Does anyone REALLY ever have bad intentions?

There are plenty of selfish people who put their own interests and well-being before everyone else's, but do you think that anyone ever really has the sole purpose of harming others, with no other greater cause or self-interest involved?

Yes. I have worked with one such person on several occasions. She sets out to make me feel inadequate, and that is not just me being over-sensitive. Mind you, perhaps there IS something in it for her - it must make her feel superior or something. Fortunately, by losing my job, I will never have to see her again, hopefully. There's always a silver lining, eh?

I think a sociapathic personality would fit. They lack the ability to feel guilt...empathy or sympathy for others but can fake it good as fits there egos and shrewed plans. It's ALL about them.
Incidentally...they are not just "serial killers"...but happen to make great C.E.O.s!
I know....I've worked for one for quite a few years!
Yikes!

Yes. Yes I do. As to whether they do it whether or not it benefits them, I'm not sure that's even an issue. People rarely (if ever) do anything that doesn't pay off for them in some way, regardless of the behaviour--ultimately everyone's underlying motive is to benefit themselves, whether you're a good samaritan or a sadist. Sadists are an example of a type of person that enjoys hurting others. But their purpose in doing so is because they like it. That IS the benefit for them. So it may seem "pointless" to the outsider, but to the sadist, sadistic behaviour is its own reward.

Yes, I'm quite certain people do things deliberately to hurt others. I'm certain, because I have deliberately hurt someone else. And I think, given the right circumstances, we are all quite capable of doing so. There doesn't even have to be some great pay-off. It can be as simple as demonstrating one's control or power over another. It can be sweet revenge or even comic relief, for some. At the same time, and I've said this before, I believe a person is profoundly ignorant when she hurts someone else, because it demonstrances a profound ignorance about the nature of life and what it means to be human.

Elaine Aron had a good article about this last year, called, "What HSPs Need to Know About Why Good People Turn Evil."

maybe a small percentage...

I agree we all are potentially capable of this, but why do it?
As one of my favorite characters in a book, Death by Neil Gaiman says: 'It's no harder to be nice than it is to be creepy. - And it's much more fun.'

IMO people do really bad things when they're feeling sucky themselves (venting/lashing out at others) or furious at something, &/or becasue they just don't know better.
It can be a way of 'stealing' other people's energy/getting attention...

I've been at times sorta mean to eg my sister (when a kid) and I always regretted it later...

It's probably possible that some people may have underdeveloped sense of guilt/empathy into others &/or are just too plain spoilt (and think the world really does or ought to revolve around them solely, and other people don't really 'exist' as separate real people with their own feelings and wishes etc).
Mostly people just don't think their actions could have such consequences as they truly do...
At least that is my opinion..

Excellent article, Hester!! Thanks for posting it!!

What she writes about kids & teacher & Nazi movement was a movie (and a really good one) - this is the 1st time I hear it's supposed to be truth too-? I wonder if it really was true...?
http://www.thewave.tk/ tells more...
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/film_reviews/article4620115.ece (not sure if I watched the English or German version, it's been a while.. could've been in German, it was not the last-year-movie though, must've been something earlier..)
Oh gosh, I do hope they don't make a reality TV show out of this...!!

The others have covered it well....yes, people can do intentional harm for just about any reason or no reason at all.

I concur with the previous comments.

And I think, given the right circumstances, we are all quite capable of doing so. There doesn't even have to be some great pay-off. It can be as simple as demonstrating one's control or power over another.

To those who do it, exerting control and power over other people is the greatest payoff of all.

What such people never realise is that they pay a greater price than those they harm.

They've lost their capacity to love and care and nurture and to be loved, cared for and nurtured. Power has replaced joy. And they rarely realise the loss.

Word.

Oh yes definitely...I also believe that there are some people who are born evil.