Me and My Little Devil

November 14th 2017

“It is man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways” – Buddha

The idea of whether or not humans are inherently good or evil was a topic that was brought up in many English courses throughout my schooling. I always hated when the topic would come up because I was usually forced to write some sort of critical lens essay about whichever side I agreed with more. However, I really don’t agree with either side. I don’t believe we are born inherently good or evil. I believe we have capacities for both and it is our choices and personal temperament that determine which we become.

Although I am a relatively “good” soul, I still have my evil. I still have the little devil that sits on my shoulder opposite the angel of good judgement. I don’t always make the best choices and I don’t always practice what I preach. I get jealous or angry or lazy or caught up in my own self interest. I am not without flaw. That is why, instead of silencing my little devil, I am going to give it some time to shine and to talk about why he is just as important as the little angel beside him.

1. My little devil helps me say no- I have such a hard time saying no sometimes. But sometimes my little devil reminds me that it is 100% okay to be selfish and say no. I know that saying no isn’t always “evil” or selfish, but sometimes it is harder than others to just say no without fear of hurting someone’s feelings.
2. My little devil reminds me I don’t have to be perfect- We all make mistakes and sometimes mistakes lead us to great things in life. The little devil reminds me that I can make mistakes and be a little evil sometimes, but I have my angel to balance me out at the end of the day.
3. My devil helps me stay creative- This one is weird but totally true. I find that some of my best writing inspiration comes when I am feeling angry or jealous or moody or annoyed or even a tad judgmental (I am not incredibly judgmental but we all have our moments). By allowing myself to write about my evil feelings in a way that is eloquent and well thought out, I am allowing myself to give the little devil exercise while the angel watches his mouth.
4. My devil knows how I deserve to be treated- Sometimes I have to put on my big girl pants and stand up for myself. It isn’t always polite or pretty or soft and good as the angel on my shoulder would like, but sometimes that tough love is what I need. My devil allows me to defend myself without guilt because you can’t bring an angel to a devil match.
5. My devil is a part of me just as much as my angel is- I am both yin and yang. I am both good and evil. It is in the nature of balance to be both. If I only had an angel, I would be too weak and soft sometimes and that wouldn’t do me much good.

Overall, learning to embrace and respect the little bits of “evil” in you helps you to be a well rounded person. Does the little devil go to far sometimes? Yes, of course, and those aren’t our shining moments, but sometimes the devil does exactly what it needs to.

Remember to nurture your angel and your devil, they both deserve some love.

Jess~