No One Thinks They’re Evil
By Producing Playwright Jonathan Baude
One of the most defining lessons I think I’ve learned in my entire life is something I picked up in my sophomore acting class. It’s pretty simple, but it changed the way I think about the world: Everyone does something for a reason.
Whether you’re writing an epic fantasy saga or just sitting in your car, raging against the guy apparently too afraid to turn right on red, you have to remember that everything that anyone does, at any time, is motivated by something.
Sometimes the motivations are arbitrary, or incredibly self-centered, or even based on deeply hateful belief systems, but they’re not random, and they’re not two-dimensional evil.
Writers know this well, although I think actors know it best of all because they actually have to portray someone and figure out what really fuels their fire. I think about this often when writing, trying to make sure there’s an actual reason everyone does what they does—not just to be the bad guy I need, or to deliver the requisite piece of exposition, or to set up my perfect punchline.
But, honestly, I take this lesson into my everyday life. Especially when it comes to people who I disagree with. I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. I try to see things from someone else’s perspective. A lot of times, you can take a pretty good guess at why someone did what they did. It doesn’t mean you’ll excuse their behavior or forgive their actions, but it does mean you’ll be able to understand what’s really going on.
It’s a tool for empathy, sure, but I also find it reassuring. It’s dissatisfying to view the world as filled with arbitrary, thoughtless actors. If you can figure out what makes everyone tick, you can see a clearer picture of the world around you—and figure out how best to navigate it.