I Work for an Evil Company, but Outside Work, I'm a Good Person

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/i-work-for-an-evil-company-but-outside-work-im-actually-a-really-good-person

by gpi • 8 months ago

35 8 8 months ago

nis0s• 8 months ago

The nature of evil is debatable when someone uses the word against ideological opponents. There are things which are unequivocally evil, but most people are ill-equipped to differentiate between evil and what they don’t like due to their cognitive biases, political biases, and lack of knowledge or experience. For people in functioning democracies, this means waiting and observing, so you can fund activities and vote accordingly. I don’t like the colloquial use of the word “evil”, in which one type of political extremist uses it against another, as in that case they’re both wrong, but for different reasons.

GuestFAUniverse• 8 months ago

That could be the motto of every criminal who joined any form of organized crime syndicate. Why society sanctioned one or the other? Seems more and more blurry.

(yes, exaggerating -- to provoke thought)

alyxya• 8 months ago

Unironically this is how most of us think about the world. I believe as humans we’re innately selfish and want to feel like we’re usually good or at least justified. Everyone is the protagonist of their own life and sometimes the antagonist of other people’s lives, so it’s worth considering how you could do better to others rather than continuing to justify yourself.

znpy2• 8 months ago

Love this article. It basically represents most of my collagues when I worked at a faang.

more_corn• 8 months ago

I think the point of it also represents you.

znpy2• 8 months ago

Does it though? I did my time at a faang, but i’m okay admitting i did contribute to the evil company for the fat paycheque.

Yup, my work did (indirectly, i hope) make the world worse.

I dislike that but at the end of the day i’m fine with that.

weard_beard• 8 months ago

Corollary: My income from living a well meaning life is not sufficient to have children. Having children while working for a non-profit in 2025 means living in precarity. While my individual choices have a negligible impact on the direction of the world or society at large, my low income would actively stunt my children and any hope that they might have the resources, support, influence, or opportunity to bring about systemic change.

Also, I refuse to consider any type of violence in my organizing even though that is precisely the escalation in tactics and extremism that the "evil" parts of the world have moved to.

I am prey. Please eat me.

If you do not fight the system the way I want I will pout and die faster in response. Because suicide is the ultimate form of control and emotional manipulation and that's all I really care about.

marcelr• 8 months ago

this is the only alternative you can imagine? that is pathetic to me.

I Work for an Evil Company, but Outside Work, I'm a Good Person

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