Why Do The Worst People Change Us The Most?

Why do the worst people change us the most?  I was talking about this question with my mentor the other day and it really stuck with me.  The whole idea came about because of Descartes.  He was a brilliant guy and changed the face of philosophy…yet, in reality, he wasn’t a great person.  All the experimenting he did on animals and everything else were absolutely horrible.  So why is he such an important part of the way we think?  Why is he one of the most quoted philosophers?

Is it simply a coincidence that some of the greatest minds of the world have also been the worst? Take Hitler… one of the worst people ever to live, and possibly the most hated.  Yet, at one point, he was worshipped.  And although his tactics were terrible, the ways he went about accomplishing his goals were genius.  And he completely changed the face of war.  He’s just another example of a horrible person who has shaped the world we live in. 

It happens on a personal scale as well.  Sometimes the person we would most love to see hit by a bus is also the person that teaches us the most.  Even if their lessons are on what NOT to do, you can’t deny that bad people teach good lessons. 

And it seems like a lot of times, we remember those bad people more easily than we do the good ones.  Why are we so skewed towards negativity in life?  We receive three compliments in a day and one insult and what remains with us?  What do we worry over and contemplate for hours later?  The insult. 

When you think of World War II, who do you think of?  Most people’s first response is Hitler.  Not Roosevelt, Churchill or all those other good guys.  No, it’s usually Hitler that comes to mind.

WHY IS THAT?  What is it about our brain that is wired towards focusing on the dark side of things?  It’s as if there is an ever present shadow over our minds, and light has to battle to get through.  We have a way of assuming the worst, and remembering the bad. 

Those who live by the bible might say it’s because of Adam and Eve’s fall from grace, and maybe it is. 

Whatever the reason, humanity as a whole is more perceptive to bad news than it is to good, and I really don’t have an answer why.