We all have thoughts that could be considered “evil,” but what matters most is our actions.

Bad thoughts don’t make you evil—they make you human. The important thing is not to act on them, because they may be harmful to others.

We have biological and psychological instincts that wire us for survival and procreation. But we also have the ability to make executive decisions that help us pursue these aims in a civilized way.

If you treat such thoughts as evil, you’ll want to fight them head-on. That doesn’t work, because it gives those thoughts more attention and leaves you frustrated with your inability to defeat them. It becomes a battle against yourself instead of a process of regulating yourself.

Instead of trying to rid yourself of certain thoughts, focus on choosing the right actions.