Cruelty is often the result of fear of some kind. A cruel leader fears lack of control or respect, for example. A soldier may be cruel because he fears the consequences if people think he's weak or disobedient.

In my own life I've found that people are SOMETIMES cruel because they fear others. In these instances, I try to forgive the man or woman even if I can't forgive the deed.

If someone is cruel to you it can become like pass the parcel. We can experience a cruel or evil deed, and either move on or take on some of those characteristics ourselves. The lessons of history have shown us that some individuals and groups are more cruel or evil than others.

Something you do not like doing but which you know must be done, or something you do not like but which you must accept.

Spirits which have a very bad influence or effect.

Immoral, cruel, unpleasant. Something that is very bad and harmful.

"There would be no virtue in doing good – if it were not possible to be evil."
St. Augustine of Hippo (Pan Dictionary of Religious Quotations, pg. 167).

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Edmund Burke, taken from Books on Evil, www.quoteland.com.

"I can't understand how someone can do something really evil and yet God would forgive them. I could forgive small things but not some of the horrible cruel and evil things people do."

"If there was no evil in the world it wouldn't be much fun. Wouldn't it be boring if we didn't ever do anything wrong."

"If God is so great, loving and all powerful why doesn't he put a stop to evil in the world? Why does he allow people to behave this way?"

"People should take personal responsibility for their own actions. I can't make someone else choose to be good instead of bad, it's a choice left to them. You choose to be good or bad yourself."

"If I am told I must do something that I really don't agree with, I have a dilemma. If I do it regardless of how I feel, I manage to avoid potential bad consequences, but am not being true to myself. If I refuse I can be at risk in some way."

"Societies judge for themselves what is and isn't evil. It's up to those in a role of leadership to set the common view of what is and is not evil and what is and is not acceptable evil in society."

"Who says what is good and bad? If I steal because I am starving, is that evil or not?"

"When we are afraid we may do things that are not true to our character."

"If I was made to kill someone else then I can't be held to blame, can I?"

Why are some people so cruel?:
Life4seekers response