A student recommended a book called The Anatomy of Evil by Michael H. Stone, a well-known psychiatrist who used to host the TV show Most Evil on the Discovery Channel. In this book, Stone takes a scientific approach to understanding what makes people do terrible things, moving away from religious or philosophical ideas about evil. He studied the lives of over 600 violent criminals and created a 22-level scale called the "Gradations of Evil," inspired by Dante’s Inferno, to organize different types of harmful acts, from spur-of-the-moment violence to planned murders. Stone points out that traits like narcissism (extreme self-centeredness) and aggression often drive these acts, and he looks at how things like genetics, tough childhoods, mental health problems, brain injuries, or drug use can push people toward extreme behavior.
Here’s a breakdown of Stone’s 22-level scale, which ranks harmful acts based on why they happened, how planned they were, who the victims were, and how senseless the actions were:
- Self-Defense Killing: Killing to protect yourself or others, with no bad intentions (e.g., stopping an attacker——understandable in self-preservation).
- Jealous Rage Killing: Killing a partner or rival in a fit of jealousy, without planning (e.g., a heat-of-the-moment crime).
- Killing a Willing Person: Taking the life of someone who agrees to it, often in extreme situations (e.g., a mercy killing).
- Spur-of-the-Moment Revenge Killing: Killing to get back at someone after being provoked, without much planning (e.g., reacting to an insult).
- Impulsive Killing Without Reason: Killing on impulse, without a clear trigger (e.g., a fight that gets out of hand).
- Killing to Hide a Crime: Killing someone to cover up another crime, like silencing a witness to a robbery.
- Killing to Remove a Threat: Killing someone who stands in the way, like a rival, with little planning.
- Planned Revenge Killing: Carefully planning to kill someone to settle a score (e.g., targeting someone who wronged you).
- Killing for Money or Gain: Killing to get something, like an inheritance or insurance payout.
- Killing After Long-Term Abuse: Killing someone who has abused you for a long time, often out of desperation (e.g., a victim of domestic abuse killing their abuser).
- Planned Family Member Killing: Deliberately killing a close relative for personal reasons (e.g., so-called honor killings).
- Killing a Helpless Person: Intentionally killing someone vulnerable, like a child or elderly person.
- Killing with Cruelty: Killing in a way that causes extra pain or suffering, showing no care for the victim.
- Planned Sexual Killing: Killing for sexual pleasure or control, with planning (e.g., murders tied to sexual motives).
- Killing After Kidnapping: Killing someone after taking them hostage, often to avoid getting caught.
- Killing During a Crime: Killing someone while committing another crime, like a robbery, with some planning.
- Multiple Killings Without Cold-Blooded Traits: Killing several people at once, driven by anger or beliefs, but not necessarily heartless (e.g., a shooting spree).
- Repeated Killings Without Cruelty: Killing multiple people over time, driven by an urge but without torturing them.
- Repeated Killings with Cruelty: Killing multiple people over time and enjoying their suffering, often with torture.
- Mass Killing with Cold-Blooded Traits: Killing many people at once, driven by heartless motives (e.g., a school shooting by a disturbed person).
- Repeated Cruel Killings: Killing multiple people over time with extreme cruelty, enjoying their pain (e.g., serial killers like Ted Bundy).
- Extreme Torture and Killing: The worst level, involving long, sadistic torture and murder with no remorse (e.g., cases like Jeffrey Dahmer).
This scale helps Stone figure out what drives people to do these things by looking at their mental state and life experiences, using real-life examples. I’m sharing this not to scare anyone but to remind us to stay aware of the people around us. In today’s world, it’s hard to know who to trust, so it’s important to be smart about who you spend time with and to choose people who truly care about your well-being. Being cautious and smart outside of your fight-training sessions, can help keep you in a better and healthier position in life.