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RE: Some thoughts about the obvious.
Who are the bad guys; those who do evil or those who want evil?
I think that for someone to be bad their intentions and actions must seek evil. In the same way for someone to be good, their intentions and actions should seek good. If someone does good or bad without wanting to, we can't say that it is good or bad, even if their actions are good or bad.
Since I don't think anyone is looking for evil, I don't think there are bad guys. Unless we call "bad guys" to the people who do evil looking for good, in that case, you and I, and everyone, has been these guys for moments.
"I don't think anyone is looking for evil"
That is where you are incorrect. Again, in order for someone to be looking for good, someone else must be looking for evil. Otherwise, it is not good. That would be just being human.
To your last point, I believe that actions are what defines us, not our intentions. That is what we can perceive; we cannot perceive intentions. So by calling "bad guys" those people who do evil looking for good, then I can truthfully say that we all have all been in that position.
I understand you, but do you think there are people with bad intentions? And with bad intentions I mean that they seek to do evil. You think there are?
Don't believe for a moment that I am being relativist. I'm just saying that people who do evil do it because, or think it's good, or are indifferent to good, but they don't look for bad results with this.
You are right, we don't perceive intentions, but that is not a reason to reduce the world to what we can perceive, so that we can validate our judgment.
The problem of denominating as bad guys those who act badly, is that we create a division between them and us, and we avoid understanding them, and if we don't understand them we can't eradicate that evil, since such people are not doing such evil by intention, but out of ignorance.
But it's okay, let's call him "bad guys", let's say that the good guy is the one who has knowledge of the good, and therefore, acts good, and his results are good, and that on the other hand, the bad guy is the one who ignores the good, and therefore, acts badly, and his results are bad. From this it follows that the bad is not bad for doing the bad, but for ignoring the good, so that you don't have to create a dichotomy between one and the other, because both are really looking for the same; the good, only that one ignores it and the other does not.
It is like the wise and the ignorant, both yearn for knowledge, only that the wise have it, and the ignorant think he has it. In the same way, the good and the bad yearn for good, only that one has it, so to speak, and the other does not.
Have I overlooked something?
Let's imagine a world where everyone is good and they do good acts. They are brave, save lives, give to charity etc. Now since all humans are not the same, it is only natural that some are better at these good acts than others. Maybe they are braver, stronger, faster, smarter than others.
Suppose you are one of the "others". That you are not good at being good. Thus you do not get the necessary positive feedback loop by doing these good acts. You are ignored. You become unfulfilled.
The point that I am making is that there isn't a place in the world for ALL of the good people, just the excellent ones.
So where does that leave you as one of the "others"? Should you continue your life as a non playable character doing and saying all of the right things, with none of the reward or maybe......you should stop trying to be good. Maybe it's time to be the bad guy with bad intentions.
This is where the seeds of evil are being planted.
See this scenefor a visual and similar story to the one that I have just conjured up.
In conclusion, yes there are bad people out there with bad intentions. They do it because the world has enough heroes. So being good will not give them the dopamine rush, the satisfaction, and the fulfillment they desire. They must seek evil.