One reason why real-crime documentaries and books are so popular is that we imagine that we might be able to discover the source of someone’s behavior. As if even a mass murderer can in some way be explained. But it seems to me that it is we who are missing something. Evil does exist as a force in the world. Indeed, it is the only explanation for why certain people do certain things. On October 7, 2023, many Israelis stared into the face of pure evil—1,200 of them in the last moments of their lives. People begged; people pleaded and in some cases cried for mercy. But they were murdered anyway.
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