(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

[didntlikeit]

Defining characteristics change depending on who answers, doesn't it? What's monstrous to some is heroic to others. History is written by the monsters who convince us they weren't the monsters in the end.

[peratic]

That seems to be a prevailing theory. And I think it's true, probably, but there are certain qualities that are more commonly considered monstrous.

Do you think monster is synonymous with evil?

[didntlikeit]

It is usually used that way, yes, but the definition of evil depends on which side you're on. Monstrous is a way we separate the human from the not - but our monsters are always human in the end, aren't they? If your definition of monster is centered at 'not human,' then I don't think that's enough to qualify it for being evil.

whoops i missed this one earlier

[peratic]

I don't think so, either. Figuratively or literally, I'm considering that 'monster' is how we separate the unwanted from the rest of the class, and terming it evil is not infrequently just another way of making that distinction more emotionally comfortable.