Does anyone else empathise and sympathise with villains a lot? Idk I guess part of me sees this as a good thing because if I can feel bad for someone so evil, I guess I must be empathetic and open minded. It’s just really hard when it happens in real life situations. Like I’ll feel bad for terrible terrible people and sometimes see things from their point of view and it makes me feel evil and guilty.

stop.

Date posted: 4y

I do this too, but I think it’s a good thing. Some people do terrible things, but it’s nice if you can understand why they do. Like maybe they were abused their whole lives or they were defending themselves or something like that. I think sometimes we forget that when people break the law or do something wrong that a lot of time, they’re doing it because that’s all they know or because they’re damaged and haven’t healed yet or were taught bad things or are just trying to survive. It’s important to know why people do things because it makes us more open and compassionate and it also makes us more likely to come up for solutions to help them so they don’t do bad things again. It’s seeing that people often steal and hurt others because they are fighting for resources they barely have, so we feel more compelled to increase resources in those areas. It’s people like you that help to see the complexity of humans and help drive us to places of understanding that ultimately helps those people rehabilitate and get better. If everyone just saw someone do something bad and only saw a shitty person deserving of nothing, there would be no push to improve quality of life for people in rough areas. There would be no push to fix the justice system. There would be no rehabilitation centers. People that can see that duality in others like you make all of these wonderful pushes for expanding humanity and making life better possible. Remember that. My favorite saying involving this type of stuff is “you can understand why someone did something but not agree with the action itself”. It’s not evil of you to understand the whys. It’s good. There’s a difference in agreeing with the why and agreeing with what they did. I feel like we all need to get a little better at understanding people’s whys. Maybe we’d be nicer to each other lol.

ocdtrying

Date posted: 4y

I DO THIS!! And I’ve felt the exact same way because of it, I feel so guilty for empathizing with people who do bad things and I think it makes me feel like I’m capable of those bad things and I’m hiding it etc

aurokoi

Date posted: 4y

My honest belief over this (I don’t have this theme) that it’s okay to relate to villains in a way. That doesn’t make us bad people, or good people, it just means we’re people capable of seeing things through someone else’s perspective and that is an asset. I know a lot of people (esp in fandom) make a big deal over it but it’s not like you’re approving of what they did. It’s just understanding why they did it. It helps move the story along, and makes it richer too.

Elaine8

Date posted: 4y

I get this too, I think I do it because sometimes OCD makes you feel really guilty and evil so you feel as though you relate to them even though you don't. Idk though, but yeah I think its good that you're open minded eve if you're not in their situation

holley

Date posted: 4y

i do this a lottttt

garden

Date posted: 4y

Thank you all so so much for your replies 💜

Bleebloop

Date posted: 24w

I don’t like this feeling

I’ve noticed that sometimes when people say things about killing MAPs or how they don’t deserve treatment I get a little. Well defensive isn’t the right word. I just get this feeling that if someone is getting treatment for their disorder and doesn’t want to hurt anyone they shouldn’t be killed or anything. I think it might be that part of my brain that is always questioning if I’m one and it’s scary to think about… I don’t know. I don’t think it’s something that should be like. Celebrated obviously. But there are some people who get treatment for it and don’t hurt anyone… maybe I just don’t like the idea of killing entire groups when there are other ways to deal with it too. I don’t know. I feel like there’s fighting going on in my brain because on one hand I think it’s disgusting and that anyone who acts on it SHOULD be punished and people who don’t think there’s something wrong with it SHOULD be ashamed, but on the other I guess I kind of feel for people who don’t want to hurt anyone and want to get help. It’s not the same as intrusive thoughts obviously bc there isn’t any fear accompanied with it for them, but they still get that it’s wrong… I dunno, maybe my heart’s just too soft for it’s own good. I feel a little better writing it all out though. When I started writing this I was part convinced this was some kind of evidence that I’m like them but I think it’s just a case of too much sympathy maybe. Whatever it is it doesn’t mean I’m anything like them. this is just a big old vent it seems. My fault for watching a YouTube video that I knew would trigger me :/ hopefully my thoughts came across somehow. Dog-earring this for next therapy appointment I guess

🎀🧸🩷🤍

Date posted: 24w

Random OCD?? Anyone else get this?

I love horror movies and would watch them random sometimes even Terrifier cause art is my new favorite character. I just felt like I was a bad person for this⁉️ I don’t support his actions but I like his goofy faces he makes. I can’t enjoy anything no more Literally me rn in life

issphra 🫶🏻

Date posted: 16w

I think this is a self reassurance compulsion, idk

Input please. Whenever I have a thought or come across something like news about pedophilia or other awful things, I feel like I try to make it okay in my head. Like I am trying to explain it away, excuse it. And when I look at that from a more compassionate lens, I think maybe I am just trying to process something bad. Maybe I am trying to make something horrific feel a little less horrifying so I can keep existing in a world where it happens. Because the truth is, whenever I hear about something terrible, it does not just go away. I do not have that ability to shove it aside and move on. I have to live with it. I carry it. I live my life alongside these awful things that exist. But then, when I look at it through a different lens, it gets darker. Maybe I am not trying to process something bad. Maybe I am actually trying to justify it. Maybe I am trying to convince myself it is not that bad… because deep down I agree with the people who do it. Or maybe I am afraid that if it were not so stigmatized, I would somehow be okay with it. And that thought worries me. I know that why someone holds moral values is not as important as the fact that they do. I know that what matters is your actions and your commitment to being a good person. It still scares me. I keep asking myself: am I trying to justify something awful just so I can mentally survive it, or am I trying to justify something awful because some part of me agrees with it?

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