Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
But the Lord weighs the hearts.
-Proverbs 21:2
This verse of Proverbs lays out in focused words one of the most key and fundamental principles shaping the human experience. So much meaning is packed into this one sentence. In a way, it sums up the entirety of the Bible. It is the core of all conflict. As it happens, conflict is also the core of a story. It is a good idea, therefore, that those of us who craft stories have a solid grasp of this two part statement.
Now, you may think that it is bold claim for me to say this passage sums up the core of all conflict, but let’s unpack things. Everything a man does, he does because he thinks it is the right path. Some of you will say, “Well duh.” Others will think this is obviously incorrect, as there are many people who do things they do not think are right. Many people commit crimes knowing full well that they are breaking the law and doing bad things. But think carefully about the verse and about the mindset of a criminal. A criminal will likely know he’s breaking the law and that he is being immoral, but he’s still doing it because he thinks his path is right. For whatever reason, he has chosen this particular course of action. He has looked at the various options before him and chosen this one. He offers justifications.
“It won’t hurt anyone.” “I can’t help myself.” “I need it more than they do.” “It’s not fair they have it.” “Life’s short, so better enjoy it.” “They had it coming.”
Even the worst of people will justify their actions. Even if they know they are doing evil, they will rationalize that this is the best path available. But not just them. Us. You and me. This is human nature.
But there is another part of the formula, and that is God. We justify ourselves, but the Lord is an impartial judge, weighing the true motivations behind our actions. While we create excuses, He sees the depths of our hearts.
Behind, “It won’t hurt anyone,” is, “It’s small enough that I can get away with it.” Behind, “I can’t help myself,” is, “I don’t care enough to practice self control.” And on through every excuse we can muster.
Oh, but what about someone who is unapologetically evil? What of someone who murders, enjoys it, and makes no excuses? He is also following a path that is right in his own eyes. And the second part of the verse still applies. The Lord will weigh his heart. It doesn’t matter what the person perceives the right path to be. God is the judge who will determine the quality of his soul.
Yet a heart can also be weighed and found to be good. A man may justify evil actions, but he can also walk a truly right path. People are good as well as evil. But how does one determine a good path from a bad path? Once again, the answer is in the second part of the verse. The Lord is the standard. A power outside of the man, a power objective and just.
How does this fit with the topic of narrative?
The foundation of character in my writing philosophy is that every character is the good guy of his story. His actions are just, or at least justified. Despite this, there is always a greater objective standard outside of the character that determines whether he is right or wrong.
This may seem either elementary or naive, but it is good for me to recognize my fundamentals. If I don’t, I run the risk of mixing these elements with something that contradicts. For instance, my philosophy is incompatible with a theme of moral relativism. If I try to create a narrative that ends with the message that circumstances can justify genocide of innocents, it will clash with my core philosophy and result in a disingenuous mess. My foundation is also incompatible with the theme of ends justifying the means. This is not to say that I cannot employ these themes and explore them within my narrative–only that I cannot use them as the main theme that wins out in the end. And in recognizing that, I can use the knowledge of what my true theme is and is not in order to properly build upon that true theme.
And having addressed that objective good and evil exist, we now have another question: What do we categorize as good and evil?