Fresh out of college I embraced the enlightenment notion that humans were inherently good and therefore perfectible. I didn’t think evil really existed. My naive delusion was that good people would win, that evil would be destroyed, never return, and humanity would live happily ever after.
Decades of adult life have shattered that fantasy. I’ve acknowledged evil.
Evil Exists
There are forces or people who seek to harm, confuse, deceive, destroy, or mislead. That’s a hard truth to ignore even though some people deny that evil exists or don’t like talking about negativity.
Regardless of who or what causes it, evil is always around. It exists in the tyrants who persecute millions. It’s also the sweet, cajoling voice that whispers in your ear when you’re tempted by some illicit act. “Try it,” Evil says, “You’ll like it.”
We can’t outlast evil. Today’s tyrants will die or be ejected from power, but others will follow Long after you and I are gone there will be evil in the world. Trying to destroy evil is an infinite game.
Finite and Infinite Games
The concept of finite and infinite games comes from James Carse in his 1987 book. Finite games are the ones we’re used to. We know who the players are and what the rules are. Finite games have winners and losers. College and professional sports are examples of finite games.
Infinite games are different. They’re not infinite in the sense that a physicist might use the term. Infinite games last longer than we will be alive. There are other differences, too.
When we play an infinite game, we don’t know who all the players are or will be. There are no rules and no time limits. You can never declare winners or losers. Business in general and governance are examples of infinite games. Destroying evil is an infinite game. Creating your legacy is an infinite game.
Exhortations to Do Better
Abraham Lincoln invited his generation to act on the better angels of their nature. Gandhi exhorted people to become the change that they sought. Jesus instructed his followers to be holy as Christ’s Father was holy. Churchill perceived that England was fighting evil personified. He challenged the island nation to never give up. Those thoughts are inspirational, but not very specific.
Some folks advocate tolerance. Tolerance means putting up with something that you dislike. Evil whispers “Accept me. Tolerate me. Ignore me.”
In contrast, William Wilberforce dedicated his life to eliminating the slave trade and after several decades, on his deathbed, Parliament voted to end that highly lucrative but horribly exploitive commercial activity. Martin Luther King rejected the appeals to go slower. He had a dream, and despite his imperfections, spent his life confronting evil, yet was nonviolent.
Our Challenge
So, friend, how then shall we live?
Few of us like difficulties or obstacles. But the reality is our character is grown and strengthened by facing and overcoming resistance. No mature guide says otherwise.
One notion is to smile and cut yourself and other people some slack. Forgive beyond your comfort and be grateful that others forgave you before you asked for it.
If you want to live a life worth imitating, then how you deal with evil can be among the best examples that you can pass on. The people who most inspire me are those who move forward despite fear, opposition, pain, persecution, and threats.
Whatever you hope to be remembered for, this next year will offer many opportunities to show those traits. Some aspire to develop and exhibit courage, faithfulness, love, or wisdom. Others will be satisfied with fame, notoriety, pleasure, or wealth.
Twelve score and seven years ago a group of wealthy, influential white males came together voluntarily at their own cost, despite personal risk, to create a better future. Those men signed a document and pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to the attempt to do something better for a multitude of people.
Those guys were imperfect. Some were slave owners. Yet the signers of the Declaration of Independence did what they could to help those around them. You and I are not required to pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor to fight evil.
The infinite game will outlast our bodies. Legacy is what others think, say, and do because of our influence. It, too, extends beyond our time on this earth.
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What examples can we be for those who depend upon us and who follow us?
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Terry Moore, CCIM, is the author of Building Legacy Wealth: How to Build Wealth and Live a Life Worth Imitating. Read his “Welcome to My Blog.”