Hitler was not a monster

Adolf Hitler was born to an affectionate mother. He loved dogs. He was an aspiring artist. And he violently murdered millions of men, women, and children.

I believe that we find comfort in labelling those who do great evil as monsters. It distances ourselves from their actions. It lets us pretend that the evils in our world are perpetrated by outside forces.

But the truth is that Adolf Hitler was a normal human being, just like you and me. Driven by ambition, hate, and circumstance. Enabled by a society that looked the other way.

Nazi Germany is one of modern history’s darkest cautionary tales. But we must let ourselves be cautioned. We must acknowledge and confront the potential for evil in every single one of us, ourselves included. Only then can the good in us prevail.