The Abyss Within: Unveiling the Dark Potential of the Human Psyche
I am back again with another random topic. I got the idea from discussing a book and movie mentioned in this essay.
Introduction
“The horror, the horror”
These lines taken from the book ‘Heart of Darkness’, by Joseph Conrad, encapsulate the terrifying realization of the horror and darkness within us. They serve as a stark reminder that within us lies the utmost form of evil which can be found in man.
Conrad’s masterpiece goes deep into the fall of Kurtz, a man once considered the pinnacle of Europe, into the darkness, horror, evil and barbarism in the African Congo. His journey in to the heart of Africa where he confronts the darkness within his mind, and the capacity for evil within each one of us. ‘The horror’ that Kurtz speaks of is not just the barbarism and evil he has seen and participated in, but the recognition of his own corrupt soul, and by extension, the human mind.
The theme of civility, giving way to barbarism can also be seen in William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’ particularly the 1990 adaptation. It is a story of 25 students getting marooned on an island and trying to figure out a way to live, the initial attempts at civility, transforming into hate, chaos and violence. The chilling transformation of these seemingly innocent children into wild and barbaristic individuals serves as a cold reminder about the fragility of societal norms and how little time it takes us to get back to our natural human instincts.
Our natural human instincts are barbaric
In both ‘Heart of Darkness’ and ‘Lord of the Flies’ we see how quickly the trappings of society can fall and give way to our natural human instincts. The characters in these works don’t simply adapt to their surroundings, they let the darkness within themselves consume them and take control of them.
When you consume these books and films, and realize that the true horror is not an unacceptable act, but an integral part of the human nature. This is called the “shadow self”- the part of our psyche that contains our deepest and darkest desires which are hidden due to societal norms and personal morality
History provides ample evidence of humanity's capacity for evil when social constraints are removed or when ideologies justify inhumane actions. The atrocities committed during the Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide, and countless other conflicts throughout history demonstrate how ordinary people can become capable of extraordinary cruelty under certain circumstances.
The evil within the human mind shows in more subtle ways as well. The bystander effect, an effect where people are less likely to help when there are more people present, shows our capacity for callousness.
Perhaps, the most cruel thing is the pleasure others derive from bringing down a human… Like in ‘Lord of the Flies’ ‘Jack’ was overtaken by his lust for power and authority and he liked the thrill of the hunt. Similarly, in "Heart of Darkness," Kurtz is seduced by the godlike status he achieves among the native population, leading him to commit unspeakable acts.
The true evil of the human mind doesn’t lie in the act of doing these heinous tasks, but after doing them, rationally justifying these tasks as if they were done for the greater good. Humans have a remarkable ability to dehumanize others, to create an ‘Us vs them’ scenario which makes it easier to inflict harm on others. This is seen in the way the boys in ‘Lord of the Flies’ treat ‘Piggy’ as an outsider, which makes them rationalize mistreating him by teasing him and stealing his glasses and in the end, killing him.
The tragedy of ‘Lord of the Flies’ is that the heinous acts were all performed by kids, not grown ups, but kids around the age of ten to twelve… That’s what’s scary, how little it took them to forget their moral obligations and societal norms and descend into chaos and violence.
Yet, amidst this bleak portrait of human nature, there remains hope. In both "Heart of Darkness" and "Lord of the Flies," there are characters who resist the pull towards barbarism. Marlow in "Heart of Darkness" manages to maintain his moral compass despite the horrors he witnesses. In "Lord of the Flies," characters like Simon and Piggy represent the voice of reason and civility, even in the face of growing chaos.
The recognition of the evil within us, enable us to strive for good, isn’t it paradoxical? By acknowledging the darkness within us, we can work to keep it in check, and then, build societies around the good of human nature instead of the bad.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the true evil of the human mind lies in its limitless capacity for cruelty, its ability to justify that cruelty, and the ease with which it can discard the values of civilization. The horror that Kurtz speaks of is the realization of this potential within himself and all of humanity. Yet, by confronting this horror, by acknowledging the darkness within, we give ourselves the opportunity to choose light, to actively work against our baser instincts, and to create a world that brings out the best of human nature rather than its worst.
End notes:
Before writing this, I was in deep thought regarding this topic. I kept wondering what is the most heinous act that can be committed by a human? I still haven’t found an answer to it but I have come across some truly terrible torture techniques which genuinely do not sound like something I would want anyone to go through. I dont have any good essay topics for the future, although I will be on the hunt and hopefully deliver them to you. Thanks for reading this far, if you would like others to see this then do like this so it can get more reach… That is all.
Thank You <3