Runs in the family

Someone I know is an editor. She's also a writer, woodworking, bicyclist, and several other things. She's currently working with the writers of the next version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. A book which is used widely by therapists, psychologists and other mental health professionals. It lists all mental disorders by name, number and symptoms. Because we're always learning more about ourselves, self absorbed as we are, the book is updated regularly. The book in editing is Book 5. Which will be released in 2013.

It is also the first book that will list, as a mental disorder -

Evil.

This group of mental health professionals believe that the person suffering with this diagnosis is born this way. It isn't something learned, and it can not be corrected. It's hard wired. Very much like ones sexual orientation.

So what definition are they using for Evil?

"Sacrificing someone else's well being for your own,"

Don't freak, we all do that, at some point or another. What differentiates us from the "Evil" people is that we are capable of feeling shame after the act.

These "evil" people are unable to do good (We'll get back to this momentarily) and in fact are only capable of committing evil acts.

So what about "Good"? Can and will that ever be considered a disorder? Are there people out there only capable of committing "Good" acts? Well, our mental health professionals have covered that too:

As a branch from the "Evil" diagnosis is a group of people who are born NOT capable of committing evil acts. So that makes them good right? Not so much, they are also not capable of committing 'good' acts. They are known as the enablers for our "Evil" group. They have no social conscious telling them that Evil is wrong. So they engage with these people and enable them.

So, why hasn't evil been diagnosed until now?

Because, for evil to exist it needs OTHER mental disorders to be able to survive. It needs them to be able to manipulate. Our mental health professionals are claiming that "Evil" hasn't been noticed until now because it's been hidden under layers of schizophrenia, bi polar, and other mental diseases.

They've estimated 10% of the population has this disorder. 10%. That is, as of right now roughly 687,865,691 "Evil" people on our planet. Look at that number. That's nothing if not insane. Oh look, a pun!

So, how is "Evil" treated?

It's not, and that's probably what's the most scary of all. These people can be treated for they're other diseases using drugs and therapy. This makes them less dangerous, as they aren't as cunning and able to manipulate. But really, they are just able to fix a fix a symptom of the problem. And how can someone who's hardwired to do evil things ever stop? Theres a good chance they won't end up in therapy or on pills unless they're caught doing something truly heinous and illegal.

So, with 687,865,691 evil people running around, are you scared yet?

And John Steinbeck wins again:

"I believe there are monsters born in the world to human parents... The face and body may be perfect, but if a twisted gene or a malformed egg can produce physical monsters, may not the same process produce a malformed soul?"