Peck also discusses the anatomy of group evil, and I found something he wrote eerily prophetic. Keeping in mind the book was published in 1983 (20 years ago), read these words: "Twenty years from now, when Vietnam has been largely forgotten, how easy it will be, with volunteers, to once again become involved in little foreign adventures. Such adventures will keep our military on its toes, provide it with real-life war games to test its prowess, and need not hurt or involve the average American citizen at all until it's too late" (p. 232). Granted, we were attacked, by Osama bin Ladin, but what did Iraq do to us? Can you say "prophet"?
Fast forward 5 years later, and after going through a harrowing job experience with two people who could star in a movie representation of this book (which, come to think of it, has already been done in a film called SWIMMING WITH SHARKS in the character played by Kevin Spacey), I read it through in a single sitting. Peck so accurately diagnoses the "people of the lie" as being so self-absorbed and narcisistic that they continually make excuses about the abuse they heap upon other people, somehow turning every story 180 degrees in the opposite direction and always claiming victimization when the situation so clearly points to them as the perpetrator. It is a sad indictment of what must be a pandemic within institutions, as these folks clamor and cling to power, money and title oblivious to the human carnage left in the wake of their passing.
But even still, where our hearts are naturally inclined toward revenge, Peck cautions us, coaxing us toward pity for these wretched creatures. He suggests that whatever vile hellaciousness we could dream up as pay back should be tempered with the notion that these folks have consigned themselves to live in a hell of their own making (kind of like Annabella Sciorra in the movie, WHAT DREAMS MAY COME). The dark night of the soul sees their hearts scream out, "I hate you, you're nothing" when the worst some of us deal with is, "Ack... dumb mistake... oh well... keep going."
Bravo... this book rings true, even if it took a second reading. Context is everything!
I now realize that I do not agree with Peck's theory about why people are "evil". I believe that he has a tendency to oversimplify and miss some pretty key points as to why some people are "bad".
It is my assertion that this so called "human evil" is part of a vicious cycle that goes back many thousands of years--even before the time of Christ. It is linked to many western cultures and we can see much of this behavior even in the pages of the Bible.
I believe that we need to rethink our cultural and religious beliefs and how they shape whole groups of people. A good place to begin this search is a book called "The New Dance Of Christ" by Anthony T. Massimini.
Massimini hits on some very pertinent reasons as to why people are the way that they are. He delves deeply into the psychological brain of Christian Culture... Even if you are not a Christian, you will be amazed, and something will happen to you when you read it-something very enlightening and even shocking...
I don't want to give away anything about this book because each page should be read and absorbed by the reader. The only thing that I will say is that if you are searching and looking to understand yourself and the world around you, BUY "THE NEW DANCE OF CHRIST"! It very well may change your life just as it did mine...