(no subject)

[peratic]

What makes someone a monster?

Specifically, what traits or acts would cause you to consider someone a monster? I'm not interested in speculative tragic background stories.

Comments

[meanwhileback]

Genocide? As an example. I think to earn the "monster" label you have to actually do something that totally negates your humanity outright.

[peratic]

What I'm struggling with is the idea that genocide, per your example, is an inhuman thing to do. It's very human, I think; humans are arguably the most sophisticated at carrying it out, of all sentient species. Most of the worst atrocities are things humans have perfected.

I am not one of those people who thinks humanity is inherently evil or even animalistic, for the record. The only working definition of monstrousness I can tentatively create is a version in which these acts are a necessity, or a constant. A monster might have no variation in behavior, like even most purportedly evil humans do.