The pursuit if happiness is the fundamental problem... Not in and of itself, but because some people are not happy unless they have dominance over others, removing the other folks right to the same pursuit.
it's also the greed, over-consumption, waste and pollution. it's the lack of moderation which makes one insensitive/unappreciative to the basic necessities of life and therefore the basic and humane needs of others.
you know that there is something evil in nature when people have a roof over their heads, food in their fridge, clothes on their back and a decent income (which includes decent disposable income) and they view it as an assault on their ego because they are not at the very top and millionaires. they will trample, use and abuse others to reach what their ego demands. that's what society teaches a form of vanity at the expense of humanity and ethics.
this is how the average person views it in this shallow fashion, because so much of a person's social value has been taught is based on money and prestige so the motives are often disingenuous as it's not about reflecting whether what you are reaching for (and what at what and whose expense) is sound, what you really care for, interested in but just a vehicle to attain status and ego-stroking. you should try to better yourself and reach higher but there is always a reason for that and it should be reflected on as to why and how. competition just because you don't want to see another succeed or do better than you or because such and such a position or income level is considered noteworthy is not genuine.
ambition is not always a good thing. it depends on what that ambition is for and why. but if you have to trample and abuse others to get there, then obviously it's purely ego, then it's not about your craft, passion/genuine interest or to better society.
i learned this viewpoint from the stepfather (which also influenced my personality to a degree) but his view is not isolated, it is because the world is largely this way. he was always cutting down others, so hateful and jealous of what others have or might be better than he did or have (whether he actually cared about the 'thing' was not the point). everything was viewed as a vehicle for ego-driven motives.
he was a very intense, hateful, megalomaniac, ungrateful and very jealous man if anyone around him even had a hint of a possible potential beyond him as he was obviously been given a horrible hand as a white male born to a upper-middle class family in a first world country (america) and had a career, decent income, two marriages, children and health. never went hungry, never been homeless, never had a serious accident or illness, never had to go to mental health, never had to suffer ptsd, never had to go to jail (like i did for trespassing as a vagrant once homeless) . no one has ever actually gotten in his way of attaining anything or really abused him. that's just fuking terrible, isn't it?
he obviously has good reason as he has suffered so much to have been such a jealous/envious, narcissistic, megalomaniac sociopath, right?
he had to make sure to crush, cripple and abuse anyone that he remotely felt jealous of, if he could or speak badly about them if they did better than him or were more successful.
now, he seems to have cooled off and be comforted knowing that he gets full disability/free money from the government (va benefits that he actually does not deserve since he is a real criminal) and true to a hypocrites values being a republican voter that rails against the democrats, communism and any other stereotypical soundbyte, he further doesn't deserve it because it was the democrats that are responsible for his benefits that he denigrated all his life. and also, his daughter is very successful now so he can be proud of that.
pay attention: this is the most hypocritical part. it was my mother who helped put in the benefits for the stepfather when she learned i was getting something from the veterans administration ( he gets full, mine is partial/minimal to survive) out of spite/competition because, again, they can't stand knowing someone else may have some benefit they don't have. jealousy again. she made sure to tell me to not say anything about him to the VA defending him 'because it was a long time ago' when she learned i was going there for counseling.
THIS IS THE MOST TELLING PART: the reason why they are hypocrites being conservative republicans is THAT I WOULDN'T HAVE NEEDED these benefits had they not abused and undercutted/sabotaged me every way they could in the first place! but their need to oppress, use, abuse and keep another down because of ego or jealousy or just callousness was more important to them. i would have been healthy, normal and strong enough to take care of myself without any aid had they been decent people.
conservative republicans are diabolical devils in disguise!!! they are not trustworthy and are absolutely complete corrupt hypocrites and liars which blame and project what they do (problems they create through their sins ) onto liberals and make them take the blame!! and just like a twisted, manipulative liar have the gall to pompously rail against the poor and why they don't pull themselves up by the boot-straps. that's their game!!