Yes, the villain is us. Our other side, if our reflection in the mirror could show our true nature. We are attracted to the villain because we are attracted to ourselves.
Indeed. This attraction is a journey of recognition—a reluctant nod to the parts of ourselves we cannot ignore. Thank you for your reflection; it deepens this ever-unfolding contemplation.
Thank you for taking the time to write this (especially at the expense of physical necessities).
Rudolf Steiner said that the first major challenge humanity would face in its spiritual evolution was 'death,' the second, beginning in earnest only in the 1400's, is 'evil.' He went on to say something like 'it is not in our deeds where the true nature of our evil resides, but in our capacity to do evil.'
Steiner described the spiritual journey through one's life coming to the Crossroads with the confrontation of the personification of one's own evil - the doppelganger, or double. He describes this as the most fear-inspiring event that a human being can have. The double greets us at first as an external entity and it is we who must recognize and accept this being as part of ourselves, become the gentle master of it, and going forward, incorporate it into our soul through redeeming it.
I'm glad I didn't try to write a response immediately - this subject draws out the personal more than any other that I can imagine. And it's not that the personal is irrelevant, indeed, it's often the only way to engage with a reader in this egotistical age, but rather that the villain is already an 'objective' study, and we'd just go around in circles to add to that.
One question that a reader might find remaining after reading this is - where is the feminine? - what is the feminine archetype of 'the villain?' "Attractive, magnetic, seductive, and tempter" are certainly not adjectives that a masculine nature applies to a masculine villain. But "admirable is." If we consider the factors of objective and subjective in this essay, we arrive at our feminine villain - Iago.
"I am" is the declaration of the human spirit. This is classically considered to be a 'masculine' element of our being. "I feel" is what the soul speaks to us, and is feminine. The primary struggle of our modern times is to recognize these differences within ourselves and reconcile them. The common expression "I am happy" is a problematic one, in that it conflates the spirit and soul... it would be much more accurate to say "I am feeling happy."
Iago is denied a soliloquy because the soul doesn't speak, it listens. "Psyche" is the word for soul - we delve into it when we study Iago, but this reader (as a man) does not find him at all 'disturbingly intimate.' 'I am not what I am' is the perfect voicing for the soul for it is without reason, it has no access to truth or need for it, but it is also not cold and scientific, or intellectual.
The masculine spirit and body can only can only compel its subject by direct force. It is the power of the soul to manipulate and seduce - it is cruelty, an evil, which is definitely not magnificent (unless we consider the object of its prey - in the book 'Charlotte's Web' we hear about a Spider who weaves a web so strong she catches fish. That is magnificent.)
I knew you'd be interested in this! Thank you for your interest and time.
This is the terrifying duality of being human, the simultaneous recognition of our boundless creativity and capacity for destruction.
What I'd like to say the most is that your observation truly strikes a critical chord about feminine archetype of villainy. Iago’s absence of self-reflection contrasts sharply with the masculine drive for dominance through action and declaration.
Perhaps, the feminine villain is not in opposition to the masculine archetype but exists as a parallel force—a weaver of webs rather than a wielder of swords. While the masculine shouts, “I am,” the feminine whispers, “I feel,” shaping worlds not through force but through quiet, persistent influence. The blend of these forces within us, unresolved, mirrors the chaotic tapestry of our modern existence. And in studying figures like Iago, we are not just understanding a character but exploring the intricate dance of these polarities within ourselves.
With that being said, Charlotte's Web is the perfect metaphor for this power. The villain, feminine or masculine, is a reminder not just of what we fear but of what we must integrate if we are to truly evolve. Thank you again, for such a thought-provoking comment. It is, as you say, personal yet universal—a perfect paradox.
Thanks, this was really educational -coming from a music & software degree background
It was a pleasure. I'm glad you liked it. Thank you for your time and interest.
Yes, the villain is us. Our other side, if our reflection in the mirror could show our true nature. We are attracted to the villain because we are attracted to ourselves.
Thanks Dilay for another contemplative piece.
Indeed. This attraction is a journey of recognition—a reluctant nod to the parts of ourselves we cannot ignore. Thank you for your reflection; it deepens this ever-unfolding contemplation.
Thank you for taking the time to write this (especially at the expense of physical necessities).
Rudolf Steiner said that the first major challenge humanity would face in its spiritual evolution was 'death,' the second, beginning in earnest only in the 1400's, is 'evil.' He went on to say something like 'it is not in our deeds where the true nature of our evil resides, but in our capacity to do evil.'
Steiner described the spiritual journey through one's life coming to the Crossroads with the confrontation of the personification of one's own evil - the doppelganger, or double. He describes this as the most fear-inspiring event that a human being can have. The double greets us at first as an external entity and it is we who must recognize and accept this being as part of ourselves, become the gentle master of it, and going forward, incorporate it into our soul through redeeming it.
I'm glad I didn't try to write a response immediately - this subject draws out the personal more than any other that I can imagine. And it's not that the personal is irrelevant, indeed, it's often the only way to engage with a reader in this egotistical age, but rather that the villain is already an 'objective' study, and we'd just go around in circles to add to that.
One question that a reader might find remaining after reading this is - where is the feminine? - what is the feminine archetype of 'the villain?' "Attractive, magnetic, seductive, and tempter" are certainly not adjectives that a masculine nature applies to a masculine villain. But "admirable is." If we consider the factors of objective and subjective in this essay, we arrive at our feminine villain - Iago.
"I am" is the declaration of the human spirit. This is classically considered to be a 'masculine' element of our being. "I feel" is what the soul speaks to us, and is feminine. The primary struggle of our modern times is to recognize these differences within ourselves and reconcile them. The common expression "I am happy" is a problematic one, in that it conflates the spirit and soul... it would be much more accurate to say "I am feeling happy."
Iago is denied a soliloquy because the soul doesn't speak, it listens. "Psyche" is the word for soul - we delve into it when we study Iago, but this reader (as a man) does not find him at all 'disturbingly intimate.' 'I am not what I am' is the perfect voicing for the soul for it is without reason, it has no access to truth or need for it, but it is also not cold and scientific, or intellectual.
The masculine spirit and body can only can only compel its subject by direct force. It is the power of the soul to manipulate and seduce - it is cruelty, an evil, which is definitely not magnificent (unless we consider the object of its prey - in the book 'Charlotte's Web' we hear about a Spider who weaves a web so strong she catches fish. That is magnificent.)
I knew you'd be interested in this! Thank you for your interest and time.
This is the terrifying duality of being human, the simultaneous recognition of our boundless creativity and capacity for destruction.
What I'd like to say the most is that your observation truly strikes a critical chord about feminine archetype of villainy. Iago’s absence of self-reflection contrasts sharply with the masculine drive for dominance through action and declaration.
Perhaps, the feminine villain is not in opposition to the masculine archetype but exists as a parallel force—a weaver of webs rather than a wielder of swords. While the masculine shouts, “I am,” the feminine whispers, “I feel,” shaping worlds not through force but through quiet, persistent influence. The blend of these forces within us, unresolved, mirrors the chaotic tapestry of our modern existence. And in studying figures like Iago, we are not just understanding a character but exploring the intricate dance of these polarities within ourselves.
With that being said, Charlotte's Web is the perfect metaphor for this power. The villain, feminine or masculine, is a reminder not just of what we fear but of what we must integrate if we are to truly evolve. Thank you again, for such a thought-provoking comment. It is, as you say, personal yet universal—a perfect paradox.