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Every day scores of men and women, by means of physical force or persuasive behavior, cause others the outrage of undeserved suffering. Many of these acts are violations of criminal statutes, but others are more appropriately defined as immoral. Nevertheless, all are evil in that they have in common treating another person with a lack of respect and consideration for the victim's humanity.
I first met Mike in my capacity as a consulting psychologist to a psychiatric facility for vicious criminals. He was thirty years of age with nearly half of his life spent in correctional institutions. Physically imposing, he had multiple facial scars, the result of cigarette burns and brutal beatings inflicted by sadistic foster parents and correctional facility personnel. Deeply embarrassed about his appearance, Mike had been incarcerated numerous times for severely beating those who insulted him. With so many losses in his life, he found it easier to express rage at his deprivations than regret and bereavement. Nevertheless, Mike was intelligent—psychological tests administered in prison placed him in the superior range of intellectual functioning—and clever at understanding people's behavior, except in regard to his own motives. His lack of self-insight was compounded by considerable difficulty putting his feelings into words. He explained his actions by reference to external circumstances.
Many of the violent incidents in his life followed his substantial intake of alcohol. For example, the event that brought him back to prison was his violent attack on the club bouncer in a supper club. As Mike was leaving the club, the bouncer insinuated that Mike's very attractive companion could do better than Mike.