary explanations for the presence of negativity and evil in human nature, as reflected in the presented sources, can be divided into several interconnected directions:

1. The unique nature of the human psyche. Unlike pre-human nature, humans are capable of taking pleasure in destruction and harbor within themselves a “strange need to sow suffering.” For instance, one source states:
"Where is the reason for the unfathomable development of humans’ thirst for evil—something we do not find in pre-human nature? The struggle for existence... only a human can take pleasure in destruction itself, experiencing a strange need to sow suffering." (source: link txt)

2. Freedom of choice and the distortion of values. Human freedom allows for deviation from good. Negativity and evil arise when a person loses the ability to consider the consequences of their actions, allowing passions to override the understanding of right and wrong. In this context, it is stated:
"...evil indeed does not have an ontological foundation, because it is always a non-creative, but destructive force. ... God does not create evil. But the freedom granted to man presupposes that he can use it and deviate his will from good." (source: link txt)

3. Internal instability and the dominance of certain passions. When a single passion, such as greed or lust for power, displaces other qualities, it can lead to destructive manifestations. If a person becomes overwhelmed by one strong passion, they lose the ability to align their actions with the criteria of good and evil, turning them into a carrier of negativity:
"Man is a complex nature; one passion can displace others. For example, if a man is overwhelmed by the lust for power, one very strong passion can displace a man's weaknesses... at that moment, the man becomes an attractor and bearer of evil." (source: link txt)

4. Metaphysical impurity pervading human nature. Some sources indicate that man cannot be the sole cause of all evil, as his nature is permeated with metaphysical evil, associated with the influence of the devil. This is emphasized in the following statement:
"Human nature is both evil and unclean, but it is evil and unclean because it is visibly and invisibly permeated with metaphysical evil and metaphysical impurity, namely—the devil." (source: link txt)

5. Social and cosmic dimensions of evil. Evil manifests not only on a personal level but also in social relations, where it is expressed through cruelty, oppression, and violence. Furthermore, there exists an irrational evil in nature—disasters, diseases, death—which, although of a different kind, complements the overall picture of evil in the world:
"There exists evil—social evil, which we can observe in human life: mercilessness, wars, oppression, the humiliation of one person by another. ... The second realm of evil is the irrational evil, that is, the evil we observe in nature: creatures devouring one another, earthquakes, catastrophes, diseases, death." (source: link txt)

Thus, negativity and evil in humans are explained as the result of the unique psychological and spiritual structure of humans, their freedom of choice, the dominance of destructive passions, and the influence of not only personal but also metaphysical and social causes. These factors interact in a complex system in which human nature not only reflects the struggle for survival but also develops the capacity for evil—a capacity that fundamentally distinguishes it from pre-human nature.

Supporting citation(s):
"Where is the reason for the unfathomable development of humans’ thirst for evil—something we do not find in pre-human nature? The struggle for existence, ruthless and brutal, takes place, indeed, in pre-human nature, but there it is only a struggle for mere existence, and is not defined by any instinct for destruction or thirst for evil. Only a human can take pleasure in destruction itself, experiencing a strange need to sow suffering..." (source: link txt)

"Man is a complex nature; one passion can displace others. For example, if a man is overwhelmed by the lust for power, one very strong passion can displace a man's weaknesses... at that moment, the man becomes an attractor and bearer of evil." (source: link txt)

"Human nature is both evil and unclean, but it is evil and unclean because it is visibly and invisibly permeated with metaphysical evil and metaphysical impurity, namely—the devil." (source: link txt)