In The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis writes:

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“Until the evil man finds evil unmistakably present in his existence, in the form of pain, he is enclosed in illusion.”

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An evil person may not recognize their own evil until they experience pain. In Lewis’s view, pain acts as a disruptive force, something that insists on being attended to. It doesn’t whisper; it shouts. It breaks through self-deception and forces one to confront reality.

This idea opens us up to consider two kinds of evil people. I like to think that some people do know they are evil. To make a clearer distinction, paraphrasing CS Lewis: “The worst kind of evil man is one who does evil with the approval of his own conscience.” Doesn’t this imply that some people are aware of their actions and still persist in them, even after encountering pain?

So perhaps there are:

• Those who are evil but unaware — still enclosed in illusion.
• Those who are evil and aware — who have felt pain but refused to change.

Which of these has truly encountered the pain Lewis speaks of? Maybe both but only one lets the pain do its work. The other resists, hardens, or uses pain as justification to go deeper into darkness.

For me honesty resonates deeply, even when it’s dark. It disarms. A man who says “yes, I know I’m selfish” is closer to change than the one who hides behind virtue like “I’m doing this for your own good” or “for the greater good.”

I prefer people who aren’t ashamed to talk about their behavior, the ones who say “yeah, I know I’m this”, more than those who mask their intentions like wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing.